Five years ago, in September 2011, I left my day job to become a full-time author entrepreneur.
Every year since, I have posted a round-up of my lessons learned and things have definitely changed along the way! It's interesting how the challenges are different at each level and of course, the goals keep moving as I progress.
You can read the previous posts here: year 1, year 2, year 3, year 4. Here's my lessons learned from year 5.
(1) I can't do everything myself. I have to work successfully with other people, including my husband!
I've been working with freelancers (editors, cover designers, accountant etc) since I started self-publishing back in 2008, but only in the last year have I really expanded my comfort zone in working with others.
My husband, Jonathan, and I have now managed a whole year of working together. There have been the inevitable wobbly moments for both of us, but with a shared vision and a lot of talking (!) we have tripled the company income in the last 12 months. Not bad at all … and we're still happily married, which is perhaps the more incredible feat. 🙂
We do different things now, although it took me time to hand things over. I'm now Director of Creative and focus on products and content marketing, as well as the accounting and being the face of the business. Jonathan is Director of Strategy and Analytics and is a ‘force multiplier,' putting into action the plans we make together, including implementing things like email, landing pages, video editing and advertising. He likes to stay behind the scenes, but he is just as invested in the business as I am. I'll try to get him to come on the podcast sometime, or we might even write a book about working with your spouse/partner at some point. 🙂
On the fiction front, I've co-written Risen Gods with J. Thorn in the last year, which taught me so much that we put our lessons learned in a book, Co-writing a Book: Collaboration and co-creation for authors. I've also now started co-writing in a more directorial manner with a sweet romance writer, so in the next year, I will have another set of books under a new brand.
I also co-produced An English Country Garden Fine Art Coloring Book with my Dad, Arthur J. Penn. We got in at the end of the adult coloring craze, so the book didn't go very far, but it was fun and we got a chance to make a cool video of my Dad's printing process. Life is short and spending time with him for a creative project was great.
Plus, I have my wonderful VA, Alexandra, who helps with the podcast and social media and a ton of other things.
So I'm better at delegating than I was and I've even started talking about my vision to get a COO (Chief Operations Officer) for the business at some point. Not in the next year, but that's something I want to be able to do so I can get off the hamster wheel of constantly being on call at some point!
(2) Health is critical for a long term (happy) creative business
I love my work and I have definitely prioritized working over health for many years. But in 2016, I have made health a priority. I started by mastering dictation, overcoming the excuses I had put up around that.
I now use a standing/sitting varidesk, use a swiss ball as a ‘chair,' and I've had some physio, so my RSI has almost entirely gone.
I did 100km in a weekend, which was really more about the training of long walks in the months prior and making walking a habit.
I've also started yoga as a way to become more centered in my body, rather than just in my head all the time. I find myself skip breathing when I work so even just the breathing exercises have helped me unwind and stress less. I'm a work-in-progress, but I'm on a better path than I was a year ago!
(3) Speeding up growth with paid advertising. “I'd rather spend $1000 to make $1000, than spend $0 to make $0.”
That's a quote from Adam Croft, who used Facebook Ads to hit the top of the UK crime charts and make himself a ton of cash, and then subsequently get a book deal.
Since 2008, I've been using content marketing/podcasting/blogging/social media to get noticed. This has taken a lot of time, but not much money, which is great when you're starting out.
But I've been overtaken time and time again by those who invest in paid advertising in order to sell more books, attract more people to their mailing list, and get their business/books noticed. I don't know why I have resisted for so long but the interview with Adam really changed my perspective. I have great books and courses and this is a useful website, so why resist paying for advertising now I have the budget for it?
So this year, I've been using Facebook Ads for growing my list and book marketing, and in the last month, I used ad stacking and paid promotions to hit the USA Today list. More to come on this but it's been a real mindset change.
OK, those are some big shifts for me in the last year. I'm looking forward to year 6 as an author entrepreneur! Thanks for joining me on the journey.
Please do leave your thoughts in the comments below and join the conversation.
Thanks again Joanna, I always learn so much from you! Your approach is simple and so understandable and you make it seem so easy, though,we all know it is not. Continued success!
It’s one of those ‘simple but not easy’ things :)Just a little every day and you’ll get there!
Hey Joanna,
Your journey has inspired me. I don’t comment here often, but I’ve followed your work for a while. I love how you slowly built this empire.
You have more than a dozen books that sell well, but each individual book hits achievable numbers as opposed to some Malcolm Gladwell type of success many of us writers aspire to.
Thanks for providing realistic insights. With time, any writer who build a solid habit and learns the ropes of business and marketing can succeed.
Off to share!
Yes, I think the multiple books with little streams of income is more likely to be sustainable than attempting to have a massive hit. I aspire to Stephen King success but I know it will take many years to get there – but that’s OK, as there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing 🙂 All the best with your author journey.
You’re an inspiration Joanna! Thanks for sharing.
Well done Joanna! Very inspiring stuff. Keep it up, and here’s to an even more successful Year 6 for Team Penn!
X
You are an inspiration to me and I have learnt many valuable lessons from you. I am retiring a year early on January 6th 2017 to become an author entrepreneur and I will be happy to achieve even a fraction of your success. I am in good position and I’m not taking a risk so I won’t be out on the street if not much happens. But thanks to you (and others) I am quietly confident that with hard work I can make myself lucky. Thank you Jo.
All the best 🙂
Hello Joanne I am following you as a fellow author I have a book coming out next month I can’t wait
I’m so glad I subscribe to your newsletter because you mentioned the coloring book you produced with your father, and when I looked it up on Amazon, I saw the quote by Paul Klee: “Drawing is taking a line out for a walk,” which I love. The Adam Croft quote above is pretty good, too. So thank you. I can’t wait for more on Facebook ad stacking.
Very useful – thank you for sharing
Well Done! Especially the dictation – I am working hard on that right now and finding it a challenge – but you have really helped me with lots of advice here and there – thank you for that .
I highly recommend Yoga – I started running around my fields on the farm a while back and it really makes a difference but without the Yoga I couldn’t do that as I am way to stiff and ‘not bendy’ 🙂
Glad you and Jonathon are working well together – my husband and I have worked together for 30 years and we are very different in how we approach everything – I have to remember that I am not always right and that he is not always wrong 🙂 🙂
You’ve come a long way, Joanna. Your success is well deserved.
I think it’s great that you’re focusing on health and including your husband in the business. Both very important. And delegating some of your work will ease your mind once you’ve become used to that.
In 5 years you’ve created a real business that is more profitable and rewarding every year. That, to me, is the definition of success. Bravo!
Thanks for your support over the years, Marcia. I feel that now I’ve made it to 5 years, that it is stable and likely to last 🙂
Thanks Joanna for these updates, the podcast and your books!
Like others here, I’m on step 87 of a 10,000 step journey.
What I appreciate about your advice is that you have actually written successful fiction books and not just “How to Write a Book” books. So, you speak transparently from experience and lessons learned.
What is your opinion of James Patterson’s “MasterClass” course? He’s obviously a successful author but I wondered if the course content is worth the price. Maybe compare and contrast with your course, How To Write A Novel?
Thanks again,
Dan
Hi Dan – James Patterson is an amazing storyteller and his course is definitely worth doing. It’s very different to mine as his is just a casual conversation about what he does, not teaching so much. But I did it and it was the catalyst to me co-writing, so recommended 🙂 My own course is from the perspective of someone who is nearer the beginning, whereas he has 40+ years under his belt and therefore doesn’t really apply his comments to the beginner level.
Thank you for continuing to share your journey and in a balanced way. So many successful entrepreneurs leave me feeling overwhelmed and discouraged because they don’t have the same level of authenticity as you. You come across as a ‘normal’ person (a very dedicated, hard-working, tenacious, and optimistic one)! But nevertheless, it gives me hope that I can achieve something meaningful as long as I continue working hard, never stop learning and improving, and remain optimistic. I think this is what I need most of all – the hope to persevere as I slog my way through the process of publishing my first (not-so-great) book, followed by the next (hopefully better) book, followed by the next (even better!) book, and so on. I love writing, learning, and improving, and I see those same traits in you and it give me hope. Thank you for that.
Thanks Michelle and I intend to keep bringing authenticity for many years to come 🙂 As you love to write and learn and improve, I think your author journey will be successful 🙂
Thanks Joanna for sharing these down to earth tips! Straight to the point and helpful, just how I like reading 🙂
You’ve always been a source of inspiration Joanna and I am happy to see you grow from strength to strength.
I so much admire your resilience at what you do. Many surely started same time with you and today, they’ve fell off the road. The Creative Penn brand, which I owe big time for my sojourn as an author entrepreneur has been at this for a while and I am not really surprised at the level of success you are right now. Well deserved Joanna and I wish you more successes over the next coming years.
Thanks Mayowa, and you’re right, many who started at the same time have disappeared, but we all have different paths. This is mine 🙂 All the best with your author journey!
Thank you for continuing to share your successes and pointing out the importance of balance in your life. You always inspire me to keep working towards my dreams one step at a time.
It’s definitely one step at a time – and i don’t achieve balance most of the time. I’m definitely a workaholic – because I love it 🙂 but I also enjoy walking and yoga so am making that part of my life now. Gotta live long in order to keep creating!
It’s funny, I must have been following you since about 2010 (that sounds so weird) so it’s been really cool to see your empire grow and grow – and it’s nice to know that even someone as far along as you can be a bit resistant to things (like Facebook Ads). It makes me feel like there’s hope for me yet 🙂
We all have resistance to so much 🙂 but slowly, slowly, we’ll get there …
Congratulations on your 5-years, Joanna, and thanks for sharing so much with other writers.
I certainly identify with your second point about health being so important. We know that success comes to those who work hard, but it’s easy to fall into the trap of sitting at a computer from morning until evening, with only that corridor commute for exercise. I like the way you are seeking to balance your work, family and health.
My best wishes for an even better 5 years ahead!
Thanks! This a huge inspiration, especially the part about staying healthy. I realize I need to stay healthy to do what I want, which is writing. I will check out your books!
Hi Joanna congrats on your five years and thanks for sharing your invaluable insights with others. At the moment, I have around six or seven short stories and not a novel. Do you think a book of short stories by an unknown author is worth trying to publish or self publish… or is it better trying to sell the stories individually on kindle. I would like to write a novel but feel it will take ages and have a demanding full time job. However I Would like to take a small step to being an author entrepreneur in the meantime, so that I’m moving ahead with something I love and not feel like I’m stuck in a rut or stagnant. Advice would be most appreciated. Thanks a million
Lots of people publish short fiction on Kindle, but you can also make money with it in other ways. Check out this interview: https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2017/12/18/make-money-writing-short-fiction-with-douglas-smith/ and also https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/topic-of-the-night-making-a-living-with-your-short-fiction-updated-2016/