Welcome To The Authorpreneur Mindset [Ep. 001]

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As the title says, welcome to the Authorpreneur Mindset. This podcast is designed for writers in all aspects of their career with the intent to share my experience, as well as the experience with others. This first episode introduces what an Authorpreneur is and the mindset I am talking about. Future episodes, starting sometime before Episode 10, will include interviews with both known and unknown authors, editors, designers, and more.

A little bit about the show notes before we get going. I haven’t decided on a format for them yet in terms of how it’ll look on the page, but in general, the first few paragraphs will include a bit about what to expect in the episode and anything else I want to include.  The second half of the show notes, under the linebreak, is a copy of my pre-show notes. In general, this is what was written before recording and doesn’t include any interview answers (but will include some questions).

Anyway, thanks for coming to the show. I hope you enjoy!  Don’t forget to find us on iTunes and leave a review, or leave a comment below!

Welcome to The Authorpreneur Mindset. A podcast about the writer’s life and what it takes to become successful, both traditionally and as an indie. It’s a podcast that takes a look at the business aspect of the publishing industry and picks it apart. If you enjoy the show and want more, you can sign up for the Steam Powered Dreams mailing list to receive emails with valuable information right in your inbox. Just head over to SteamPoweredDreams.com/AuthorpreneurMindset to sign up now

Hey everyone and Thank you for joining me for what I hope is the first of many episodes of The Authorpreneur mindset podcast. I am, Jeremy Collier, founder of Steam Powered Dreams Publishing and host of this show.

This podcast is all about taking a look at the publishing industry from different angles and helping others push their own careers forward. While there will be a strong focus on the post first draft process, from what to do after you’ve written The End all the way to actually publishing and marketing, we’ll be hitting a wide variety of topics beyond that.

The first handful of episodes will be solo shows where I talk about some of the bigger issues facing the publishing industry right now, but I have also planned interviews with those who have been working in the industry for some time, including writers, editors, designers, and publishers.

So, let’s talk a bit about what the title of this podcast really means.

The publishing industry has changed and the days of large advances followed by fame are pretty much over. Only the top, elite writers of our time like Stephen King or JK Rowling actually get special treatment, and even they have had to learn to adapt

For the rest of us, we have to understand there is more to be done than just finishing the first draft. In fact, that’s just the start of our journey.

In order to be successful, we need to learn the ins and outs of the industry, things like understanding our rights, marketing our books, and knowing what is fair and what isn’t.

And an Author Entrepreneur, or authorpreneur, is just that. It doesn’t matter if you’re unpublished or have 100 books under your belt, if you have the passion for making a career as a writer and understanding what it takes, you are an authorpreneur.

Back to what I was saying about the changes that have been happening in the publishing industry over the past 10 years. The eBook revolution has made it easier and cheaper than ever to become a published author, yet getting a publishing deal is harder and means less than ever.

I’m not saying traditional publishing isn’t right for some people, but relying on an agent to get you the best deal and a publishing house to do what’s best for your book leaves a lot to desire to an authorpreneur.

They know, with a little hard work, they can get their book edited, designed, formatted, published, and marketed in the way they want and keep 100% of their royalty and see a lot more money coming in. In fact, I’ll go one further and say that most authorpreneurs have no desire to be traditionally published, that getting that contract isn’t even on their radar.
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In it’s simplest form, this is the authorpreneur mindset.

To paraphrase an entrepreneur I highly respect and consider somewhat of a mentor, being an author entrepreneur isn’t about the money, but about the freedom to do things your way and to pursue your writing in a way that adds meaning to your life. The freedom to control how and when you spend your time as an author.

So, you might be asking, what is the goal of being an authorpreneur, if not to be traditionally published?

Well, the exact goal will be different for everyone, but I think one thing we all have in common is that we want to not only make a living from our writing, but be in control of what we write, how and when we publish, and who our ideal audience truly is.

It’s a scary thought to make the leap, especially if you have had the traditional path in your head most of your life, but if you want to create a better life for yourself, one with writing at the head of your career, then this podcast might just be for you.

I’ve been part of the publishing industry now for a few years and something that truly disturbs me is how many people are out to take advantage of writers. I created Steam Powered Dreams as a way to combat that, even if only on a small scale, and this podcast is an extension of that.

Anyway, I’ve talked longer than I meant to, so I’ll wrap up this episode.

The website is at steampowereddreams.com/authorpreneurmindset
you can find me on Facebook at facebook.com/jeremylcollier
on Twitter at SoulScribbler,
and finally on Instagram at authorpreneurmindset

Until next week, I am your host Jeremy and don’t forget to keep moving forward.