It's great to write a really good book, and then get it published. That's fantastic, it's not easy to write a full length novel! But I like to look beyond the delivery of that final polished manuscript. Let me do some marketing, lots of it, talking about my work and what inspires me! Let's write a cookbook inspired by food eaten in the book (s) and release that too! Put me before a group of young people, the readers, my readers, and let me talk to them about how to become a writer and inspire them! How about I run a competition for the winner to become a character in the next book, or work one-to-one with a young person to help craft their own story? I think authors must (and many do), think beyond the book once it's ready to publish, because, just as magic appears on the pages, it can also appear before us in the real world. There is much more to being a writer, than simply writing.
On Writing : There's More To Being A Writer Than Just Writing! by Phil Bridge
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I LOVE it. Sounds like a good webcast. (hint hint, nudge, nudge, wink, wink). Creativity is the key. Perhaps the best two examples of creativity I can think of are" 1. Seinfeld: Kramer's coffee table book that turns into a coffee table. 2. Whitman Publishing's Vault books -- OMG, they have inserts of replica season tickets, pennants, programs, etc. A work of art.
This is the part that I have always struggled with. The writing is the fun part that drives me but I know there are many more skills needed to be a successful author, especially as I self-publish. I think many authors are now having to look beyond the writing process itself so they can take control of their careers, even though self-promotion and marketing does not come easily to many of us. Really like your ideas, especially the cookbook idea - it might make a great reader magnet for a newsletter sign-up or a promotional giveaway linked directly to the main book. Good luck with your writing and thanks for sharing.