Showing posts with label authorpreneurship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label authorpreneurship. Show all posts

Friday, 18 December 2015

All I want for Christmas...

My mewsings are all about Christmas right now...





My business is taking the back seat while Christmas invades every inch of desk space in my office.


Spot the proof copy of 'Gabriel's Game, Part 2: The Black Knight' languishing in a pile of tissue paper.

It's already filled with scribbles and editing notes. My first job after Christmas is to update it, get feedback from my other beta readers and then publish it. I'm hoping to publish it by the end of January.



Too late for Christmas unfortunately, but just in time for everyone who had a Kindle for Christmas


...to load it up with new books!



Although I'm not making much money this month with my Amy Morse, Authorpreneur business, I am at least saving money by making lots of presents this year (sort of). 

I've been melting chocolate and baking biscuits like a woman possessed and creating labels for all the homemade goodies going in Christmas hampers this year...

 

I've also been thinking about what my next 365 project should be for 2016. 

In 2015 it was 'Authorpreneur Almanac: 365 Adventures in Writing and Entrepreneurship'

I launched my authorpreneur business and have worked at it every day, updating my blog weekly.

I will publish a compendium of 52 blogs on writing and entrepreneurship in the new year, so watch out for that...




Sunday, 31 May 2015

Editing Tips: Reloaded


In February 2015, I completed the first draft of the first part of my next novel;  Gabriel’s Game

This story is in two parts, written as two novella’s.

Book 1: The White Queen
Book 2: The Black Knight

I’m working on book 2 at the moment, with book 1 due out in July 2015.

At the time, I published a blog on the editing process. Well, I've revamped it and the updated version is now on my shiny new blog:

Go to Amy's Shiny New Blog


I've now just completed the first draft of my first non-fiction book:

Operation Author: So You’ve Published a Book… Now What?

This is the first in a series of non-fiction guides for writers ‘Operation Author’, inspired by the content from this blog.



This blog post is proving invaluable as I plough through the tedious editing process. Hope you find it useful too.

Saturday, 11 April 2015

10 Great Habits to Form When You Work For Yourself




Our brains make millions of tiny decisions every second, many of which we have no control over, it just gets on with the job of remembering to breathe, feed us, rest us and pump blood around our bodies.

With so many thoughts passing through our brains, either consciously or otherwise, it can be tough to make decisions. We are hardwired to be creatures of habit, partly because it takes some of the pressure off decision making.

For example; Do you have the same thing for breakfast every day? Or at least, variations on a theme? Do you get up at the same time (ish) every day? Do you have a favourite pair of jeans that you throw on when you can't be bothered to think of something else to wear?


http://ctt.ec/BZ8tb
One of the biggest challenges facing freelancers is establishing a routine.

When we work to someone else's schedule we have to adopt a routine, but when we work for ourselves, we are our own boss. It's easy to get into bad habits when there is no-one looking over our shoulders.

When it's just you, it's up to you to form good habits that increase your productivity and prevent the scourge of procrastination from stealing your time.

Here are 10 great habits to form:

1) Write your ideas down
We have hundreds of ideas everyday. If we don't capture them, we forget them. Many successful creative entrepreneurs swear by the power of their notebook. I love notebooks and have loads of them.

  

Don't filter the ideas, just write them down, you can filter later.

Tip: I like to write different points in different coloured pens to break up the text and make individual items stand out

 

2)  Share ideas
Ideas get better with more inputs. 

http://ctt.ec/67ZmKHaving a new perspective can give you clarity and confidence.

3) Dream Big, Start Small
The answers are rarely obvious at first glance, but break it down into smaller actions and you'll start to work out a path to success.

4) Question everything
The way you ask a question often reveals different responses and parameters. 

Get the obvious questions out of the way first and dig deeper. 

Gems are only precious because they are hidden, if they were obvious, they'd lose their value.



5) Change your methods
If you always do the same thing, in the same place, at the same times, with the same people, you'll get the same results. 

http://ctt.ec/a52R0Our brains need diversity to create diverse ideas

6) People fear change, accept it, be ready for it
We like our comfort zones, we like stability. If you need to make a change that involves the buy in of others, what are the benefits to them? Always be thinking about the benefits to others in everything you do in your business, this is the surest way to build a loyal fan base. It's up to you to sell the benefits to the sceptics.


7) Practice creativity
Creativity is a muscle, the more you use it the stronger it gets. Don't be afraid to experiment and test things out. Getting feedback is the best way to make improvements and testing things out is the only way to know what works.


8) Have a plan
You don't necessarily have to have a big fat document the size of war and peace, but you do need to have some sort of a plan, recorded in some way: written, audio, visual, it doesn't matter - but if you don't know where you are going how will you know when you arrive?

A business plan is a living document, an agreement with yourself to take your business seriously and keep it sustainable. It's not something you just do to impress an investor. 

Use it to make decisions, allocate your resources in the most efficient way and manage your progress towards whatever success means for you.


I have a plan for my authorpreneur business.




 

9) Take money seriously
You may use the services of an accountant or bookkeeper, but you are still the financial manger of your business. It's not your accountants job to tell you where you are hemorrhaging money or that you are not charging enough for what you do. Ultimately, the main person who will suffer if the finances get out of control is you.

10) Be organised
Write stuff down. Have a process in place to get things done as efficiently as possible. Take regular, focused actions. Know where you are, what you've done and where you're going next - you business plan is your road map. 


What good habits do you recommend forming?

Monday, 9 March 2015

Are You A Scribbler, A Dabbler or A Wrangler? Take the Authorpreneur Quiz



Entrepreneur = [ahn-truh-pruh-nur, -noo r] A person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.

Author = [aw-ther] A person who writes a novel, poem, essay, etc.; the composer of a literary work, as distinguished from a compiler, translator, editor, or copyist.



Author + Entrepreneur = Authorpreneur

How Authorpreneurial are you? 
Take the Quiz to find out...
 



How do you define an entrepreneur?   


According to Thesaurus.com alternative words are; Adventurer, businessperson, charlatan, daredevil, fortune-hunter, gambler, executive, founder, impresario, industrialist, manager, organiser…

Are you any of those things? 

Are you an author with a business in you bursting to get out?   
What makes someone entrepreneurial? (Tweet this)

Here are 10 attributes of an entrepreneur:

  1. Creativity 
  2. Attitude to risk 
  3. Financial Acumen
  4. Business Awareness 
  5. Management skills 
  6. Organised 
  7. Disciplined 
  8. Adaptability
  9. Positivity 
  10. Energy and determination

Have a go at the quiz to find out how entrepreneurial you are, be honest, there are no right or wrong answers:


1.      Creativity:

Do you come up with new ideas:

a) Rarely 

b) Often 
c) All the time

2.      Attitude to Risk:

Would you give up a stable job to spend time on a new idea?

a)  Not unless I was sure

b)  I don’t care about money, so yes
c)  If I was confident in it, yes

3.      Financial Acumen:

Which statement is most like you - I am good with money:

a) No, my finances are really disorganised  

b) Money is not important to me
c) Yes, I am organised and have a system in place

4.      Business awareness:  

I am interested in business and economics:

a) I don’t know much about it 
b) Sometimes 
c) Yes, I like to be well informed

5.      Management skills: 

When I manage myself:

a) I tend to procrastinate

b) I try to do it all myself 
c) I'm not afraid to ask for help

6.      Organised: 

Which statement is most like you:

a) I’m always so busy I find it hard to get organised 

b) I enjoy finding new ways to be more organised and efficient
c) I am methodical and systematic and like to set boundaries

7.      Disciplined: 

Which statement is most like you:

a) I’m great at starting projects but rubbish at completing them

b) I leave everything to the last minute
c) I like to see something through to completion

8.      Adaptability: 

Which statement is most like you:

a) I’m not sure what I’m good at and I’m scared of failing if I try something new

b) I’m not really sure what I’m good at but I’m happy to have a go
c) I know what I’m good at and I’m not afraid to ask for help

9.      Positivity:

Most of the time I tend to be:

a) Cautiously pessimistic 

b) Optimistic
c) Cautiously optimistic

10.  Energy and determination: 

Most of the time I tend to:

a) View change with suspicion

b)  Change my mind 
c) See change as an opportunity

 

Now count the A's, B's and C's and add them up:



A = 1 

B = 2 
C = 3





If you scored between 10 - 16


You're a Scribbler
You love to write and have probably had some good feedback from friends and family. You are considering putting your work out there, perhaps through self publishing or by starting a blog, or you may have tried this but have not had much response.You are on social media because you think you should be but don't really get it.Writing is currently a hobby but you are starting to ask yourself if you can make a career from it.

Actions:

  • Are there any writers groups in your area? Go to some meetings and get some feedback, tips and critiques from other writers to help improve your craft and boost your confidence.
  • Are there any literary festivals or events you could visit? Go and mingle and meet some like minded people. This is a great way to grow your network and improve your craft.
  • Go on writing courses to improve your skills
  • Check local listings for any Social Media talks or workshops and learn more from people who do it well. www.Eventbrite.co.uk is a good place to start. Don't be afraid to experiment and explore different social media platforms, but focus on getting good at 1 or 2 to start with (Facebook and Twitter are the most obvious)

If you scored between 17 - 23

You're a Dabbler

You love to write and have already published some work which is starting to sell. You're pretty good on social media but still learning and experimenting with different platforms.You're doing lots of research, reading lots of tips and advice blogs to ground yourself better in the world of writing.

Actions:

  • Time to start behaving in a a more business like way. Look for any local business start up courses and get involved. Build a business and marketing plan for your author business.
  • Look for opportunities to network in the small business community by going to business events and making connections.
  • Get more organised with your social media. Have a plan and a regular presence by making use of tools to monitor your platforms and schedule regular content, ie: Hootesuite
  • Have the confidence to go to more prestigious literary events and mingle with experienced writers. You've published, you've sold your work, be proud of that, you deserve to be there as much as they do, don't be intimidated. Be bold, read some work and be at the forefront of events, or perhaps organise your own.

If you scored between 24 - 30


You're a Wrangler  

You love to write and have had consistent book sales for some time now. You're thinking like an entrepreneur and taking your career as a writer seriously. People are starting to know who you are and you are embedded into your local literary community.You have a business plan for your book and marketing plans that you are implementing and updating regularly to keep the momentum up - They're written down, working documents.You're active on social media with a big crowd of followers and fans, great analytics and high Klout scores.You are always on the look out for new and innovative ways to build on your writer platform but there is always more to learn.

Actions:

  • Keep writing. Build on what you have and keep your readers coming back for more.
  • Stay active and engaging on Social Media.
  • You have a lot of expertise you could share. Use it to share content on blogs, through guest posts, articles or do task and training sessions for aspiring writers and entrepreneurs.
  •  Keep that business plan up to scratch and stay focused.  Make time for forward planning and marketing so the business is sustainable and build a budget into your plans to spend on marketing and promotion activities.

    Tell us what you scored and what you plan to do next...

Friday, 27 February 2015

45 Ways to Market Your Book

 2015 is Authorpreneur Almanac year. 


Join me in my 365 Adventures in Writing and Entrepreneurship...

I'm always having ideas and always writing them on lists. 

Last week I asked my readers what list they would like me to share. 

Writers often struggle with marketing their work so this list is 45 ideas you could use to market your book:




1) Host a book launch event.

Make it more of a party. Most writers opt for a rather conservative evening in a bookshop with some readings and maybe some cheap plonk. 

Why not do it a bit differently?

For both of my launches I had a party. For The Bronze Box I hired a boat and we took a trip around Bristol harbour with music and drinks, and bunting (I love some bunting). Everyone was happy to contribute a few pounds towards the cost of the boat hire for the novelty of an unusual evening out.
Bronze Box launch. Me and my husband and cover artist Graham

 


For Solomon's Secrets I had a treasure hunt and had a big chocolate cake with an image of the book on it - every party needs a cake!





2)  Blogging. Have a blog and post useful content regularly. I'm collecting some useful links for tips and advice on blogging on my 'Blogging Brilliance' Pinterest Board

Follow Amy Morse's board Blogging Brilliance on Pinterest.

3) Guest Blogging. Guest for other people and accept guests yourself. I've had some great guest bloggers on this site. I mentioned them in a recent review of 2014: http://ideaism.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/shhthe-secret-to-successful-marketing.html

4) Social Media - Twitter.
I recently wrote a post with 21 Twitter tips: http://ideaism.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/21-tips-to-make-most-of-twitter.html



5) Social Media - Pinterest
I find Pinterest a valuable tool for collecting research, sharing and interaction. I wrote a tips article for Prowess Women in Business: http://www.prowess.org.uk/Pinterest-market-research

6) Social Media - Facebook
It's almost an expectation of every author to have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AmyCFitzjohn
I know some writers who swear by it. Personally, I never get much interaction on Facebook but it still helps Google to find you if you are on Facebook.

7) Write articles for online and physical magazines. Do some research and choose appropriate publications. Write on subjects that are related to your books.

8) Enter competitions. It can be expensive but there are free competitions. Writers Digest regularly share information on competitions: http://www.writersdigest.com/

9) Speaking gigs. Find ways to stand in front of an audience and talk about what you do.

10) Offer your book to local book groups

11) Get plenty of reviews on Amazon. Once you have a few reviews your book starts getting picked up in organic searches.

12) Go to literary festivals and mingle. If you can get a speaking slot or a stall, bonus.

13) Real world networking. Go to some networking events and talk about your authorpreneurhsip

14) Guerrilla marketing. Find a novel way of committing some random acts of marketing. I leave miniature manuscripts wherever I go and encourage people to interact on Twitter

15) Have some merch. Get some pens, mugs, tote bags, bookmarks, notebooks, chapbooks, business cards etc to give away when you meet people

16) Make a book trailer. I've seen some pretty poor quality book trailers. If film making isn't your strong suit, get help to create something professional.

17) Do a book tour - real world or online

18) Do a book signing at a local book shop

19) Get involved in a book fair or start your own

20) Link yourself to a charity and do some fundraising events. Give something back and get some good publicity

21) Work with a publicist who can help you with campaigns

22) Work with a professional marketeer to get a plan together

23) List your book in multiple market places

24) Run some workshops

25) Get involved with local writer events

26) Have a go at a literary open mic event. I recently wrote an article listing events in Bristol UK: http://www.bristolprospectus.co.uk/when-writers-come-out-to-play/

27) Sell your books at a market stall / craft fair

28) Get involved with a local Art Trail. This year I'll be exhibiting at Southbank Bristol Arts in May with 'Project Book 365': http://www.southbankbristolarts.co.uk/

29) Host a giveaway. Give your book away for free for a limited period and invite reviews

30) Optimise your website so that it's easier to find on Google

31) Set up a mailing list and email news regularly to your fans

32) Record a podcast

33) Make yourself available for interviews and approach people. I managed to get an interview on BBC Radio Bristol by being friendly and persistent and having a newsworthy story. The transcript of it is here: http://ideaism.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/a-face-for-radio.html

There are also plenty of bloggers out there inviting interviews.

34) Host a webinar

35) Take part in a webinar

36) Join workshops or training courses

37) Pay for advertising - but always do some research and a cost benefit analysis before committing to anything. You want a reasonable return on that investment

38) Cross promote other writers - say nice things about them and they'll say nice things about you.

39) Submit your book for awards

40) List on websites offering free author listings

41) Be active on Goodreads

42) Be active on Linked In forums

43) Look at what other authors do to get more ideas

44)  Publish short stories and eBooks. The more books you have, the more sales you'll get. If readers like your work, they'll look for more

45) Read. Books, blogs, articles etc. There are always more things you can do or fresh ideas to keep you motivated.

What marketing activities have worked for you?