Part 6 of the Indie Author Business Plan: You May Be an Independent Author, But You’re Not Doing This Alone!
Although it may not be the first thing to come to mind when embarking on the professional author’s journey, the team is a crucial consideration for any other kind of business undertaking. And so it should be for you, too, if you’re serious about doing this as a full-time or even part-time career.
Of course when we talk about team in regards to the independent author, we’re talking more about building a strong support system to help accelerate your efforts. From acquiring professional and personal support roles to utilizing an extended online network for additional promotional opportunities, we’ll give you some useful tips on how to surround yourself with the most productive partnerships for your success as an author!
Part Six: The Team
Now that you have a solid product and fixed goals to keep you motivated and focused, you can start looking for allies who can bolster your efforts in key areas. The accumulation of a solid support team happens differently for every independent writer, as every situation is unique. To interject ideas applicable to the broadest range of unique professional author situations, we can start by focusing on the type of support system that doesn’t cost any money at all. An emerging author relies on all the support they can find, so there’s no shame at all in including friends and family in your business plan. They may even be a very big part of what ends up getting you to the winning side of your ambitions.
Personal Support
It takes more than one person to build a successful company and the same applies to our attempt to sell as many ebooks as possible. There are many areas where assistance can go a long way to achieving your most important goals. When you have a foundation of personal relationships with people you consider to be within your inner circle – who can provide honest feedback, aid in select projects, and become a living, breathing extension of yourself – it will not only boost your confidence but help multiply awareness of your work and reputation as an author.
Of course, even with all their great intentions, ultimately it will take more than the people you already know to get you where you need to be.
Professional Support
If you are in a position where you can afford to pay for quality work from specialists, you want to make sure that you are hiring the right people for the right jobs. Determine where you will need the most help based on the goals that you have already mapped out for yourself. Ask questions, such as: What are things that I can control, measure, and manipulate in order to support my sales efforts? Then ask: Which of these things do I not have enough time or energy for?
If your main goal is to promote yourself as a brand and house-hold name, it might be a good idea to hire a social media manager who can lead the way sharing your vision through the lens of various social media platforms. Consider hiring a publicist who likely will have connections and access to media outlets and book reviews that can deliver huge reach for your titles. If the stress of everyday tasks are overwhelming, consider hiring a personal assistant who can help you to get organized. There are many ways that professional support can lighten the heavy load that often comes with trying to promote your own work, but it is once again important to always keep in mind the return on your investment. You will be paying hard-earned dollars for this assistance so make sure that you are getting the most beneficial return by filling a position that is truly needed and helpful to your efforts. You will also want to provide adequate guidance and support for your new employee, which leads not only to growth that will benefit them, but also growth for your overall brand.
Beyond these two inner circles is a just-as-important third circle.
Extended Network
Another option that you can throw in the think tank when brainstorming is utilizing extended online networks. There are plenty of online communities with writers just like you promoting, discussing strategy, and developing lasting connections that evolve into prosperous, and mutually beneficial relationships. Make sure to explore the online landscape and you might find a community to rely on as a valuable tool for yourself and your team.
Make sure to include in this section of your business plan written profiles of every key player in the first and second circles of your team, including their associated costs and justification for why they will ultimately be worth the investment.
Please tune in to Authorpreneurlaunch’s seventh installment of our 8-Part Indie Author Business Plan where we will discuss how to gauge your financials and measure your success!
Happy Writing!
-Marquina
Part 6 of the Indie #Author Business Plan: You May Be an Independent Author, But You Are Not Alone https://t.co/rtPWTpfbaA via @Marquina
— Marquina (@Marquina) August 30, 2016
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