The following is the second segment in a 4-part video series that documents the evolution of my young business, in the hopes that others can learn from my experience—my successes, my mistakes, and the process of applying a critical eye to your business as it develops.
Part 2: Authors—Finding the Sweet Spot of Your Business
Too often, people make it sound easy, though. It’s not. Just because the opportunity exists doesn’t mean that you are going to be successful. It’s a ton of work and it takes a lot of time. There’s no shortcut. But if your goal is to get your ideas out there and tell your story to the world, it’s worth the work.
If you are writer—or an artist of any type—you know what I’m talking about. Perhaps you are a published author who’s disappointed in the traditional process (especially marketing). Perhaps you are an aspiring author, working on your very first book. Perhaps you are a blogger who’s making connections over short-form content. Perhaps you have an idea for either one of these things, but you haven’t acted on it yet.
Does this describe you? In the last post, I talked about Redefining Your Ideal Customer. For me, that ideal customer is you. Authors, defined broadly, are the sweet spot of my business. This should come as no surprise—I’ve been helping authors my entire career. From my long publishing career all the way back to my days working in a bookstore, I’ve been helping authors 1) produce good work; and 2) propagate their ideas.
How can I help?
- I write a ton of articles pitched at helping authors, all published here on my site:
http://bit.ly/articles-for-authors. - If you are just starting out, I recommend Author 101: New Rules for Authors:
http://bit.ly/Author-101. - And I’m writing a book, “under glass,” so you can see the process as it happens:
http://glassboxproject.com.
Whom can I help?
It’s been a worthwhile exercise casting a critical eye on the first nine months of my business (in the 4-part video series, Testing My Assumptions: Pulling Back the Curtain on My Business). It’s really helped me understand the profile of my ideal client—the person who’s likely to get the most out of working with me.
Here’s what I’ve discovered, at the risk of over-simplifying. You are a good match for me if:
- You write. Probably non-fiction, but not necessarily. You are working on a book, or you have plans to do so.
- You want to build your “platform.” You want to build your credibility, authority, and thought leadership.
- You want to educate, inspire, or inform. You want to share your expertise; you want your story to be heard.
- You are open to connecting with your readers. Yes, you need a blog and social media—not just a book.
- You are new to the game. This is your first book, or you have been through the “traditional” process and were disappointed.
- You are patient. Content marketing is powerful, but it takes time. There are no shortcuts in building relationships.
If that describes you, then I invite you to read my articles about content strategy—how it can help you, and how to implement it for yourself. You can find it all here on my site: http://michaelboezi.com, or you can join my mailing list.
If you find that you need specific help, contact me directly here: http://michaelboezi.com/contact.
I offer a wide variety of services, from coaching and strategizing to writing and editing. My goal is to train you so that you can do all this on your own and not be dependent on me. Most of all, I want to make you successful. It’s all available to you in today’s world—you just need a strategy.
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Copyright 2014 Control Mouse Media, LLC http://www.controlmousemedia.com. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use is a violation of applicable copyright laws. All views or opinions expressed in this video and its description are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the author’s employers, past or present.
Music credit: Cataclysmic Converter http://bit.ly/cataclysmic-converter.