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Beyond the Margins: Author Entrepreneurship Beyond the Page

Authors, There's Only One Thing More Important Than Profit for Your Business

Published 1 day ago • 2 min read

Authors,

There’s only one thing that matters more than money for your business — yes, that’s right, there’s something more important for a business than profit: people.

Profit is necessary. But what makes profit possible in the first place? People caring. People choosing to buy, read, recommend, collaborate, participate, hire, listen, and engage.

At bottom, a business is built on relationships with humans and the value we create for them. We’re meaning-makers; do what you can to serve others and make meaning for them. Pay attention to what people need, what they care about, and what they’re trying to accomplish. Do that, and you’ll find yourself constantly positioned in opportunity (for yourself and others).

A few articles from the archives to drive that point home.

  1. Why you should be reaching out to people with interests, talents, or skills that genuinely interest you:
    ​Curate Talent: The Author Business Practice You’re Ignoring​
  2. Don’t just conduct business. Help solve other people’s problems:
    ​When You Know Better, Authors, Serve Others with a Re-Direct​
  3. How Sharon takes field notes during an author event:
    ​What I Learned Watching Authors Sell Books at a Local Book Fair​
  4. Don’t forget: PR is a human-to-human endeavor:
    ​DIY PR for Authors: What we learned from 20-year PR pro Tristra Newyear Yeager​

If this message hits home, this month’s free Zoom Powers Hours should be right up your alley. Sharon will lead a discussion with other authors on the Human Preference Economy (see below).

Free Virtual Power Hours

Our free monthly Zoom calls are designed for you to make more money as an author and create/refine your author business model.

Each call is one hour and combines a little bit of author business education with a lot of community support and brainstorming, personalized to your questions and challenges.

  • This month (September 17): Positioning Yourself in the World of AI: The Human Preference Economy​
    AI doesn’t make meaning or imagine—but we do. Sharon will lead an open discussion on the “Human Preference Economy,” its three main pillars, and the “micropreneur moment.” Together, we’ll brainstorm solutions to your questions and challenges in this era of AI and algorithms.
    ​
  • October: Author Business Bingo
    (Details and event link TBD)

The Profitable Author in the Spotlight

Recently, Kaleene Robertson over at Windy City Reviews reviewed Sharon's book, The Profitable Author. You can find the review here: https://www.windycityreviews.org/book-reviews/the-profitable-author. A brief passage I particularly enjoyed (emphasis mine):

I closed the book feeling less like I'd been handed a manual and more like I'd been believed in. With Sharon in your corner, the profitable author life isn't reserved for the few. It's built, deliberately and unglamorously, by the people willing to roll up their sleeves and claim it.

If you haven't heard of Windy City Reviews, they are a service by the Chicago Writers Association that writes free book reviews to help local authors find their footing in our busy market.

Their reviews are precise and punchy; they do amazing work. Check them out if you haven't already!

Big Shoulders, Small Paychecks. Let’s Fix That.

This is the first in a series of blog posts I'll be sharing here, musing and prodding about the economics of literary life in Chicago, about income, pricing, funding models, and what an economically vibrant literary ecosystem in this city could actually look like.

"Big Shoulders, Small Paychecks. Let’s Fix That." is Sharon's first blog post in a four-part series for the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame.

The CLHoF's mission is to preserve Chicago’s great literary heritage. Check out their blog if you care about Chicago history and heritage, and be on the lookout over the next few months for the next three installments of Sharon's blog post series there.

⸻
All the best,
Kristoffer

Kristoffer Balintona, Content Specialist, Conspire Creative

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Beyond the Margins: Author Entrepreneurship Beyond the Page

by Sharon Woodhouse, Conspire Creative

Beyond the Margins is a twice-monthly newsletter helping authors create enterprises they love around their books, expertise, and experience. It combines 25+ years of indie publishing and author coaching into practical business insights, strategic guidance, and a community of author entrepreneurs.

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