Business advice for authors
From Rick:
Before I dive into my new series on book cover design, I wanted to share some good advice I gleaned from Kris Rusch this past week.
Let me preface her articles with some comments. Those of you who have read her articles in the past know that they are not short, but you also know that they’re worth reading in their entirety—especially if you are a published author (self OR traditional).
Second, you know that any articles I share by Kris are worth reading. If you are an author, whether self-published or traditionally published, it is in your best interest to read these articles.
Third, ignore the fact that the first article seems to be about All Romance Ebooks having gone out of business. The article only starts there. This article and the second one go much deeper and get to the heart of not only the publishing business but business and investments in general. Even if you are not an author and don’t plan to become one, this information is fascinating.
Fourth, Kris covers a lot of ground in these articles and digs deep into the concepts. Unless you are a business and economics person (which I am not), I recommend that you DO NOT skim these articles. She explains the topics very well and in terms anyone should be able to understand. Don’t let them overwhelm you.
Fifth, READ THESE ARTICLES!
After you read them, come back here for my thoughts.
KRIS RUSCH BUSINESS ADVICE—PART ONE
KRIS RUSCH BUSINESS ADVICE—PART TWO
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What’s my take on these? The NUMBER ONE takeaway is the old cliché “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Not even if the basket is Amazon.
It’s probably a safe bet that Amazon isn’t going away anytime soon. On the other hand, no one expected the closures and downsizing of major bookstore chains… or the Stock Market Crash of 1929.
Take a close, hard look at the changes Kris Rusch points out and where things stand in the self-publishing world today. Last year around this time, I did a post about the changes in publishing over the last five years since Scott and I started this blog. Read it (link below) and you’ll see how things have progressed in keeping with what Kris said in her articles.
FIVE YEARS OF WRITE WELL AND PUBLISHING CHANGES
This year brought yet more changes, not all of them bright. I’ll leave you here to read and ponder one more Kris Rusch article. It includes her advice on how writers can prepare for the future and come out on top.
–Rick