The term “authorpreneur” consists of two different terms, i.e, author and entrepreneur.
Authorpreneur are authors with access to business skills to promote their books leading to higher sales. The goals for an authorpreneur are simple- to sell their books and develop a career as an author. In other words, authorpreneur are those authors who want to make a living out of writing.
Publishing:Where books means business
There are somewhere between 600,000 and 1,000,000 books published every year in the US alone and there is a higher probability that each will sell less than 500 copies. In order to become a full-time author, you need to have great marketing skills apart from having great writing and story-telling skills.
Writing and publishing a book itself is a journey. There are different ways to publishing. In former times, most of the books were dependent on traditional publishing. However, the times changed and self-publishing emerged changing the dynamics of publishing market for ever.
Self-Publishing
Most of the authorpreneurs are those people who have published their book through self publishing and promoted their book in such a way that led to booming sales.
There are many perks of self-publishing-
Faster- when it comes to self-publishing, you don’t have to wait for approval and submissions. It much faster and efficient method of publishing your book.
More freedom- You have more freedom about how to publish, distribute and promote your book
Ability to promote your book on your terms- You are able to promote books on your terms.
Royalty- The royalty is all yours.
Rights of your book- You have the rights of your books if you opt for self-publishing.
What makes an authorpreneur?
The success behind a book is an amalgamation of hard-work and smartwork together. Authorpreneurs are dedicated, goal-driven and high potential people who refuses to give up on writing and makes a fortune out of it.
But the question arises- How do they do that? The answer is simple-
1.Authorpreneurs are managers of their promotional strategy- The authorpreneurs manage their promotional strategies on their own. They ensure that their book promotions are goal oriented and creates a large readership.
2. They write regularly- They ensure that this readership is maintained through their blogs,website and social media. They keep on writing continuously to meet the demand of their readers.
3. They focus on brand creation- These authors create their brand. For example- Harry Potter Series is a brand name when it comes to fiction and JK Rowling ensured that her series reaches all the readers globally.
4. They usually work with teams of professionals- Authorpreneurs often hire professionals to market their book. If they want they will hire social media managers, marketing consultants, etc to promote their book.
5.They make a living out of writing- They keep on writing articles and paid content while writing books to ensure that they do not get distracted in earning money from other sources.
Some People who are successful authorpreneurs –
Paulo Coelho- Paulo Coelho shot to fame with his book “The Alchemist”. After that, he never looked back, his books are full of deep thoughts and content, making it loved by all those who want to understand the depth of life.
(image from internet)
2. Chetan Bhagat- Chetan Bhagat usually write romance novels and promote his books by making trailers, giving them for adaptations into movies, etc. His books are bestsellers in India.
3. Louise Hay- Louise Hay is a healer and a life coach. Her books like “You can heal your life”, “You can heal your body” are dominating the self-help book market. She maintains her blog and her promotional team’s game is on point.
4. Rhonda Bryne- The writer of the famous book “The Secret” is a successful authorpreneur. She provides readings, guidance and life lessons through her blog posts. She have converted her books into films to reach people who are movie lovers.
Books with Brains : Factors essential for an authorpreneur.
An authorpreneur is different from an author in many ways, one of them is planning their books. Many factors are important for an authorpreneur. These include-
1. What their book is about- Authorpreneurs ensure that they are writing about something that is in trend or might lead to higher sales. To write a bestseller, one needs to understand the market and the topics which are in trend. For instance, if self-help books are in trend, then they will write one with their field of expertise.
2. Target Audience- The most important part of a book is the audience. Who is going to read your book? For whom you have written it? These questions are clear in the mind of an authorpreneur. Example- Is your book a romance novel? Then a certain age group will love your book.
3. How to reach audience- It is possible that your book while sell globally more than locally, to ensure that you are reaching your target audience, you need different strategies of publishing and distribution.
4. Book promotion- Authorpreneurs start promoting their book even before their launch. The key is to create a curiosity around the book in order to sell it. This can be done by creating trailers, posting in reading groups, etc.
5. Investing in the book- Authorpreneurs are highly dedicated people who are not afraid to invest in their book. Whether it is money, time or content, they make sure that their books get all that they deserve.
To be an authorpreneur, it takes to be confidence, consistency and good marketing skills. Every writer cannot be an authorpreneur but every authorpreneur can be a good writer.
