Yes, Writing is a Real Job

"You're a writer? When are you going to get a real job?" 

Far too many writers have heard these scathing questions. Sometimes you can laugh it off and go back to working on your novel or script. Sometimes it comes during a moment of hardship when debt is surmounting, and you're wondering to yourself if you can actually pull off publishing another book. And while, yes, for some folks writing is a hobby that they do in their free time for fun, it's also a job for all those other people trying to get paid for their craft. 

I don't think most people understand the amount of work that goes into creating a book and marketing it to the public, but we'll talk about that in a little bit. First, I'd like to bring up an article on Writer's Digest called Is It a Hobby or a Job? by author Brian Klems. In it he discusses how writing is definitely work, but it's not classified as a job until you make money off of it. He also goes on to say that the amount of work that goes into it writing can't just be classified as a hobby either. I'm sure a lot of you are nodding about the latter point. 

In this day and age, it's hard to make a living as a writer because of the low pay, but that doesn't make it any less of a job. It just means I have to work that much harder to keep my literary career alive, oh, and also work the other 40-hour job I do during the week at the same time to cover the rest of the cost. Most writers have to still work a 40-hour job, or part time, to make ends meet. Some take the plunge and quit their daytime work to write full time, and I applaud them for taking the initiative.

Unfortunately, that usually elicits the image of someone writing for a couple hours, binge watching Netflix the rest of the day, then complaining they have no money. 

Let me kind of give you a view of what it's like to live as a published indie author, and then tell me if you think that writing is still just a hobby. Keep in mind, I've only been doing this for a year, so imagine what an author juggling several books goes through everyday. 

• I work from 8:30-5pm Monday-Friday (and some weekends for overtime).

• I volunteer in the evening for literary organizations.

• Starting around 8 or 9 pm until I go to bed, on weekends, or on my "day off," I do at least one of these things:

  • Research information for my book.

  • World build or develop elements for my book

  • Write or edit my novel.

  • Discuss with my editors and proofreaders what needs to be changed and apply those edits.

  • Talk with my sensitivity readers about changes that need to be made.

  • Keep a presence on Amazon , Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Wordpress, Wattpad, Goodreads, Bookbub, Allauthor for marketing reasons.

  • Design banners, contests, graphics to post in all these locations about my book.

  • Reach out to bloggers to review my book or do a blog train.

  • Update my website with new author information and author interviews.

  • Build connections with fellow writers, editors, marketers, etc.

  • Set up signing events.

  • Attend signing events in different cities and states.

  • Post chapters on Patreon to help pay for my website.

  • Commission art of characters for stickers/swag.

  • Commission cover art.

  • Create other swag (bookmarks, necklaces, etc)

  • Run an Indiegogo campaign to help cover costs.

  • Participate in online "takeover" events.

  • Query my books.

  • Participate in online book contests to either 1. get an award for my book. 2. find an agent/publisher for my other books.

  • Format my book through Scrivener and Adobe Acrobat.

  • Set up and publish my book through Ingramspark then order copies.

  • Contact libraries and bookstores to carry my book.

  • Set up ISBNs, sales tax permit, BIN.

  • Check inventory and order more supplies on books and all marketing materials.

  • Review finances.

  • Prepare a book launch with local venues.

  • Attend writing conventions to make connections and learn the latest marketing techniques.

  • Participate in author summits both as a listener as an author.

...and the list goes on. 

Being an author is a multi-faceted job, and most of the time you have to do everything yourself. Even if you're a traditionally published author, publishing houses are doing less to market the book and encouraging authors to do more of the work. Many of my author friends spend days at conventions and marketing to sell their books and pay for the table, gas, hotel, meals, and other bills. 

But you may ask, "Erin, you charge $15 for your paper book. How do you not make money off of it?" 

Because by the time you factor in the editing, proofreading, printing, marketing, and sales tax permit, I don't see much profit. Every dollar helps and puts me closer to making a better income off of writing. But I have to market to make that happen. I've heard it takes until book 2 or 3 to actually see a return in money, which is why initially it may look like authors are so broke, even if they receive advances from publishing companies. 

That doesn't mean writing isn't a job. 

Honestly, for me, it would be my dream job to write full time and survive off of my books. While that might be a long time in coming, I'll do what I can to keep working towards it. In the meantime, I hope this gives people a better understanding of how much work goes into being an author and that it's more of a job than most realize. 

2018 Wrap Up and 2019 Goals

I can't believe that 2018 is finally over. It felt like the year that just would not die! I made resolutions last year, but most of them I don't even  remember, except for wanting to start querying Dragon Steal, which I did manage to accomplish. For this post, I'd like to go over some of the awesome (and not-so-awesome) things that happened this year and cover my goals for 2019. 

2018 in Review

• Finished editing Dragon Steal and submitted it for publication.

  • I've received several rejection letters but recently got a full manuscript request. While the rejections have hurt, at least the book is out there! 

• I created my own website and started developing a branded persona on twitter, facebook, instagram, etc. I have over 1,000 followers both on twitter and on instagram.

  • Even better, I've met a ton of amazing authors and creators through these sites who I can't wait to work with next year! 

• Wrote, edited, and published The Purple Door District.  I can't believe I developed my own marketing and indiegogo campaigns, formatted the book, published it, and held a launch party all in the space of six months. The question is, can I do it for PDD2? 

• Had "Latte with a Shot of Poltergeist" and "Frozen Heart" published in anthologies. 

• Submitted more short stories and poetry than I ever have before. While I received a lot of rejections, I at least received a few publications. 

• Officially launched The Writers' Rooms with my co-Director, Alexandra Penn. We also finished our Articles of Incorporation and got certified as a non-profit corporation. 

• Helped develop the concierge anthology through The Writers' Rooms. 

• Returned to my college and taught a few classes about publishing and NaNoWriMo.

• Wrote 50k words for The Purple Door District: Wolf Pit. 

• Lost about 45 lbs through exercise and healthy eating. 

• Attended my first book signing event with other authors and signed up for even more in 2019. 

• Hosted giveaways for my book and swag that was developed by local creators. 

• Started my patreon account to help raise money for my writing career. 

• Received honorable mention in Writers of the Future. 

• Truly started my profession as an author. 

It's been a really big year for me writing wise. I still can't believe that six months ago I decided to publish The Purple Door District. It seems like ages since I made that decision. I've managed to publish a few pieces of work this year, including on wattpad and patreon. 

Next year, I hope to do even more, but also find a way to take care of myself at the same time. 

2019 Goals

• Focus on my mental health and take better care of myself mentally and physically.

• Find an agent and publisher for Dragon Steal.

• Finish writing and publish The Purple Door District: Wolf Pit.

• Work on Fates and Furies with my co-author, AE Kellar, and hopefully publish the first book, if not in 2019, then in early 2020. 

• Submit more short stories and poetry for publication. 

• Start working on The Purple Door District #3 and Dragon Steal #2

• Return to working on Traitors of the Crown. 

• Lose more weight for health reasons and get healthier. 

• Attend multiple writing conventions to both sell my books and to meet other authors. 

• Start my path to becoming a full-time author. 

These are pretty ambitious goals, but I think most of them are possible. I really do need to focus on my mental and physical health, though, because I managed to break myself a few times while working on PDD. If I can't hold myself together, I won't be able to accomplish any/all of this. 

I'm really proud of what I did this year. It's my biggest year as an author, and I can't wait to see what 2019 holds. I'm also a little scared. What if next year doesn't unfold as well? I guess that's all part of growing up and making plans as a writer, though. Some years you're going to make it big, and some years are going to be a lot slower. I hope 2019 is still a fantastic one. 

What are your goals for 2019? Feel free to share them below! Also, let me know what topics you'd like me to cover this year! 

Happy Writing!

Erin 

Marketing 101

After months of writing blog posts, I've come to realize that many authors agree on one thing; they hate marketing their books. I can understand why. Marketing isn't an easy job. You spend all of your time and energy writing an amazing book, and still there's so much work to do after that to ensure that your baby makes it into the world. 

I'm by no means an expert when it comes to marketing, but I've learned a few tricks through my own experiences and also reading articles/blogs from experts in the field. I would definitely suggest looking into Jenn DePaula of Mixtus Media. She's actually running a sale on her Book Marketing Foundations class. Also, check out Alexa Bigwarfe from Write. Publish, Sell who also provides valuable information and courses in marketing.

• Build a Community: Whether this is through social media, readings and signings, conventions, or gushing over a book, make connections with writers and readers in your genre. Building connections helps open you to other opportunities in the literary world, like signings you never heard about. It's also just nice to make new friends. Try to focus on those in your genre because they will be the people you sell to later. It's better to have a smaller group of interested people than a large group of followers who won't take a second look at your book. 

• Social Media: As much as some people hate it, social media is important. It's how your readers get to know you. You can share information about your story or your everyday life. Keep in mind, you don't have to do all social venues. Pick the ones that work well for you. Maybe update a blog every week, or keep a twitter account active. Don't try to do everything, otherwise you might become overwhelmed. Just make sure people have a place to find you, buy your book, and learn more about you. Readers want to feel connected with the author. 

• Author Website: Going along with social media, you want to be able to market your book through an author website. You can get one for free through Wordpress, or you can spend a little money on it through sites like squarespace. Here's mine for example.  Make it unique. Make it you. The best thing about this is you can store all of your social media links, your appearances, your purchase links, etc in one location. And if working on a lot of social media platforms is too daunting, this is a good place to focus your attention. 

• Author Signings: As much as we would like to stay behind the computer screen, it's important to participate in author signings. An author named Alexandra Penn says she sells most of her books through in-person signings. To prepare for it, have your elevator pitch ready. Know how to explain your book in 30 seconds or two sentences so you can keep the people engaged. Decorate your table to make it eye catching. Also, consider holding raffles or special sales at in-person signings. It might attract more attention. 

• Swag: Seriously, people love swag. Bookmarks especially tend to go over well with people because they have a dual use. Character stickers, postcards, small journals, key chains, etc. All of these things can be used to promote your book. You can either make the items yourself or enlist others to help you like Sarah Cunningham who made a lot of my swag.

• Press Releases: When your book is about to come out (or even if it is out), it doesn't  hurt to write a press release and send it in to your local newspaper, radio show, or tv station. Contact your local newspaper company (or go on their website) to find out where to send a press release. 

• Interviews: Look for authors or bloggers who are hosting interviews of other authors. This is your chance to talk about your book and introduce yourself to your readers. If you have a book coming out, make sure you get some interviews out around that same time. I host author interviews on my own website here. 

These are just a few ideas to get you started. If you have any marketing tips, please feel free to post them down below! 

Cheers!

Erin