OLD POST ALERT! This is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date. Please click on Start Here on the menu bar above to find links to my most useful articles, videos and podcast. Thanks and happy writing! – Joanna Penn
As part of the fantastic IndieRecon free online conference for authors last month, I recorded a 54 min video on How to Make a Living with your Writing. Or at least, how I make my living 🙂
It's based on the material in my book, Business for Authors: How to be an Author Entrepreneur, available in ebook, print and audio formats. I hope you find it useful.
Watch the video below, or here on YouTube.
You can also see the slides below or here on SlideShare
You're welcome to leave any questions or comments below.
Thank you, Joanna. That’s extremely useful and food for thought. I know I won’t be giving up the day job in the near future, but part time definitely beckons.
Thank you so much for this!
By the way, would you mind helping me implement Microsoft Dynamics at my company lol (Accounts Payable person here)
Cheers Jo!
alas, I just don’t have time for accounts payable implementations anymore 🙂 and these days, I most definitely prefer accounts receivable!
Some awesome tips here! I’ve always wanted to be able to make a living writing, and nowadays there seem to be infinite ways of doing so!
Nice video!
Joanna, I sat down, discouraged and depressed and forced myself to start watching this. Now I am inspired and full of ideas for the book I published in 2011, which I had considered old news and unsellable, and lots of ideas and confidence for future projects. So thank you! Very practical and life affirming advice.
Super 🙂 One of my aims is to bring encouragement as well as practical help 🙂
Thanks Joanna! Great video that I will definitely share with my clients. Your video is all about ME! In 2011 I left 37 years of banking to set up my writing business (and to write for myself) …. in Bali!
Great video Joanna! You must have been talking about me … I left 37 years of banking to start my own writing and editing business (and write for myself) in 2011 when I moved to … Bali!
Bali is wonderful – I’ve had some great times in Ubud
Love your newsletters / updates … and that big smile!
Hugs!
Ps. Your nearly talking me into one of your courses! (Your good).
By-the-way!
Love the little ‘video-clips’ within your ‘How to…’ pages. They are great to watch and are a ‘great’ help. I really appreciate that they take a lot of time to produce.
Hugs! (And, thank you).
Thanks William 🙂
Thanks Joanna
Hard work and persistence seem to be the answer in any chosen career. I actually don’t want to totally give up my day job. I run a successful small business, but I am hoping to make myself more part-time in favour of my writing career, across multiple channel much like yourself. Great ideas and encouragement.
Where was your house in Australia? I am in Noosa Queensland and that house looks suspiciously like a Queenslander.
This was a cool presentation, thanks for bringing into perspective the importance of defining your wants and deciding what type of lifestyle you want to have. It is definitely possible to make a living being a writer even with all the costs with editing and publishing people don’t normally take into account. Still, you need to be willing to work a lot and maybe do some projects that are not exactly what you want in order to have the stability to do what you love.
Hello Joanna
I would like to run this past you, to see where this leads (by my efforts) and so that your readers can (if they wish) follow the progress.
I have read (over the years) all sorts that have ‘promised’ to take your ‘written’ word and turn it into an agreeable income (of whatever sort). However; none have touched (or encouraged me) as much as the ‘suggested-route’ of your opening webpage. But, more to the point … the shear encouragement that ‘you’ – yourself have put into that effort. This can be ‘clearly-seen’ in your video-clips.
Over a period of approximately three years, I had written twenty-three books (two under a pseudonym) that are on Amazon (under the author name of ‘AW Cribb’ (enter that name in the search box of Amazon and all these titles will come back and list for you)).
My concern… although there is that amount of books there (E-Books) and have now been for eighteen months, there is very little; if any sales … weep!
So, I am wondering; and Joanna, I am eager to read your feedback on this, how much difference to my book sales, your home page suggestions will / might make.
But, I do appreciate, that, an author could write millions of words into hundreds of books, but if the content is ‘not’ wanted, then the basic business plan needs to be re-thought and re-worked! However, and that is the word that is hovering above my head, just now … ‘however’!
Your thoughts please! (And, your cheque is nearly in the post … hehe!)
William (As you know … a fan of your big smile.)
Hi William – in terms of actually selling books, check out this article:
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2012/10/12/help-my-book-isnt-selling/
Have you optimized titles for keywords, used the right metadata when you published, do you have pro covers – and more to consider
and also: http://www.thecreativepenn.com/marketing/
We all have to do something for marketing! All the best.
Marketing can be such an expensive minefield.
Following your advice, Joanna, I feel that minefield will be greatly reduced.
Thank you.
Hugs!
William (Hampshire UK)
A brilliantly helpful podcast, Joanna. Very generous of you. Much for me to think about….