Do you think of your book as a business? In Author as Entrepreneur, I established that today’s authors are running a business. For self published authors, this is critical. You are your own publisher, so there’s no question that you are running a publishing business. Even if you don’t think of it that way.
But what about traditionally published authors? Getting a publisher to issue you a contract is a momentous event. Validation from an experienced curator. You’re feeling great, and you deserve that. You may think, “I’m all set now—all I have to do is write a good book, and my publisher will take care of the rest.”
This is a fatal mistake. Authors fail when they buy into this idea.
Your publisher works for you, not the other way around. Yes, they issue the contract. Yes, the terms are far more favorable to them. Yes, your royalty rate makes it seem like they are in charge. But this is your business—and you’ve just hired them to help you with it. You are the talent, you are the brand, and you are the source of sales generation.
You hire a publisher to help you in particular areas, at a great cost. For many authors, it’s a transaction that is absolutely worth it. A professional publisher:
- affords an author instant credibility;
- ensures a good product; and
- helps find an audience through traditional distribution channels.
Immensely valuable, and you are going to pay through the nose for it. But these three things alone will not make you successful.
Even the best publishers are not good at building your brand as an author. Genres and lists are important to publishers, not individual authors. Publishers are constantly building their own brand as curators of really good content. If you’ve hired a publisher to help you, their brand is really important to you, too. But a publisher’s brand is ancillary to your own. You have to think about your own business, not the publisher’s. You don’t work for them, they work for you.
Recognize their role—what they are good at, and what they are not. You need to do some of your own work, and you may need to hire additional help too. So many authors sacrifice success on the belief that the publisher will handle everything for them. It’s simply not true.
Your book is your business—your entrepreneurial venture. Don’t leave everything in the hands of one partner. See the whole picture. Take control. Hire help where you need it. Just like any entrepreneur.
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In my career, I have worked with authors and I have worked with startups. There are so many similarities between the two.
- For more about Content Strategy for Authors, please see the “For Authors” section of this site.
- But I also invite you to read my new series on Content Strategy for Entrepreneurs. It will help you rethink your role as an author, and your business as an entrepreneur. Even if you don’t think of yourself as an entrepreneur—you are!
To hire me for specific help with your content strategy, please see my “Helping Authors” page. I specialize in non-fiction authors, and the first “orienting” session is always free. Or if you just want to support my writing, please use Gittip.
Photo credit: “Tank and Wonton” by Jim Winstead is licensed under CC BY 2.0.