Becoming an Indie Author is Launching a New Business

So you want to write a book? Great! Are you ready to do everything that comes with it to market it and make it successful?

If you want to be successful as an Indie author, you have to look at it like running a business. Launching your platform as an Indie author is the same as launching a new business.

There’s so much more to it than just writing and publishing a book. While this seems like the biggest part of the puzzle, it’s only a small part of the equation. You can write the best book in the world but it won’t get anywhere if no one ever hears about it and reads it.

One thing I hear most from up-and-coming authors is “I worked so hard on my book but now no one is buying it!”

You can quite literally give it away and still not have people interested in your book. As frustrating as this can be for an aspiring author, it’s not always because of the book itself.

While it is important to have an excellent book that is professionally edited and formatted, and a quality cover that suits your genre, it’s possible to check off all of those things and still struggle to sell books.

The main reason for this is a lack of platform as an author. Your author platform is how you’re going to build your brand. It’s how you will draw in new readers and how they will know what to expect from you.

In order to do this right, you need to treat it like running a business.

How is Being an Indie Author Like Running a Business

Let’s take a look at the parallels:

1. Your book is your product/service
2. Your author name is your brand name
3. You need to build a list and a following
4. Building a community around your brand can help you sell your product

With this in mind, it’s easy to see how you will be more successful when you treat your Indie career like starting a new business.

What are some things that every new business needs?

• You need a business plan
• You need startup capital
• You need to manage your cash
• You need a lead generation plan
• You need an understanding of profit margin
• You need marketing with a decent ROI
• You need to research your competitors
• You need to network in your industry
• You need to engage with your target market
• You need a mission or “higher purpose”

As you look at this list of things, can you see how they relate to promoting your author platform?

Your business plan could include how you will market your book, who you will market it to, or even how you will write the book and fund editing and a book cover, if you’ve not already done those things.

Your startup capital could come from an existing business, your savings, a loan, or from investors or donations. You also need to have a system for tracking expenses, sales, profits, and other money matters. You’ll need good record-keeping for tax purposes as well.

Lead generation tools could include reader magnets, your email list, your blog or website, and your social media channels. You can network with people in your industry and also with your target market through reader groups, social media, BookTok (TikTok) and other places these people are hanging out.

When you treat your Indie author business like launching a new brand, and then continue to treat it like a business, you’ll see far more success.