5 Things Writers Don’t Do to Prepare for Authorship

1. They underestimate the planning and effort required to engage with the marketplace to promote their work.. Until you’re ready to take the reins into your own hands to promote your book, you’re still a writer. Publishers today do very little to promote their work. If you want to be an author, you need a solid marketing plan that is in place at least six months before your publication date, and having a post-publication plan is essential as well.

2. They catch up on sales.. This is a problem: after all, there is a lot of pressure on authors to constantly promote their books. However, many writers want a “catchback” in the form of sales. I understand that sales are important, but do you know what those sales will bring? readers. If you give up that connection, then you’ve missed building a platform that sells. Word of mouth marketing is the best type of selling there is. Every time you find yourself looking at sales, ask yourself if you’ve done everything possible to fully connect with readers. Think workshops, book talks, talks, webinars, teleseminars. The opportunities are endless!

3. They do not have a long-term marketing strategy.. You’re not in business just to publish your first and only book, are you? A long-term marketing strategy requires investing in the publishing and marketing of your first book, as well as setting aside time to write additional books. Becoming an author requires long-term thinking. What do you want your career to be like in 5-10-15 years? Still want to see yourself promoting your first book?

4. They depend on the publisher to market and promote their books.. Unfortunately, publishers don’t do much for their authors these days. Even New York Times bestselling authors are self-publishing their books to regain greater control of sales and marketing. Many authors like me

5. They get distracted by the success of other authors.. In the process of learning to market themselves, they inevitably compare themselves to the success of other authors (this is easy to do, I know!) which in turn lowers their self-esteem. They think: “I’m never going to be like that author who does such and such.” So here’s a better way to do it: If you’re an aspiring author, look at what these authors are doing right, and then aim for that. Make that your quarterly goal. If you’re an aspiring first-time author, stay focused on your writing goals.

As you can see, there is a lot of legwork involved in transitioning from writer’s life to claiming authorship. It is one of the most difficult things to do when making this decision.