Being a semi professional author

To be semi professional, according to the Cambridge Dictionary means being "someone who is paid for an activity that they take part in but do not do all the time." Let me explain why I describe myself in this way. I'm an #indieauthor, I'm my own boss and I receive income from my book sales. Like most authors I don't earn enough to live on that income. (The Society of Authors state 19% of UK authors earn all their income from writing.) To define myself as 'semi professional' means doing more than writing a novel or two. It involves a journey - that's what this article is all about - describing that process. Having the finished book in your hand is a lovely feeling - but getting it into the hands of your readers, is a very different challenge. On social media, you see wannabe writers ask it all the time - what do I do to get people to read my work.

Here's my answer.

Write books

In an earlier post of mine, research from Written Word Media found #indieauthors needed to write EIGHT novels before they experienced success - which I define as making a reasonable income from your sales AND validation from others as an author. I believe that figure to be accurate - having written eight novels and found the success that's gone with them. (It's worth pointing out that, as an #indieauthor, you can decide how long it takes to reach that goal. The glacial publication process trad authors encounter will take a very long time!). Investigate the reason for that figure and it comes down to the size of your repertoire, if readers like one of your books, what else do you have to offer them? It's how a fan base forms, readers recommend you because you have a good selection of material. Imagine going into a library with one shelf of books - would you recommend it to your friends? Probably not.

Writing in some genres involves finding yourself, as an author. Some writers call it defining your voice. What sort of story do you want to tell? Will they always be the same kind? This is particularly true in the fantasy genre. The choice is so wide, the market so competitive, the author needs to be recognisable. Think of it as a brand. If a reader enjoyed your light-hearted adventure in a low fantasy story and wanted to read another, how would they react if your next book was a bleak grimdark story filled with violence? That inconsistency will lose you fans.

When I say "write books", it's not a case of writing anything. Pick your focus area and stay true to it. Build your brand. Ensure those eight books have some commonality.

Promote yourself and your books

Notice I've included YOU as well as your books in the title. Your name needs to be known, recognised and remembered. With what I've just said, it needs to be linked to the genre in which you write. Getting you and your books "out there" is a time and energy consuming exercise and one from which you must not shrink. You might well be an introvert, unused to such self-promotion - but if you want to find success you must get noticed and you won't do that by hiding.

Book reviews are an obvious starting point because they bring objectivity - that requires courage on your part. Their audience trust their opinions so they will always be honest. Bloggers and vloggers are swamped by enquiries, approach them politely, sell your story (and you) but be prepared for rejection, and acknowledge you will need to 'book' a date in the future. Allow time for this - I start booking in with bloggers when I send my finished manuscript to my editor. Before doing any of this, forge a relationship with them first. Follow them on social media, interact with them about their posts, their reviews. Think about it - if a complete stranger came up to you and asked you to read their book - would you?

Engage with social media by posting comments that provoke interaction but not the kind that asks pointless questions that are clearly clickbait. Use it to find friends, those of similar minds to you - then chat. Use your website, like I'm doing here, to write articles that promote ideas and opinions that engage other writers. I find it's worth creating simple resources to attract attention - 60 seconds of content that people can look at and respond to. A short video made on your phone can do this. I use Canva to create short info-videos that are effective in this way.

Cover Reveals are ideal but do need a relationship with the bloggers/vloggers who host them. Promoting your book cover (so long as it's a good one) is another means of gaining attention. (Make sure you use a professional cover designer, don't cut corners here! We DO judge a book by its cover!)

Get yourself out there

I confess to realising the importance of this one very late! Once I "got out there" the impact on my sales, my personal recognition, increased exponentially. What do I mean? Go to book festivals and cons and meet people (ideally those you know from social media). Why not get yourself a table from where you sell your books (you'll need a good stock and this is another reason for giving people a wide choice). Make sure you have good signage, freebies, or just business cards with links your website. (Perhaps QR to obtain emails?)

Once you've built your reputation a little, try going to cons and get yourself onto panels to talk about topics you feel confident on. There are lots of video cons these days, or vloggers who invite authors for an interview or to group chats. These can be lots of fun. (I've just completed some here, have a look at the topics.)

Physically appearing at these events turns you from simply being a name to a real person. It's easier to make friends that way, friends who will be willing to help you, so long as you help them. The crucial factor here - be reciprocal. Cooperate and collaborate.

Finally, don't rely on others to do all the work. Be the initiator. Set up your own YouTube channel and host video events. It's easy, you need a camera and microphone. The arrival of Covid led to lots of writers and vloggers developing their use of video and that practice has grown massively. I use StreamYard because it's easy to use and it's free (for basic use). Why not interview other writers, chat with them on topics that interest you - then promote the finished video. (Make it look professional by editing it on Canva). Two years ago I set up a group of like-minded writers (we're called the Creative Commune) and we meet online via MS Teams. We've written a serialised webstory together and on our site you will see our magazine aimed at other #indieauthors. It's all about networking.

And finally

I published my first novel in 2018 and imagined it would be plain sailing to become an author. Sure, I promoted it, built relationships with bloggers and other authors and experienced a modicum of success. Writing the novels and promoting them is 60% of the job. The other 40% is about becoming established as a bona fide author who others recognise, acknowledge and respect. For me, it all came together with the launch of my latest book - with a launch party on a well respected platform that involved other writers and bloggers. Sales went through the roof!

That's why I think of myself as semi professional because being an author isn't just about writing books. It includes connecting to the wider world, where those books will be read and where others want to get to know you. Traditionally published authors tour the country doing promo gigs where they sign books - an expensive venture and one that requires a fan base. To reach that point (either as a trad or #indieauthor) you need others to get you noticed and recognised. That takes time and effort - just as much as writing the book itself. It's a commitment; one that helps reduce Imposter Syndrome that we all experience, one that increases sales and primarily brings enormous satisfaction - just as much as writing the books in the first place!

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