5 Common Mistakes of Aspiring Authors

Sunday, I met with my writers Meet Up group and discuss five common mistakes aspiring writers make. So I figured I'd share this with my blog family too.

1. Not embracing an entrepreneurial mind:


Me speaking at the Middle TN Christian Writers Meet Up Group

When you sell your first book someone is going to be watching and waiting for you to come speak. That person is Uncle Sam. That's right, the moment you sell a product for profit, you are engaging in a business transaction, and as such, Uncle Sam sees you as a business. If you're going to step into an arena as serious as this, you'd better put on your business hat. Treat your publishing venture like the business it is.

2. Not Studying the industry or market:
You don't have to be an expert on the publishing business but know the basics. At the least, learn the realities of the business. We all have a dream and a romanticized ideal of what achieving that dream would be like. But 100% of the time, you'll find there's more to your dream than the romance.

3. Not having a marketing plan:
How can you achieve anything without a plan? Yet, so many aspiring writers only have one idea: to write a book. Why is it that such famous people like Donald Trump, Colon Powell, and even Bill Clinton have books on the clearance rack for 50% off of the clearance price of $5.00. Because they had no plan for sustained selling. Yet, authors like Dave Ramsey and Robert Keyosaki maintain years of best-selling status. Because they are working their plan.

4. Not having a budget:
No business is created for free. If you're going to write a book, you're going to have to spend money. You need to take the time to research (back to mistake #2) and find out what a fair market rate is.

5. Giving up:
Selling books is not like selling hamburgers. Not everyone wants your book or needs your book. However, there is a market that you will have to work hard to reach. If you embrace an entrepreneurial mindset, get an understanding of your market and the industry, create a plan, get the money to finance that plan, and don't give up, you will see your dream become a reality.

Happy Selling!
www.TrueVinePublishing.org

If you're in the Middle Tennessee area, come join our meet up group!
http://www.meetup.com/MiddleTN-Christian-Writers-Meet-Up/