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Author Inc . How to Plan your Writing Career

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.

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Author Inc . How to Plan your Writing Career

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  1. 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

  2. “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 Characters setting Villain Pacing HOOK Plot POV Black Moment ACT 3

  3. T A R G E T What do you do? When? How? Market Social media Pricing? Facebook PLATFORM Twitter ADVERTISING mobi CONTE$T$ FOREIGN Rights BRAND And when do you get to write? BOOK?

  4. 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.

  5. Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career What’s Changed with ePublishing? Publisher Responsibility Author Inc. Author Responsibility RESOURCES / ASSETS SALES & MARKETING BUSINESS OPERATIONS • Production/Distribution • Pricing • Promotion • Platform • Brand, Social Media • Financial • Taxes • Legal • Computer • Author • Books

  6. Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career Career Parameters: Real life vs Author Inc. Day Job Elder Care Writing Life Friends Parenting Marriage Housework Family Emergencies Volunteer work

  7. Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career Goal centric Career Planning Goals must be ….. S [Old]Writing Plan PECIFIC What are your writing goals for the year? What will you do to reach them? M EASUREABLE Compete my book, try to write a newsletter article and go to the ARWA workshops. A CHIEVABLE R EALISTIC In 2014, I’m will complete 1 novel, write 2 articles for newsletter, attend 1 workshop. T IMELINE

  8. 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) GOALS ACTIONS TIMELINE 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. Result: 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?

  9. Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career A Career Plan has to Start with You Personality • 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 Knowledge & Skills Commitments & Responsibilities Writing Life Values & Beliefs Experiences

  10. Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career Who are you? Marketer? Business person? Writer? RESOURCES / ASSETS SALES & MARKETING Business Operations BUSINESS OPERATIONS • Author Inc. • Books • Production/Distribution • Pricing • Promotion • Platform • Brand, Social Media • Financial • Taxes • Legal • Computer Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should!

  11. 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?

  12. 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.] Writing Life

  13. Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career Needs Assessment feeds Goals, Actions and Timeline GOALS ACTIONS TIMELINE • COMPREHENSIVE • Writing • Sales & Marketing • Business Operations • MULTI YEAR • Short term (1 year) • Medium term (2-3) • Long term (3-5) SPECIFIC MEASUREABLE ACHIEVABLE REALISTIC TIMELINE CONSISTENT MILESTONES SPECIFIC TARGETS

  14. 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. GOALS • 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 authorbrand 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.

  15. Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career ACTIONS (Timeline) • 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 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)

  16. Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career Year 2 • 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) • 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) 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)

  17. 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!

  18. CONTACT INFO • Email: • bcollinswriter@gmail.com • Website: • www.bcdeeks.com • Amazon Author Page: • amazon.com/author/bcdeeks • FACEBOOK : • www.facebook.com/BCDeeksAuthor • www.facebook.com/FrostFamilyChristmas

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