Ray-Anne Carr

PERSONAL BRANDING 1. THE AUTHOR AS ENTREPRENEUR 

Barry Eisler had created a series of excellent articles on the Business of being a working author.

http://www.barryeisler.com/writers_marketing3.php

There is one particular concept which I have found extremely useful in my own career management - the Author as an Entrepreneur. And I quote;

‘The writer labors alone for years creating the first cut of a manuscript (product).

When the manuscript is ready, the writer finds an agent (venture capitalist), who invests not money, but time in helping the writer re-write and otherwise tune up the manuscript.

When the manuscript is more ready, the agent introduces the author to publishers (customers), with the agent’s imprimatur helping to get the publishers to take notice.

The publisher buys the book; the author quits his day job, and thereafter devotes himself to his new business - writing new books (creating new products) to sell to his original publisher (the original customer) and to new ones (foreign sales and subsidiary rights). ‘

Taking this concept and running with it, creates a dimension to your professional work which would otherwise not be there in my view.

For example - ask yourself some challenging questions such as :

• What is different and special and new about MY product which is not currently on the marketplace?
• How does my product compare with those already on the market? How will it meet an unfilled need in my consumers?
• How much time and money will my Venture Capitalist have to invest to make MY product a success in an already crowded marketplace?
• Why should this person invest in me instead of the countless other entrepreneurs who are already asking for their time and money? What can I offer which is different and Value-added?

I am still working on some of those, but I intend to be ready for the data when I do approach a literary agent. I have to be if I want to achieve my goal.

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