Let’s talk about the importance of setting business objectives for your writing. You may not think of your writing as a business. If that’s you, you’ve already made the first mistake of your career. Before you start thinking I’m trying to lord it over you, let me explain: I’m just beginning to understand that writing is a business. It’s a creative one, but, a business nonetheless.
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Why Business Objectives Are Important for Writers
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Back in high school when I dreamed about being an author I never thought about certain stuff. I thought I’d make up stories, write them down and the publisher would take care of the rest. All I’d have to do is show up on my book and sign the books of my adoring fans. Fast-forward a couple of dozen years and I’m learning the hard way that writing is more than just coming up with ideas and writing them down…especially when you’re self-published. You have to learn how to market, write blog posts, create book trailers, and a host of other paraphernalia that comes with publishing a book.
As such, I’m always on the lookout for blogs, podcasts, YouTube videos, and books that help me learn more about the business aspects of writing. I recently read Publish with Purpose: A Goal-Oriented Framework for Publishing Success by Tara R. Alemany and it really drove home the importance of setting business objectives for my writing.
Publish with Purpose encourages authors to have a plan before they even write their first book. It takes the author through the process of defining their target audience, the avatar for their book, as well as, the individual and overall goal for each book. When the author knows their business objectives at the onset, it helps them to write a stronger book. It also helps with the marketing plan.
The author who publishes with purpose is the one who thinks about additional ways she can delight her reader while she's writing her book. #amwriting #writingtip Click To TweetThe author who publishes with purpose is one who thinks about additional ways she can delight her reader while she’s writing her book. As part of her business objective, she puts plans in place to provide them for her reader. In a lot of ways, Publish with Purpose is geared towards the individual who is first a business owner who is writing a book to increase the visibility of her company or her market share. However, there is still much to be learned by the professional author.
How Publish with Purpose Highlights the Importance of Setting Business Objectives
From the get-go, Alemany lets you know that your book is a part of your business and should be included in your business strategy. This is much easier for entrepreneurs and business owners to understand. As authors, we often don’t think of ourselves as business owners or entrepreneurs. But we are.
As authorpreneurs, we have to remember that our book is a product whether we like to admit it or not. If we do not set business goals for each book, we run the risk of writing books no one wants to read. Or worse, writing great books that people would read…if they knew about it.
How Publish with Purpose Helps You Set Business Goals
Alemany teaches the reader how to set goals for their writing career and each book that is published. Publish with Purpose has a number of helpful exercises such as the Dear Reader and Dear Author letters that help you visualize and quantify what you’re trying to accomplish with your book. These exercises, along with the tips provided in the book, will help you streamline your writing career.
So, now that you understand the importance of setting business objectives, what are you going to do about it? In case you are thinking of purchasing a copy of Publish with Purpose, here’s the book description:
Writing a book isn’t easy. Marketing one isn’t any better. Successful authors understand how the two support each other.
The case studies and exercises in this book provide you with a valuable roadmap to effortlessly engage the right readers and achieve the results you want for your reader, your book, and yourself.
Follow this easily repeatable, goal-oriented framework to:
- identify your ideal reader and what they want most from you.
- decide which elements your book needs to build the business you want.
- reveal the purpose beyond the purpose of your book.
After all the effort you’ve put into your book, don’t stop short of your goal! Learn what it takes to make your book a success.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of Publish with Purpose. You may purchase a copy of Publish with Purpose on Amazon.
About Tara R. Alemany
Tara R. Alemany is a best-selling author and speaker. She has written an eBook called “The Plan that Launched a Thousand Books” (a DIY guide to marketing books online), co-authored The Character-Based Leader: Instigating a Leadership Revolution… One Person at a Time, contributed to My Love to You Always and Celebrating 365 Days of Gratitude (2013 ed.), and wrote The Best is Yet to Come.
Connect with Tara online –
Website/Blog: tararalemany.com or alewebsocial.com | Facebook: facebook.com/tara.r.alemany Email: tara@alewebsocial.com
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