Author

19 Tips For Starting A Successful Author (2024)

Pat Walls

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Updated: January 19th, 2023

Want to start your own author? Here are some tips you should know:

Learn more about starting an author:

Where to start?

-> Author plan
-> How to finance an author?
-> How much does it cost to start an author?
-> Pros and cons of an author

Need inspiration?

-> Other author success stories
-> Marketing ideas for an author
-> Author slogans
-> Author names
-> Author Instagram bios
-> Author Instagram captions

Other resources

-> Profitability of an author

We've interviewed thousands of successful founders at Starter Story and asked what advice they would give to entrepreneurs who are just getting started.

Here's the best advice we discovered for becoming an author:

#1: Andy Strote, founder of How to Start a Successful Creative Agency:

We chatted with with Andy, founder of How to Start a Successful Creative Agency ($500/month). In our interview, Andy says:

Learn to keep detailed records for estimates, invoices, and other important paperwork. It will save you endless arguments about “who said what”, and “what you meant”.

Read the full interview ➜

#2: Steve Kidd, founder of Thriving Best Sellers:

We chatted with with Steve, founder of Thriving Best Sellers ($15K/month). In our interview, Steve says:

Follow your passion. Though something trendy MAY make you some or even a lot of money for a time, ultimately, trends change.

Read the full interview ➜

#3: Katie Flashner, founder of The Girl with the Tree Tattoo:

We chatted with with Katie, founder of The Girl with the Tree Tattoo ($275/month). In our interview, Katie says:

You have to be adaptable and ready to pivot whenever things don’t go as planned, so you can continue to provide value to your customers while staying true to your brand.

Read the full interview ➜

#4: Katie Flashner, founder of The Girl with the Tree Tattoo:

We chatted with with Katie, founder of The Girl with the Tree Tattoo ($275/month). In our interview, Katie says:

You don’t need to have all of the answers. None of us have all of the answers, no matter how long we’ve been on this planet. But trust yourself enough to know what the next step is, whether that’s taking action, asking for help, or taking a break.

Read the full interview ➜

#5: Naveen Joshi, founder of AllAuthor:

We chatted with with Naveen, founder of AllAuthor ($15K/month). In our interview, Naveen says:

We wanted our product to be that exact solution that solves the major issues of authors. So we did something at our early stage that proved to be quite valuable — talking with authors.

Additionally:

Learn from your mistakes, your success, and your past experiences. If something works, analyze why. If not, analyze why it didn’t. An entrepreneur should keep learning from the past and implementing the lessons in the present and future.

Read the full interview ➜

#6: Sheila Crosby, founder of DragonTree Publishing:

We chatted with with Sheila, founder of DragonTree Publishing ($200/month). In our interview, Sheila says:

I've learned that a good book with a niche demand doesn't need a huge amount of marketing, particularly when I have personal contact with a lot of potential customers.

Read the full interview ➜

#7: Nick Thacker, founder of Conundrum Publishing:

We chatted with with Nick, founder of Conundrum Publishing ($20K/month). In our interview, Nick says:

Ideas are nothing without execution, but even a poorly executed idea has value — go bring value to the world.

Read the full interview ➜

#8: Nick Thacker, founder of Conundrum Publishing:

We chatted with with Nick, founder of Conundrum Publishing ($20K/month). In our interview, Nick says:

The key to me was to never stop building and hacking. I was never happy with the status quo. I hate spending $300/month on email service, so I figured out how to build my own.

Additionally:

The key to being a successful indie author is twofold: build a mailing list from day one and be able to produce 3-4 good books a year.

Read the full interview ➜

#9: James Rosone, founder of Front Line Publishing Inc:

We chatted with with James, founder of Front Line Publishing Inc ($19K/month). In our interview, James says:

The best advice I could give to any new author or someone wanting to become an author is to find a mentor. Find an author who produces good quality works and has a track record of success and then see if they will help you in your journey.

Additionally:

If you want to get into writing, then you need to sit down and ask yourself: Why do you want to get into writing? What do you hope to accomplish? How do you plan on making this happen? What are you willing to cut out of your life to reach your goals?

Read the full interview ➜

#10: Katie Flashner, founder of The Girl with the Tree Tattoo:

We chatted with with Katie, founder of The Girl with the Tree Tattoo ($275/month). In our interview, Katie says:

Your mindset is going to play such a huge role in growing your business, so much more than your systems or aesthetics. Your brain wants to keep you safe, so it will try to trick you into not taking action because entrepreneurship is a risky thing!

Additionally:

The most important thing I’ve done is recognize what works for my audience in particular instead of looking at broader marketing strategies or jumping on the new hot thing to attract customers.

Read the full interview ➜

#11: Brian Rouff, founder of Mister Words:

We chatted with with Brian, founder of Mister Words ($1.5K/month). In our interview, Brian says:

Plan each day but build in enough flexibility to account for unforeseen circumstances. Expect setbacks. Stay positive. Be relentless!

Read the full interview ➜

#12: Dr. Cindy McGovern, founder of Dr. Cindy:

We chatted with with Dr., founder of Dr. Cindy ($/month). In our interview, Dr. says:

I decided to start a company that would help businesses put their employees—all of them—to work as ambassadors for their firms, as unofficial salespeople.

Additionally:

I impact people’s lives and businesses, and then they tell other people their stories, which helps spread the word about my services, classes, and books.

Read the full interview ➜

#13: Naveen Joshi, founder of AllAuthor:

We chatted with with Naveen, founder of AllAuthor ($15K/month). In our interview, Naveen says:

We need to test new ideas from time to time. We can not be stagnant or left behind.> We need to test new ideas from time to time. We can not be stagnant or left behind.