Beyond the Margins Build a profitable author business February 3, 2026 Hello author friends, With the new year’s new-year energy behind us, we may wake up in February and feel like we're still at square one. Not yet starting. Starting over. Not feeling the needed oomph to get going. Here are some pointers and reminders from the archives of what actually moves the needle when you’re just starting, feeling stuck, or beginning something new—territory every author finds themselves back in, no...
23 days ago • 1 min read
Beyond the Margins Build a profitable author business January 13, 2026 Hello author friends, Welcome to Beyond the Margins. If you’ve been here a while, you know this newsletter has always been about one thing: helping published authors build profitable businesses that go beyond book sales. Now there’s a name that matches the mission. But Beyond the Margins isn't just this newsletter—it’s an events series, a community, and a movement building toward something bigger. Starting now and ramping...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hello Author Friends, Happy New Year! New year, new resolutions (or not). We often don't commit to what we want but what we think is possible. What's possible based on what we know or think we can accomplish. This year, I invite you to commit to what you actually want for your author life. Then, figure out how to get there. Better than figuring out how to get where you want to go, next ask yourself who can get you where you want to go? Who can help you? Who, Not How. This is an idea that's...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hello Author Friends, Happy Boxing Day. Happy Final Days of 2025. Happy Looking Forward to 2026. You've worked hard all year. Writing. Book marketing. Book selling. Website finessing. Email list growing. Event hawking. Pushing yourself to your creative limits. One question: Do you have some of the basics for an author business in place? Is 2026 your year to take care of those things? All at once or one at a time? HERE'S YOUR LIST Whether all at once or one at a time. Whether in steady...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Author friends, My apologies for bringing up topics Grinchy and green at the holidays, but really, it's because I do believe that handling some business basics and learning more about author tax deducations will get your 2026 off to a brighter start. Photo by Geoffrey Moffett on Unsplash. First, Join Us Tonight! Join us tonight for our monthly free power hour for authors on Zoom. It's a little bit topical business know-how and a lot of brainstorming and community support for your particular...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Author friends, May your holidays be merry and your new year as an author be prosperous and fulfilling. Here are our holiday gifts for you. HOLIDAYS25. This coupon code gets you 25% off everything on The Profitable Author website―all products, services, and bundles―through January 7, 2026. Give yourself the gift of profitability. We'll mail a free paperback copy of The Profitable Author: 1,001 Ways to Build a Business You Love Around Your Books to your home when you buy a year-long...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hello Author Friends, You've worked hard all year. Writing. Book marketing. Book selling. Website finessing. Email list growing. Event hawking. Pushing yourself to your creative limits. We'd like to reward you with some year-end author bonuses that will keep you on track, solidify and grow your author business in 2026 and beyond. LEARN & PRACTICE First, read this and prepare to implement: Schedule These Seven Moves Soon to Start or Re-Energize Your Author Business for 2026: One baby step at a...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hello Author Friends, Here’s what I hear all the time: “I’ll launch that new service after the holidays.” “I can’t focus on my author business with all this political chaos.” “Life got in the way—I’ll get back to writing and marketing when things settle down.” But here’s the thing about things: they never settle down. There’s always a holiday around the corner, breaking news that feels urgent, some life event demanding attention. If you wait for the perfect calm to make business decisions,...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hello Author Friends, My message today is: Don't slow down because of end-of-the-year busy-ness or because you think you didn't plan far enough ahead for ideal holiday promotions. About 25% of all book sales occur in November and December. People are actively spending money buying books as gifts AND for themselves; don't miss out on your cut of the action. LEARN & PRACTICE Some lighthearted holiday marketing tips: Authors, Time to Send Out Your Holiday Photo Cards to Bookstores and Other...
4 months ago • 1 min read