How to Make a Living With Your Writing: Author services
Many writers have other useful skills and offer author services to supplement their income from books and other writing.
Editing, manuscript critique, and/or proofreading
Literary fiction and memoir author Roz Morris also writes non-fiction books, teaches writing courses for The Guardian, and offers in-depth developmental editing.
She says, “I’ve always worked with books and magazines and editing is as natural to me as breathing. It also happens to be a natural complement to writing, keeping my critical faculties tuned. Every editing job brings up its own problems, which then help me in my own work. And it’s rewarding to take a piece that’s rough in some way – whether it’s a full-length manuscript or an article of a few pages – and buff it so that it’s professionally ready.
In terms of my time, some months are more balanced than others, but it works out in the end. With editing and other services, you need to fit others’ deadlines. You are part of someone else’s process and you need to be flexible. I’m very organized about splitting everything into tasks with their own deadlines, and that’s how I write my own books. I used to run 30 titles at a time when I ran an editorial department so I’m used to multitasking.”
You can find options for editors, proofreaders, and more at TheCreativePenn.com/editors
Specialist reading
There are opportunities for paid reading, for example, if you’re a specialist in a particular area, you can offer specific feedback. For example, an ex-police officer with expertise for crime writers, or a volcanologist with knowledge of earthquakes and volcanoes, or a sensitivity reader for gender or sexuality issues.
Book cover design
Thriller and urban fantasy author A.D. Starrling also designs book covers at 17 Studio Book Design. She says, “Design has always been in my blood. Turning it into a business that complements my writing career and earns an additional income is just the icing on the cake.”
You can find more options for book cover design at TheCreativePenn.com/bookcoverdesign
Formatting
Award-winning mystery and memoir author Alexandra Amor is also my wonderful virtual assistant and offers services for authors.
She says, “Formatting books, and also coaching authors through the publishing process if they need it, has provided me with two additional streams of income that are fun and creative. It feels great to be able to offer this support to new independent authors while also adding another source of income to my author business. I balance my time between all these activities by blocking time for each one. Writing fiction comes first every day when I’m freshest, and then I focus on the other income streams for the rest of the day.”
You can find more formatting options at TheCreativePenn.com/formatting
Marketing
Many authors want help with marketing so if you love it and have demonstrated success, this can be a great service to offer.
Non-fiction author, project manager, and book launch strategist Courtney Kenney says, “Your income doesn’t have to be entirely from books. Consider how your current skills and knowledge can be combined with writing. Maybe you offer something nobody else does. In my case, I knew I wanted to get out of my boring day job as a project manager for a company I didn’t care about. I took on my first book launch client as a leap of faith, learning as I went.
Flash forward four years and my company of one is thriving and making six figures. Combining my experience in project management with my passion for books and publishing was the best decision I ever made. I created my own job. Think about the unique talents you possess and create your next job. What next step gives you more freedom to create?”
You can find free online courses and more people to help with your marketing at TheCreativePenn.com/reedsy
Research assistant
Ann Thomson writes speculative fiction as well as fantasy, poetry and non-fiction. She is also an anthropologist and works as a researcher-for-hire for various short-term assignments for the local university. She says,
“I find my research projects primarily through word of mouth and industry connections. Because I work primarily in anthropology, I am able to bring a tolerant approach to the cultures I use and those I create in my stories. I am able to play with the elements hiding inside folklore and mythology and do so with an awareness of the importance of these archetypes culturally. I like to think this has given me discipline and an eye for structure and the mechanics of writing, as well as awareness of how to write for different target audiences.
If you want to do research for hire, I advise making connections. I share articles I write with my peers and fellow researchers through academic groups and LinkedIn, and we share things we find important with each other.”
Small press publishing
Some authors turn their passion and experience in publishing into running a small press to publish other authors.
Award-winning literary fiction, poet, and memoir author Jessica Bell set up Vine Leaves Press to “blur the line between commercial and experimental works.” A multi-passionate creative, Jessica is also a singer/songwriter and graphic designer. She says, “If you want to start your own small press, be a patient and understanding person. If you’re not, you will run into trouble and conflict with your authors.
Be ambitious and have the ability to look into the future regarding expectation. You will not make money straight away. During the first five years, we were just breaking even every year; sometimes we would even have a loss, and that was with volunteers on our team!
Eight years and over eighty books later, we are finally making a decent profit. I think that comes down to the fact that I didn’t want to compromise on content. I refused to go mainstream. There are books out there, unique books, that need to be read.
To make it as a small press, I say, don’t settle for the same-old. Be as innovative as you can.
Post something on social media EVERY DAY. Build a mailing list.
Approach publishing like a self-publisher. Traditional methods used by the Big 5 do not work for a small press. You will end up bankrupt. One of our biggest sellers is a vignette collection (The Walmart Book of the Dead). It sells because it really is unique and intriguing.
Market to niche audiences, not the world.”
Other possibilities
There are many other options for services that authors need at various stages, and if you have particular skills, one of them can be a valuable extra source of income.
A virtual assistant can help with publishing and marketing tasks, website management, email lists, book launches, and more.
If you have technical skills, then setup and maintenance of author websites is an option.
Audiobooks need editing and mastering, and podcasts need editing and production. If you have audio experience, or you’re interested in learning, this is definitely an expanding area.
Translation is another option as more authors move into publication and sales in other languages.
If you want to offer services, then consider applying for Partner Membership of the Alliance of Independent Authors. Potential clients will know that you offer a good service and you’ll be able to network with indie authors within the organization.
Warning: Services can eat your life!
While offering services for authors can be a great way to bring in immediate income, it can also take up all your time.
You might find it a challenge to attract work when you first start out, but as your reputation grows and the word spreads, you may find yourself inundated. Set boundaries for the time you spend with clients and carve out time to write and build your own scalable creative assets, as they will bring you income for the long term.
Questions:
• Do you want to offer services to authors? What would be the best fit for your skills, and what does the author community need?
• How will you balance your time between clients and your own creative work?
Resources:
• Alliance of Independent Authors for Partner Membership — www.AllianceIndependentAuthors.org/partnership-approval
• Reedsy marketplace for vetted professionals: www.TheCreativePenn.com/reedsy
• List of editors — www.TheCreativePenn.com/editors
• List of book cover designers — www.TheCreativePenn.com/bookcoverdesign
• List of formatters — www.TheCreativePenn.com/formatting
