I heard this said a couple of times during an author seminar over the weekend. And it’s something I’ve been thinking about since. Yes, I, too, offer author services. Many of you have heard the story of my reluctance to work with other writers over the years, as I established myself as a credible author and freelance writer. But when I finally said “yes,” some twenty years later, I found that I was in my element—I love helping writers create better manuscripts, write better proposals and query letters, make better decisions on behalf of their projects and successfully promote their books. So I am one of, evidently, many writers/authors who earn a good part of my living helping other writers.
So what kind of work are writers doing for other writers? You have self-published authors publishing other people’s books, writers at all levels doing editing and consultations and many of them are also teaching. And people are coming from other professions to get in on the money authors are ready to spend. Marketing professionals are offering PR and media training for authors, for example. Teachers are doing editing. Graphic artists are designing book covers and computer literate people are doing page layout. Some individuals are also hanging out their literary agent shingles just because they can. Yes, these are generally the ones who charge for their services.
Writers make their money from other writers. Interesting concept and, yes, it certainly seems to ring true. There are few authors who make significant money by selling books. Even some of those with numerous published books actually make their living by hiring out to do speaking engagements, by running a PR company, by publishing other people’s books, etc. There are some writers who earn a living by freelancing for companies and/or writing articles for magazines and e-publications. But some of them also offer additional services such as manuscript consultations, coaching and webinars, and they sell things, such as books, mailing lists and reports.
More and more writing/publishing-related organizations are forming and a greater number of them are presenting conferences for writers and authors. The book and author event I attended over the weekend was the first one presented by a brand new organization. The organizer, however, has a lot of experience in the area of event-panning and it showed.
While some individuals who provide services are certainly qualified, there are others who produce one book or who have been teaching English for many years who jump on the bandwagon with little actual experience or knowledge of the book publishing industry. Some of them decide to become a book shepherd, editor, publisher, publicist or publishing consultant. And some of them can help to a degree, but they may not be experienced enough to produce the results you desire.
My hat is off to those enterprising writers/authors who can build successful businesses using their authentic skills and knowledge. Businesses, after all, often do evolve with time and experience.
If you plan to hire an editor (which is strongly recommended before you approach any publisher or agent with your manuscript), go with a “self-publishing” company, sign up for an online course, elicit the help of a coach, etc., do your homework. Check the individual’s background. Look at their collection of testimonials. Get samples and estimates from the service provider.