Writing While Selling: Balancing Creativity with the Reality of Making a Living
Introduction Most advice for authors splits into two extremes: “Just focus on the craft. The money will come.”or“Treat your books like products. Market relentlessly.” The truth sits somewhere in the middle. If you want a sustainable writing career, you have to protect your creativity while acknowledging the business side. You have to sell without losing […]
Financial Planning for Authors: Managing Cash Flow, Taxes, and Seasons of Feast or Famine
Introduction Writing for a living isn’t a steady paycheck. It’s more like an unpredictable tide. Some months, sales surge. Other months, they dry up without warning. If you want to stay in the game long enough to build real income, you need systems that keep you solvent when revenue slows. Financial planning isn’t glamorous, but […]
Speaking, Teaching, and Licensing: Expanding Your Income Beyond the Page
Introduction Your words don’t have to stay confined to books. If you’re an author, you’re already sitting on a body of work that can translate into multiple income streams—many of which pay more consistently (and generously) than royalties alone. Speaking engagements, teaching opportunities, and licensing deals aren’t reserved for celebrities. They’re available to any writer […]
Email Lists for Authors: Why Social Media Isn’t Enough and How to Own Your Audience
le. It gives you the dopamine hit of likes and comments. But if you’re building an author business on rented land—platforms you don’t own—you’re taking a risk most writers can’t afford. Algorithms shift. Accounts get suspended. Trends fade. Your email list is the only direct, reliable connection you have to your audience. This post is […]
The Long Game: Building Evergreen Assets That Generate Income While You Sleep
Introduction If you’re tired of feeling like every dollar depends on the next launch, client, or social post, you’re not alone. Many authors get trapped in a cycle of hustle: create, promote, deliver, repeat. But the most sustainable author businesses are built on something more stable—assets that earn for you long after the work is […]
Pricing Your Work: How to Value Your Books, Courses, and Services Without Apology
Introduction If you’ve ever hesitated before naming your price, you’re not alone. Writers are taught to feel grateful for any income. To expect low royalties. To assume audiences won’t pay for anything beyond a book priced at $9.99 or less. But here’s the reality: underpricing your work doesn’t serve you—or the people it could help. […]
From Manuscript to Movement: Building an Author Platform That Sells Without Feeling Slimy
Introduction Most authors resist the idea of “building a platform.” It sounds like self-promotion. It feels performative. It conjures images of endless posting and shouting into the void. But a platform doesn’t have to be a vanity project. Done right, it’s simply the ecosystem that connects your work to the people it can help, entertain, […]
Beyond Book Sales: 7 Income Streams Every Modern Author Should Consider
Introduction If you’ve been told your only path to income as a writer is selling books, you’re not alone. Traditional publishing still pushes the idea that royalties are the main (or only) measure of success. But the reality is this: if you want to build a stable, sustainable author business, you can’t rely on book […]
Reclaiming Your Time: How to Stop Living by Other People’s Agendas
Introduction It’s easy to drift into a life built around other people’s priorities. You say yes because you don’t want to disappoint.You stay busy because it feels safer than examining what you really want.You fill every hour to avoid the discomfort of unstructured time. But reinvention requires something most people never make space for: sovereignty […]
Money and Reinvention: Funding a New Chapter Without Panic
Introduction Starting over isn’t just an emotional shift. It’s a financial one. Even if you know your current path is unsustainable, money fears can keep you frozen in place. What if I can’t replace this income?What if I lose stability?What if this fails? These questions are normal. But they don’t have to dictate your choices. […]