profile

ABC (Author Business Coaching) Nudge

The February Author Slump: What actually moves the needle when you're stuck or starting over

Published 2 months ago • 1 min read

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 matter how long they’ve been at it.

Join our Beyond the Margins February 18 Power Hour: 7 Steps to Build an Author Business You Love: Build what you actually want (not what you think you should)

Stop choosing between what you want and what works—build both. Get the practical framework for creating sustainable author income that actually fits your life. Bring your frustrations to our latest free 60-minute power hour and leave with a plan. After 10–15 minutes of business know-how, we dive into your challenges and questions. Register here.

Join Me at IPNE's (Independent Publishers of New England) Annual Virtual Conference, February 20 and 21

Saturday, February 21, 9am ET, I'll be presenting on the 7 Pillars of an Income-Generating, Sustainable Author Life You Love at IPNE's annual virtual conference.

Here's why you should pay $145 for this 2-day event ($70 if you join the organization): It is the most business and marketing author event of its kind that I'm currently aware of. Just look at the programming lineup.

All the best,

Sharon

Sharon Woodhouse, owner, Conspire Creative

Unsubscribe

ABC (Author Business Coaching) Nudge

by Sharon Woodhouse, Conspire Creative

Author coach and 25+ yrs indie book publisher. I help authors create enterprises they love around their book/s, experience, and knowledge and send a brief 3x/month email newsletter to support the creation of profitable, sustainable author businesses.

Read more from ABC (Author Business Coaching) Nudge

Beyond the Margins Build a profitable author business April 17, 2026 Hello authors, As authors, you know how to write. You like writing, talking about it, imagining what's down the line…On the other hand, there's selling and marketing. It can feel unnatural, forced, and transactional—exactly the opposite of the care and passion you bring to your craft. But sales and self-promotion don't have to feel crass or inauthentic. Instead, approach both as extensions of who you already are: share what...

about 16 hours ago • 3 min read

Beyond the Margins Build a profitable author business March 16, 2026 Hello author friends, In the last newsletter I shared some articles regarding benefits and how-tos of volume sales and ensuring you get paid. This time, I want to fous on something just as essential to a sustainable author business: relationships and communication. Meaningful relationships don't happen by accident. They grow out of authentic, thoughtful, and generous interactions. That often means re-orienting how we...

about 1 month ago • 2 min read

Beyond the Margins Build a profitable author business March 2, 2026 Hello author friends, Me again on author business things, starting with: Realize you’re running a business. This means zooming out and playing the larger game of building sustained income. Be attentive to scale and prioritize approaches that can actually hit your mark. An easy check is doing the math: Think in terms of volume and check whether your strategy can tip the scales. Here are a few pieces from the archives to help...

about 2 months ago • 1 min read