Special Series: Authors as Entrepreneurs

The role of the author in today’s ever-shifting digital publishing landscape is a complicated one. The job doesn’t stop when the last chapter is written. For many, that’s actually when the bulk of the work begins. Even if you take the traditional big publisher route, the author is expected to carry a heavy promotional weight. And so, the author has also become the entrepreneur, the social media maven, the booking agent, the blogger.

This week on MediaShift, we are exploring the changing role of the author, this morph from maker to marketer. You’ll hear from authors themselves on how their role is changing, but you’ll also get big-picture insight from those watching the industry and glean tips and tools for how to best make the transition.

Series Posts:

Guy Kawasaki’s 6 Entrepreneurial Tips for Authors, by Guy Kawasaki

How to Set the Right Price for Your Self-Published Book, by Miral Sattar

The Rise of ‘Hybrid Authors’ Who Have Self-Published and Had Publishers, by Jeremy Greenfield

Mediatwits #93: How Authors Are Becoming Entrepreneurs (Like It or Not), hosted by Mark Glaser, with self-published authors Carla King, Hugh Howey and Darcie Chan

Poll: How Can Authors Best Reach an Audience, by Mark Glaser

Donation, Patron Services Help Fans Support Their Favorite Authors, by Dena Levitz

Two Novelists’ Love/Hate Relationship with Social Media, by Jenny Shank

7 Great Resources for the Entrepreneurial Author, by Carla King

Previous Coverage:

Special Series: Beyond the Book
4 Places to Order a Short-Run Printing of Your Book, by Carla King
Self-Publishing Your Book: Where’s the Money? by Carla King
Top 5 Apps for Authors, by Carla King
10 Steps to Creating an E-Book Based on Your Blog, by Amanda Hirsch
The Real Costs of Self-Publishing a Book, by Miral Sattar
Tumblr to Published Book? Tumblr Itself Now Nurturing Authors, by Jenny Xie
The Challenges of Using Kickstarter to Fund a New Novel, by Jesse Young
Guy Kawasaki’s 10 Social Media Tips for Authors, by Guy Kawasaki

Managing editor Courtney Lowery Cowgill is a writer, editor, teacher and farmer based in central Montana. In addition to her work with MediaShift, she teaches online courses at the University of Montana’s School of Journalism. Before she came to MediaShift, she was the co-founder and editor in chief of the now shuttered online magazine NewWest.Net. When she’s not writing, teaching or editing, she’s helping her husband wrangle 100 heritage turkeys, 30 acres of food, overgrown weeds or their young children.