Know It's Possible and Make the Commitment
Hello Author Friends,
These are the first two steps of the seven steps I've seen that form the foundation of every income-generating, sustainable author business or side hustle--or "career" if you prefer--in my three decades as a book publisher, pubishing consultant, author coach, and author advocate.
And they're good steps to reinforce for ourselves at the beginning of the year.
- It is possible for me to build and have an income-generating, sustainable author business I love.
- I commit to making it so this year.
I slide into using "I" here because I'll be relying on my own advice--testing it--as I promote and sell my own new book this year (The Profitable Author: 1,001 Ways to Build a Business You Love Around Your Books). Will it work for me the way I've seen it work for the authors I've published, the clients I've worked with, and the authors I've observed out in the world again and again? I'll keep you posted.
Know It's Possible
Building a sustainable, income-generating author life, career, sideline, part-time enterprise, or full-time business is possible.
Maybe you’re a subscriber because you already believe it’s possible. Maybe you have an author business solidly underway. Or, maybe, you really, really hope it’s possible. That’s fine too. This subscription exists to help show you that it’s possible and help your prove it to yourself.
Because…
It’s not possible “in theory.”
It’s possible because I’ve seen it again and again and my framework (Creating a Profitable Author Life You Love, Steps 1 through 7) is based on decades of testing, observing, tweaking, and measuring.
But back to theory for a minute.
Grounded theory is a qualitative research method used to generate theory and theoretical frameworks based on the ongoing and simultaneous collection, analysis, and systematic organizing of data.
So, while the framework I put forth does not meet the formal rigors of social science research, it evolved from a similar informal practice, from the rigors of the make-or-break, trial-and-error world of creative small and solo businesses: Collecting information on what works, what doesn’t, what works better — and why — and organizing and re-organizing the answers in ways that are useful, stand the test of time, are replicable, and are widely applicable.
Sure, there are the rare counterexamples, but those tend to be the outliers, those authors who operate in the rarefied spheres of the top one percent of talent, charisma, topicality, connections, and/or luck. If this is you, harness what you have and run with it. Enjoy it and leverage it for all it’s worth.
For the rest of authors, I stand by my Profitable Author Life framework and ask you to test its merits for yourself.
Start with knowing it’s possible.
And more important than simply knowing it’s possible is knowing it’s possible for you. And for your book/s. And your career. Your author life.
From there, move on to thinking about what all is possible. What else is possible. Expand your notion of what is possible.
Because when others have done it, you can do it. Others who are smarter — and let’s face it — dumber than you. Others who are richer and who are poorer. Others who are better connected and less connected than you. Others who are more talented — and again, true fact, less talented than you, brilliant reader.
Everything can be figured out. Googled. When others have done it, find out how.
I do volunteer business coaching for middle school and high school students in my neighborhood. There are so many things I love about kid entrepreneurs and what they teach me and remind me about business. And one of the best is that these kids know how to Google things and they know when Google doesn’t deliver the answers they need. That’s when they ask adults. They simply ask those they trust.
You can follow their commonsense lead. When others have done it and you don’t know how, ask. Ask others. Many others. Ask often. Ask me!
Conduct your own informal grounded theory research. Collect and copy ideas about what works. Analyze, tweak and innnovate, make those ideas your own, and organize what works into your own system.
Know it’s possible for you by starting seeing the possibilities unfold from this practice. Repeat and refine.
Make the Commitment
These things are basic. Simple. But not necessarily easy.
You do have to want it and then choose it. On purpose. Decide to focus on the outcomes that you want for your book, your income, your author life in 2025, and commit to making these things so.
“Things never happen on accident. They happen because you have a vision, you have a commitment, you have a dream.”―Oscar de la Renta
Commit to your vision — the one you have right now and the one you develop and let emerge over time. This is a promise to yourself, and with such a commitment you will be transforming this evolving vision over time into reality. (Some authors even write out a simple contract to this effect, sign it, and post it near their workspace.)
“Commitment is what transforms a promise into a reality.” ―Abraham Lincoln
Commit, then look and listen for the answers you need, the inspiration, the things lining up in your favor, and take action in that direction. Take advantage of the opportunities in front of you to move your vision forward.
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans. That the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now. “ — Johan Wolfgang von Goethe
Truly, take this commitment as a contract with yourself. It matters TO YOU (and that means something) so take it seriously. The things you want matter. Imagine. Take yourself and your book and your career and your author life seriously and soon you’ll see that others will too.
As with Step 1, knowing it’s possible, Step 2, making the commitment, is based on what I’ve actually seen, working with and observing hundreds of authors in my career. Those who elect to bet on themselves, their author dreams, and their desires for certain results create a solid foundation for profitable author lives they love that can’t be replicated without that commitment.
An unwavering commitment doesn’t mean you never falter, or second-guess yourself, it means that when you do fall short or lose faith, you dust yourself off as soon as possible and get back at it. It means you have committed to the end goal regardless of ups and downs and windy path it takes to get there.
Now it’s your turn to make a commitment to your vision for an ideal author life — such as it is now and such as it may emerge and evolve over time.
A Sweetheart Deal
Now through Valentine's Day, 2/14/2025.
Sign up for a one-hour coaching call to get your author year and goals started on the right track and get free support for the rest of the year in the form of:
1) A FREE one-year subscription to The Profitable Author Life / An Author Business You Love Substack subscription (otherwise $72).
The subscription includes...
- Access to my 300+ articles on book marketing and building author businesses, which will now all be behind the paywall.
- Access to new articles each week just for members, including a new feature, On My Radar This Week, covering new book world ideas, insights, and inspirations, so we can stay current and in-the-know together.
- Group author business coaching 4-6 days each week that addresses 6 of the 7 steps of my Profitable Author framework. (Step #4, The doing of 5 things a day every day to promote your books and author business is up to you.)
- The ability to leave comments, ask me questions, and interact with other members.
2) A FREE PDF of my new book, The Profitable Author (otherwise $14.95).
All the best,
