Writers on their Biggest Business Challenges

by Hank Quense, @hanque99

When I revised my book, Business Basics for Authors, I decided to ask other authors about this idea of a business.  I asked three questions and I got over a dozen answers.  Some of the authors write fiction, others write non-fiction.  Some have publishers, some are self-published.

Here are the three questions:

1) What is the most difficult part of managing your book business?

2) What do you think is the most important business issue you have to deal with?

3) If you could eliminate one business chore, what would it be?

The answer to question 1 was covered on April 26, 2021.

Question 2 is answered below and Question 3 will be answered next month.

What do you think is the most important business issue you have to deal with?

Elizabeth Craig: Sadly, reaching new readers, the most challenging part of my business, is also the single most important. I have a good number of readers now, but to maintain and increase readership, I have to commit to activities that expand my base.

Mark Cain: Handling the tax aspects, making estimated tax payments, maintaining receipts, preparing tax materials for the IRS. It’s not rocket science, but it’s tedious. And necessary.

Elaine Durbach:  I suppose the most important business issue is finding a way to earn more than I lay out — and hopefully to justify the earning time spent on writing. That feels almost unattainable at the moment even though I write pretty fast!

Anna Faversham: Making sure that legalities are attended to, such as paying tax.

Mark Henderson:  Arranging book signing and promotion evenings and manning book stalls at festivals etc. It’s not something publishers do for authors; they expect us to be proactive — quite properly, of course.

Joylene Butler: I’ve been told it’s marketing. Seriously, I understand why that is. But I am not comfortable marketing myself let alone my books. Best selling authors don’t have that problem. I don’t want that problem. I suppose that means I better write a best-seller.

Dale Lehman: This is a bit of a toss-up. Clearly (in keeping with #1), marketing is extremely important. But equally important is having a good product to market. I therefore consider both developing my craft and becoming better at marketing as equally important.

Rick Gualtieri: I  like to think that a well written book will rise to the top, but the truth tends to be a bit different. Take a masterful piece, exquisitely written but poorly marketed, versus a work of lesser quality but with a well thought out marketing plan. 9 times out of 10, it’s the latter that will dominate the charts. There is a luck element to becoming a bestseller, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, but via marketing we can affect how likely it is that lightning will strike.

Donna Baier Stein: juggling writing time v. book promotion time.

Stuart Aken:  All ‘selling’ is tainted with dishonesty, and that is my biggest barrier. I promote my books from time to time with excerpts from the stories and from reviews I’ve received. But it’s not a task I enjoy or spend much time on.

Sarajane Giere: The most important issue I must deal with will come when I’m selling the book at local festivals and have to deal with the accounting side of marketing.  If these Covid restrictions abate, I hope to be selling my book face-to-face with prospective readers at different venues such as book stores, libraries and literary festivals.  So far, I’ve had some success doing this in small settings, such as two Zoom book-talks with sales following my presentation.

Stephanie Auteri:  Being proactive about doing live events I can then tie back to my book. Back when my book launched, I found that people who saw me live at readings or workshops or conferences immediately wanted to buy my book. I guess I’m charming despite my crippling social anxiety? The thing is, my crippling anxiety holds me back from actively pursuing new and similar opportunities.

Also, being proactive about pitching new stories I can tie back to my book. I’m a journalist but, in the two years after my book pubbed, I felt depleted, and I leaned heavily on a part-time editing job. As a result, my byline stopped appearing everywhere… and my byline is one of the things that keeps my book in front of people’s eyeballs.

Diane Wolfe: The most important thing for any book is reviews. More reviews mean more sales. It’s just the most effective marketing tool. We send out review copies 5-7 months before a book’s release, both print and eBook. If a book can hit release date with a lot of reviews, then it will hit the ground running with momentum. Reviews are also needed for the back of the book and the interior of the eBook. Plus a good selection of reviews opens up more marketing options. Sending out review copies is simply the most cost-effective way to promote a title. Authors who skimp on this step are really doing themselves and their book a disservice.

Peadar Ó Guilín: Quality control. Editors are expensive and deserve to be too.

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Business Basics for Authors has a wealth of information you can use to develop and manage your book business.

You may find more valuable information on my Writers and Authors Resource Center.

Hank Quense writes satirical fantasy and sci-fi. Early in his writing career,
he was strongly influenced by two authors: Douglas Adams and his
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Joseph Heller’s Catch-22. Happily, Hank
has never quite recovered from those experiences.

He lives with his wife in northern New Jersey, a mere 20 miles from
Manhattan, the center of the galaxy (according to those who live in
Manhattan). They have two daughters and five grandchildren all of whom
live nearby.