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Author Inc.
How to Plan your Writing Career
AGENDA
•
Purpose of a Career Plan
•
What’s Changed with ePublishing
•
Career Parameters

•
Who are you in your real life versus Author Inc.
How to develop a Career Plan
 what you will do
 how you will do it
 when you will do it
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
Characters
POV
“You’ve got to love a job
that lets you lie down on
the couch for hours and
still say you’re working!”
-Judith Duncan, ARWA
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
What do you do?
When? How?
Twitter
T
A
R
G
E
T
And when do you
get to write?
BOOK?
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
PURPOSE OF A CAREER PLAN
A goal without a plan is just a wish.
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery, French writer (1900 - 1944)
CAREER PLAN guides your career decisions so that you can reach
your goals:
• given your ‘real life’ parameters
• given changing industry conditions
• given any unexpected opportunity or crisis.
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
WHAT’S CHANGED WITH EPUBLISHING?
Publisher Responsibility
Author Responsibility
Author Inc.
RESOURCES /
ASSETS
SALES &
MARKETING
•
•
•
•
Production/Distribution
Pricing
Promotion
Platform
• Brand, Social Media
BUSINESS
OPERATIONS
•
•
•
•
Financial
Taxes
Legal
Computer
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
CAREER PARAMETERS: REAL LIFE VS Author Inc.
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
GOAL CENTRIC CAREER PLANNING
Goals must be …..
PECIFIC
EASUREABLE
CHIEVABLE
EALISTIC
IMELINE
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
CASE 1: Author has 3 children < 5 so only writes 4
hours on weekend days (Sat & Sun)
Write 1 book of 50K
words this year, self
publish.
Write and then revise
50,000 words
Edit→Revise again
Format →Proof
Production (cover, etc.)
Has 208 x 4hr days. Assume
same time to write and revise.
Outsource production tasks
over 6 week lapse time.
Author has to write ~2200 words each 4 HOUR writing day to
complete the 1 book goal!
But what about
• Launch, promotion of book?
• Other business stuff like taxes, email, social media?
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
A CAREER PLAN HAS TO START WITH YOU
Only YOU know the answer to:
• What ‘success’ looks like to you
• What you want to write
• How you want to BRAND
yourself
• How you want to publish
• What tasks you want to take on
if you epub
• What things you want to pay
others to do for you
• What Professional Development
you want to pursue
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
Who are you?
Marketer?
Writer?
Business person?
RESOURCES
/ ASSETS
SALES &
MARKETING
•
•
•
•
Production/Distribution
Pricing
Promotion
Platform
• Brand, Social Media
BUSINESS
Business
OPERATIONS
Operations
•
•
•
•
Financial
Taxes
Legal
Computer
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should!
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Do you have the . . .
family support
knowledge or skills
time and energy
. . . to fulfill these needs for the long haul?
The level to which these needs are met will drive all career decisions!
• WRITE FIRST – without a BOOK you have nothing to sell.
• Administration for Author Inc. takes time; Administration for
Indie Author Inc. takes a LOT MORE time!
• Indie publishing, hybrid or traditional publishing?
• What to outsource and to whom? Or learn how?
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
NEEDS ASSESSMENT
• PERSONAL [Babysitter, Maid, Moral support,
Achievement, Security]
• TECHNICAL [Computer equipment, Support, Supplies]
• FINANACIAL [Budget, Accountant, Skills, Software,
Currency issues]
• ADMINISTRATIVE [Virtual Assistant, Bookkeeper]
• LEGAL [Contract mgt, cross border issues, Foreign
rights]
• PRODUCTION [Cover designer, formatter, style and
line editors, platform support consultants]
• SALES & MARKETING [Marketing /Brand consultant,
Web developer, Virtual Assistant, Graphic designer for
social media and business cards, etc.]
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
NEEDS ASSESSMENT FEEDS GOALS, ACTIONS AND TIMELINE
SPECIFIC
MEASUREABLE
ACHIEVABLE
REALISTIC
TIMELINE
COMPREHENSIVE
• Writing
• Sales & Marketing
• Business Operations
MULTI YEAR
• Short term (1 year)
• Medium term (2-3)
• Long term (3-5)
CONSISTENT
MILESTONES
SPECIFIC TARGETS
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
CASE 2: Author will commit 6 hours every weekday to writing career
including writing, admin and marketing. Outsources formatting, editing,
proofing, cover design, some PR.
• Meet or exceed commitments to Continuity Series of 6 winter themed
ebooks
• Publish 2 50K books within 2 years
• Give ongoing support to promotion of series
• Build author brand through new website and Facebook presence to
5000 subscribers within 3 years.
• Continue craft skills development through 2 online courses a year and
membership in 1 local writers group and 2 online groups
• Develop production and epublishing skills up to 3 online courses and 1
local classroom course per year.
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
Year 1
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT:
• First draft (June 15)
• Covers designs (June 30)
• Story Editor (June 15-30)
• Complete revisions (July 5)
• Group Draft Review (July 10-15)
• Final Revisions (Aug 8)
• Line edits (Aug 20)
• Format, proof, upload (Aug 30).
• Launch (Sept 1)
Business Admin
• Set up US bank accounts (Mar)
• Fill out US tax forms (Feb)
• Setup ISBN account (Apr)
BRAND DEVELOPMENT:
Develop New Website (Sept-Oct)
• Hire web designer (Aug)
• Compile Website Content) (Aug – Sept)
• New contact setup (Sept)
Author Name Chg. (Oct)
• New book covers (Oct 1-5)
• Update Distribution Channels (Oct 15)
• Order new Business cards (Nov)
• New FB Banner (Dec)
MARKETING & PROMOTION
• Continuity Launch (Sept)
• Weekly posts on both FB pages (Jan – Dec)
• Website Launch (Oct 31)
• Add Holiday Traditions web content (Dec 1)
• Contests (monthly Oct-Dec)
• Get 3 prizes
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
Year 2
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT:
• Outline new book for Continuity
series (Jan)
• First draft for new book (Feb)
• Revisions to new book (Mar)
• Story Editor – Revisions (Apr)
• Final Revisions (May)
• Line edits (June)
• Proof, Format, Upload (July)
BRAND DEVELOPMENT:
• Establish Goodreads Community
• Add video to website content, build
reader subscriber base by …
MARKETING & PROMOTION:
• Personal Travel Journal for setting
• Expand State based presence
BUSINESS ADMIN
• Taxes (Jan)
• Royalties (monthly)
• Reconcile bank accounts (monthly)
Year 3-5
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT: One new book for Continuity series each year and
one standalone. (75% time)
MARKETING & PROMOTION: Hire marketing consultant, Look for Affiliations to
expand Brand recognition (20% time)
ADMINISTRATION: Financials, taxes, royalties, etc. (5% time)
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
Who are you?
You are an Author with a Career Plan to
• Write book(s) at a reasonable but consistent pace
• Distribute/sell your books in the best way possible for you
• Make the best use of your knowledge, skills and time
• Meet your personal range of needs and goals
You are an Author with a PLAN to SUCCEED!
CONTACT INFO
Email:
• [email protected]
Website:
• www.bcdeeks.com
Amazon Author Page:
• amazon.com/author/bcdeeks
FACEBOOK :
• www.facebook.com/BCDeeksAuthor
• www.facebook.com/FrostFamilyChristmas