Is there a difference between being an author versus running a business as an author? In this interview with Joanna Penn, we discuss some of the important shifts that happen when you begin treating your writing (and/or your art) also as your business.
We also cover:
- The trade-offs that can make full-time writing possible
- The business models that writers are using these days
- The commonalities of authors making over $100,000 per year
- Understanding the profit and loss statement for your book
Joanna offers up our interview in three ways:
- A 45-minute video you can watch
- A transcript at her blog
- An audio-only version (at the top of the page)
I’m grateful to Joanna for inviting me as a guest on her series, and hope you find some useful takeaways in our discussion.
Jane Friedman has spent nearly 25 years working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023. Her latest book is The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund, she works with organizations such as The Authors Guild to bring transparency to the business of publishing.
Two of my favorite writing bloggers together in one place! Thanks for a terrific interview. My favorite part: “When you realize that you have to start saying no, I think that’s a major turning point for a lot of people…” (Jane). I’m right there, at the beginning of the turning point, and it feels just scary enough for me to know it’s right.
Regarding royalties for multi author books:
Since most authors who self-publish probably already have an account set up with their banking information, it seems the retailers could set up a split payment option that would automatically divide payments.
The book could have a special log in screen where everyone contributing to the project could enter their information. The screen would only show that author their account information, but it could allow for a “Do you have the right to publish this material” during the publishing process that all the authors would be able to agree to.
Great conversation. Thank you!
[…] Being an Author vs. Running a Business as an Author — Jane Friedman writes about the important shifts that occur when you begin treating your writing as your business. […]
Excellent stuff!
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