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Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career FOREIGN Rights mobi PLATFORM TwitterTARGET What do you do? When? How? And when do you get to write? BOOK?
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Author IncAuthor Inc. . How to Plan your Writing Career 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
CharactersPl
ot
setting
HOOK
ACT 3
Pacing
“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
POV
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
FOREIG
N Rightsmobi
PLATFORM TwitterTTAARRGGEETT
What do you do? When? How?
And when do you get to write?
BOOK?
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
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.
A goal without a plan is just a wish.- Antoine de Saint-Exupery, French writer (1900 - 1944)
PURPOSE OF A CAREER PLAN
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
BUSINESSOPERATIONS
SALES & MARKETING
RESOURCES / ASSETS
• Production/Distribution• Pricing• Promotion• Platform
• Brand, Social Media
• Financial• Taxes• Legal• Computer
Author Inc.Publisher Responsibility
Author Responsibility
WHAT’S CHANGED WITH EPUBLISHING?
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career CAREER PARAMETERS: REAL LIFE VS Author Inc.
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
What are your writing goals for
the year? What will you do to
reach them?
[Old]Writing Plan
PECIFIC
EASUREABLE
CHIEVABLE
EALISTIC
IMELINE
Goals must be …..
In 2014, I’m will
complete 1 novel,
write 2 articles for
newsletter, attend 1
workshop.
GOAL CENTRIC CAREER PLANNING
Compete my book,
try to write a newsletter article and
go to the ARWA workshops.
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
Write 1 book of 50K words this year, self publish.
CASE 1: Author has 3 children < 5 so only writes 4 hours on weekend days (Sat & Sun)
Write and then revise 50,000 wordsEdit→Revise again Format →ProofProduction (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
Personality
Experie
nces
Commitments & Responsibilities
Knowledge & Skills
Values & Beliefs
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
BUSINESSOPERATIONS
SALES & MARKETING
RESOURCES / ASSETS
• Production/Distribution• Pricing• Promotion• Platform
• Brand, Social Media
• Financial• Taxes• Legal• Computer
Who are you?
BusinessOperations
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should!
Writer? Business person?Marketer?
Do you have the . . . family support
knowledge or skillstime 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
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
SPECIFICMEASUREABLEACHIEVABLEREALISTICTIMELINE
CONSISTENT MILESTONESSPECIFIC TARGETS
COMPREHENSIVE•Writing•Sales & Marketing•Business OperationsMULTI YEAR•Short term (1 year)•Medium term (2-3)•Long term (3-5)
NEEDS ASSESSMENT FEEDS GOALS, ACTIONS AND TIMELINE
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
• 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.
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.
Author Inc. How to Plan your Writing Career
Year 1PROJECT 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 2PROJECT 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 presenceBUSINESS ADMIN•Taxes (Jan)•Royalties (monthly)•Reconcile bank accounts (monthly)
Year 3-5PROJECT 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
