Should indie authors treat self-publishing as a business?

[Kim]

Hello!
I'm interested to know whether you think indie authors should treat self-publishing as a business and if any of you have mission statements? I've just written a blog on the subject (link attached).
Please join in the discussion. I'd love to hear from you.
Thanks.
Kim

http://electrikinc.wordpress.com/2013...

[Tanya]

Great topic! I have thoughts on it. I'm dashing off to a workshop, but later I'll definitely check out your blog post! Thanks for sharing.

[Rinelle]

Interesting topic. I suspect that they answer will be as different for different people as the pantsing/plotting debate!

I definitely give consideration to all the things you list. I want my writing to be commercially viable, I think about the best marketing strategies and most likely books to interest readers. But I'm not the type to write it down. If I did, I'd probably lose it!

I'll be really interested to see the other replies though!

[Jamie]

I think you have to treat it as a business if you want to be successful, but I'm not big on Mission statements, so I have written one. I think I do need a marketing plan. I watched Createspace webinar about creating a marketing plan. About the only thing I got from it was the need to have one. Unfortunately, very little about what that plan should look like.

[Sherri]

Absolutely, it's a business. Furthermore, I believe that writers not only have to market their work, but leverage their personality as well. People like to buy books from people they feel they know and can relate to. Oh yes, it's a business!

[Darlene]

I don't have an official mission statement -- Ugh. That sounds like corporate America. But, if you really want to connect with readers, writing/self-publishing is definitely a business.

[Kim]

Thanks for joining in. Your comments are all really interesting.

[Rebecca]

Jamie wrote: "I think you have to treat it as a business if you want to be successful, but I'm not big on Mission statements, so I have written one. I think I do need a marketing plan. I watched Createspace webi..."

I'm with you on the marketing plan--as in, I have no idea how.

I do have a mission statement, after a fashion:
http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2012/09...

[M.T.]

Kim,
Thanks for starting this thought provking thread. I certainly believe that indie authors need to treat self publishing as a business if they are to succeed in establishing a loyal band of readers. I agree with what appears to be the majority view, so far, that a mission statement may be a step to far but a business/marketing plan is essential.

[September]

I spend hours each day trying to come up with marketing ideas that aren't overdone to the point that they no longer work. I actually carry a few printed copies of gift codes for my kindle book with me at all times. If I see someone in Starbucks using a kindle I offer them one just to get my name in front of someone new. For all my obsessing, I've had minimal results, so I could only imagine if I didn't treat my writing as a business to be promoted.