TREAT YOUR WRITING LIKE A BUSINESS by Guest Blogger Heather Weidner, Mystery Author

Writing was hobby for me for a long time. I dabbled when I had time, and I read every writing book that I could get my hands on. I did it for fun and without much thought as to what I would do with the end product once it was finished. I had no deadlines, and I could work on projects at my leisure.

When I decided I wanted to a published author, I realized that the process was a business and that I needed to treat it that way. That meant adding more organization, process, and structure.

Your Writing Schedule - I try to write or do something for my books every day. That could be plotting, editing, blogging, marketing, or growing my online following.

Life gets in the way sometimes. But you will see progress quickly if you set aside some time to work on your projects. When we moved to remote work during the plague, I did an experiment. I devoted my drive-time commute and my lunch hour to writing (almost 3 hours a day). I was amazed what I could accomplish in two years in three months. Figure out when you are most productive and write then if you can. I’m a morning person, so I love to get up before dawn when the world is quiet. 

Avoid Distractions - Try to protect your writing time. It’s so easy to get distracted or involved in other activities. I try to honor the time I reserved for writing.

TV, movies, and the internet are big distractions. Do what you can to stay focused. I tend to record shows that I like, so I’m not spending hours in front of the TV. When I’m writing, it is sooo easy to go check something on the internet and get involved with hours of cut puppy videos. The great Brad Parks gave great advice for this. He calls it, “killing his Xs.” When he find something that he needs to research. He types “XXX.” Then he goes back later and does all the research at once.

Find your writing space where you can focus and are comfortable. If you have an assigned place, it helps you get in the writing routine.

The Business Part - Talk with your legal and/or tax advisors to make sure that you’re compliant with the laws, regulations, and rules in your area. Do you need a tax ID number, what can you claim on your taxes, do you need to collect sales tax, and do you need a business license? My lawyer and CPA offered great advice. When you have books published, make sure that you talk to your attorney about including them in your will. You may need an executor to take over or close down your publication work.

Work out a system to collect/organize your receipts and documentation for your taxes. Some use a file folder and spreadsheet, and others use an app for tracking expenses and deductions. You’ll need to figure out what works with your style and what provides you the right information when you have to file documents.

If you sell books, you’ll need to decide what you’ll accept (e.g. cash, credit card, debit card, check). I accept all, and I use a Square for the credit/debit cards.

I have to track mileage, sales, and expenditures. I do this faithfully after an event to ensure that it’s current. It is too hard to remember or recreate what I did at an event three months ago. Figure out what works best for you (e.g. file folders, spreadsheets, mobile app, accounting software packages, a personal assistant).

Always make sure you have a contract or a statement of work if you’re hiring someone to do work for you or setting up a partnership with someone else. Trust and relationships are great, but you need to protect yourself if something goes wrong. Make sure you have a good understanding of what you’re paying for and how much it costs. There are a lot of scams out there. If it sounds fishy, that’s usually a huge red flag.

Events - I like to go places and talk with readers, so I like to do a lot of events. I tend to attend the ones where I can talk to readers and do presentations (and have books available for sale). I don’t base my decisions on book sales alone. Sometimes, you make contacts or build relationships that could be worth more in the long run than a sale. Networking is an important component of the writing life.

Your time is valuable, so you need to make sure that book marketing and events don’t overwhelm your writing time. You always need to be writing your next book.

Your Time - Your time is limited and valuable. Figure out what tasks you can do yourself and what others your budget will allow you to outsource.

I like to do my blog, websites, and social media work. In the past, I have hired an editor and someone to do specialized graphics for me. I know several authors who have hired digital or personal assistants to do administrative tasks. I also have friends who have hired folks to manage their social media accounts and publicists to coordinate marketing campaigns. Figure out what you do best and focus on those items. One of my author friends hired her granddaughter to help her with her social media. She gets the tasks done, and her granddaughter get spending money and work to show on her resume.

Your Investments - You need to decide what you can budget in terms of your time and money for your writing projects. It can be time consuming and costly if you don’t monitor where you’re spending your resources and marketing efforts. I track this and compare it to my sales.

You do need a professional headshot and website. These may be areas where you want to make an investment for professional services.

Writing is a business. It’s filled with contracts, invoices, sales tax, tax forms, queries, contest, and entry forms. But the writing is fun, and there is no feeling like opening that box of books and seeing your name on the cover.

Best wishes with your writing projects!

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About Heather

Through the years, Heather Weidner has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager. She writes the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, the Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, and the Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries (January 2023).

Her short stories appear in the Virginia is for Mysteries series, 50 Shades of Cabernet, Deadly Southern Charm, and Murder by the Glass, and her novellas appear in The Mutt Mysteries series.

She is a member of Sisters in Crime – Central Virginia, Sisters in Crime – Chessie, Guppies, International Thriller Writers, and James River Writers.

Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers.

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