5 Common Misconceptions About the Writing Business
Professional writing, like anything professional, is a business. For those who want a career as a writer, business requires daily attention, just like writing. Remember: if you are not growing daily, you are getting worse. There is no stasis, stagnation, or limbo in business and life. You are either advancing or falling behind. Some writers are afraid or misinformed about viewing their work as a business because they think someone else will take care of the business for them. They may not think they are at a point where they can start viewing their work as a business. They don’t like business (or what they think of as business), or they are fearful that they don’t know anything about business. In this case, they believe, it's best to stick their heads in the sand like the proverbial ostrich, or the absolute worst, though, concluding that writing is an art, not a business, but make no mistake: art is business, big business. Still, no matter where you are in your writing career, you must start thinking about business now if a career as a writer is what you are after, but as a writer, realize that business for writers means nontraditional things. Let’s look at a few of the misconceptions I’ve gotten from writers over the years of university teaching and producing Killer Nashville.
Misconception #1:
The writing business is orderly and predictable; other writers have it all together.
It's a common misconception that the writing business is orderly and predictable for other writers. Nothing could be further from the truth. No writer has it all together regarding what will be done on a particular day. We all have plans, but be prepared that things don’t always go as expected. Some days, the writing becomes better than expected; some days, it hardly works, and all you can write is trash. Some days, there are interruptions for edits from your agent or editor, book covers to look at, or legal issues or contract issues that derail your plans for the day. So, give yourself a break. The writing business is unlike other companies where you come to work daily, know precisely what repetitive job you will be doing, and finish 9-5. Every day is a new day with a new adventure. Embrace it. Writing life is best described as organized chaos. Don’t think other writers have it together, even the biggest ones. They don’t. They have the same good days and the same not-so-good days. You are in good company. Just wake up thinking about the ideal world, but be flexible as life undoes your plan and realize that every other author I know views this as the status quo. So, if things interrupt you today, remember this is all part of the regular business day of a writer.
Misconception #2:
The writing business requires an M.F.A., M.B.A., or some other extensive knowledge before you can start.
So many writers feel insecure because they don’t have a pedigree. Education is always good, though sometimes (ironically) I’ve found it harmful to creativity. Potential authors sometimes get M.F.A.s, for example, because they unconsciously delay the inevitable: in the end, they must write. Knowing how to run a business is beneficial, but you can pick up what you need as you go through the various career stages. Being well-read…well, we’ve never read enough. Take the plunge. Some successful writers never got out of high school. Knowledge is good, but it is something that comes with experience. Don’t think you need to know everything before you start. You are fine, just as you are. Start writing today knowing you'll gather what you need throughout your days and career. The important thing is that you start writing today. So, at the very least, get down to two hundred words. It will make you feel fantastic.
Misconception #3:
The writing business is about sales.
Another common misconception is that the writing business is primarily about sales. While we all want to sell a lot of books, the reality is that most of us don’t sell what we’d consider the amount we define as successful. Instead of focusing on sales, think of the business of writing as being about relationships. We are in a relationship business. The business of writing is cultivating relationships. Readers, editors, agents, other writers, accountants, attorneys, public relations teams, marketing teams, it is all about the team. A by-product of the team can be sales, but the writer's focus needs to be on the team and the story at hand, not the sales. With everyone working together, remarkable things happen. Keep it all in perspective. If you can, forget the sales number. Today, start cultivating, enhancing, and expanding your team. This will influence your sales but put your priorities where they need to be.
Misconception #4:
Good business practice is creating and sticking with a proven product.
I have writer friends who have found a niche, and because it is working, they continue to write the same books repeatedly, just with different situations and characters. In traditional business, it might make sense that if a product is selling or working, why fix something that is not broken? Art is different. Art is different because each piece of art is different. In literature, readers want the same thing but different. They want something fresh. With each new script you write, focus on making it different and better than your earlier book. Look at the work you are working on today. How can you expand it to make it better than your most recent past work? This is how you are going to grow as an author. This is how you will secondarily grow your sales and career. Don’t stick with something that is working. Take what is working and keep making it better. As if you were a computer software designer, start each project with an updated version based on an older formula that works for you. Each new project should be Your Writing Project 1.0, then 2.0, then 2.3, then 3.0. Most products, like toilet paper, can’t be improved on. You can change the packaging, but that is about it, just as you can change book covers. The real difference for you as a writer in business is changing what is inside the covers. You get the picture. Constantly expand your work because this effectively expands your audience. Today, look at what you are writing. How can you kick it up the next notch?
Something true:
There are traditional business practices one must follow.
For the writing business, some things are the same as other businesses. You must show up daily for work to make your business a full-time business. As with all businesses, you need a great staff, and, as mentioned above, this means building a talented and effective team. You need to always be in research and development for new projects and new angles to take with those projects, always to bring something fresh to the market. You need to keep good financial books and good submission records. You need to be organized. Most importantly, even when writing as few as two hundred words a day because that’s all the time you have, you need to view yourself as a professional. Start today reframing how you view yourself and your self-image. You are a writer, a professional writer. If you write words, you are a writer. Today, be the best one you can be.
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