SPF-036: Working With Your Spouse as an Author Business Team with Natasha Boyd and Charlotte Byrd
Working with your spouse may not be your idea of a perfect work environment, but many authors are discovering it’s a natural next step once success comes knocking on their door. If you’ve listened to the Self Publishing Formula you know that Mark and James often speak of the real work it is to become self-supporting as an author. It’s a reality that our guests on this episode have come to realize – and they’ve enlisted help in sharing the workload. In both cases, their husbands have come on board the business bus to help with marketing, launches, and more. On this episode, you’ll hear from successful authors Natasha Boyd and Charlotte Byrd as well as their husbands, their new partners in business.
If you’ve considered working with your spouse, this should be encouraging.
Today’s episode features two successful self-published authors who are not only making a living via their writing but are also clearing enough income on a monthly basis to enable their husbands to quit their 9 to 5 jobs and come on board as part of the business team. You’ll hear the struggles and the triumphs involved in making that kind of transition and why both couples feel it was the best move they could have made on a number of different levels.
The business side of being an author can easily swallow up the time needed for writing.
That is exactly why Natasha and Charlotte – successful writers and businesswomen in their own rights – have decided to bring their husbands into their writing businesses as full partners. Both discovered that they simply weren’t having the time to produce the great books their fans had become accustomed to because they were too busy figuring out how to market, build email lists, interact with fans and everything else that goes into building a business as an author. You can hear their stories and get insight from their husbands about what it’s been like to come alongside their wives to create an even more effective business.
It is entirely possible to make a substantial living through writing.
If you’ve always wanted to be a writer but have wondered if it’s really possible to make a living doing it, the answer is a clear and emphatic “YES!” But… you have to understand that it doesn’t happen simply by writing a great book, putting it on Amazon, and watching the money come in. Charlotte can attest to that approach not working out, which is why she’s taken the time to learn what it takes to build a business that promotes and supports her writing.
A successful writing career depends on more than a talent with words.
The self-publishing space is becoming more crowded by the day which means that authors with genuine talent are becoming more and more common. How do you stand out? How do you find the fan base that can support your writing full time? It’s through the business side of a writing career – through marketing, sales, list building, and much more. Listen in as James chats with two successful authors who are just as committed to making the business side of things work as they are writing excellent novels.
Outline of This Episode
- [0:01]How you can win $3,000 from Reedsy!
- [1:55] Why Mark recommends Facebook LIVE to connect with readers.
- [2:44] Who does Mark’s business stuff for him?
- [6:12] Natasha Boyd’s self publishing journey.
- [9:40] How Natasha got an agent so early on in her career.
- [12:05] What Natasha has come to understand about writing faster (or not).
- [20:05] Natasha’s husband Stephen has joined her business through marketing.
- [23:10] Why Natasha views her writing as a career and business.
- [26:41] Introduction to Charlotte Byrd and the launch of her career as a writer.
- [30:20] How Charlotte’s husband has gotten involved in the business.
- [35:13] The reality of a substantial living through a writing business.
- [40:21] How the family business is a throwback to the past.