30 Things I've Learned About Author Success in My 30 Years in Book Publishing

Dear Author Friends,

In no particular order...

1. The business of publishing continues to get harder and more confusing and the options for authors and publishers continue to expand, meaning you must keep up with what’s new, creatively mix and match old and new, and be consistent and persistent in your efforts.
2. Authors must also learn business and stay open to the promises of business. These are the fundamentals, the ABCs of growing an author business as I see them.
3. A good way for authors to learn business is to simply copy what’s working for other authors and publishers until the knowledge is internalized.
4. Here’s the business advice I give author-clients on repeat.
5. The best approach for most authors is to juggle three critical pillars of author life at the same time: writing, publishing options, and marketing/sales.
6. There are non-sales sales approaches that even reluctant authors can and should consider and learn to move more books and open up new options for their author-hood.
7. ​It’s enough to build your business from where you’re at, with what you know, one step at a time, meaning the path is available to all of us.
8. In fact, sometimes lowering the bar on your expectations brings you better results.
9. Here’s a formula for building an author business, and here’s an example of how you can come up with your own formula.
10. There are 8 broad categories of sales and marketing to draw on when customizing a plan that works for you and your books.
11. Different business models work for everyone, but there are at least 12 recurring author business models I see often.
12. ​Cultivate a network. Act like your relationships matter because they do.
13. ​Doing favors for others without expectation of reward comes back to you in ways you least expect.
14. Work on book marketing every day. Don’t break the chain.
15. All your book marketing should be doing at least 3 jobs.
16. Doing at least 5 things a day on behalf of your books, your author life, and your author business is a magic number.
17. Another magic number is 7: Based on what I’ve seen, documented, and tested with hundreds of authors, there are 7 key things to building a profitable author life you love, starting with knowing it’s possible.
18. And there are at least 15 types of author income you can pursue to build an author business you love.
19. The polish, the little things matter. The refined checklists. Applying what you learn over time. This distinguishes the amateurs from the pros. The little money and small opportunities from the sustainable money and exciting opportunities. (For example, see this article on 25 calls to action for your author events.)
20. Look beyond bookstores and traditional book marketing for bigger success and greater opportunities.
21. Learning about and purusing volume sales matters.
22. Learning about and pursuing partnership arrangements are a game changer.
23. Just about every indie author needs to do events routinely.​
24. When you make your expectations and goals for your writing and author life explicit, it’s easier to reap proper rewards for all of the work you’ve put in.
25. You can easily adapt the tools of coaching to support your author journey and address limiting beliefs and other mindset issues.
26. ​The entrepreneurial approach is the best approach for almost any author to get what they want from their books and publishing…even those who don’t want/need financial compensation.
27. ​Multipreneurship is a solid business concept and strategy for authors.
28. You are the author of your life and an authority on what’s right for you and your books.
29. Authors are in an industry of love, creativity, and meaning-making — human advantages in the face of AI.

Finally…

30. These days, the big 5 NYC publishers appear to be scrambling to find the business model that works for them. The lean, nimble, and fast-paced options and modes of indie publishers and self-published authors do not easily overlap with the corporate structures and layers of bureacracy that traditional publishing must contend with. More than ever, this is a wide open game and you are welcome and able to play at your level and beyond.

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• Also in early 2025: My new book that condenses the best of my 300 articles into a handy reference guide.

Thanks for reading and do not let the opportunity to put the pieces of your author business into place go to waste. Take action today to make media outreach an easy and routine part of your author life.

Sharon

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Sharon Woodhouse, Conspire Creative

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316 N Milwaukee St, Ste 208, Milwaukee, WI 53202
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