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Authors, Make “Business” Your Next Hobby
Something you can learn, develop, and enjoy at your own pace and desired level of intensity
Here are some of the varied collections of hobbies of particular adults I know. Hobbies they have invested loads of time and energy in. Hobbies that bring great enjoyment and deep satisfaction. Hobbies they have developed to different degrees of intensity and level of skill over the years. You probably have your own list.
- cars, video games, investing, current events
- jazz, cocktails, home renovations
- dancing, improv comedy, learning Spanish
- photography, cosplay, poetry, heavy metal
- Scrabble, hiking, foreign films, thrifting
- jewelry-making, crochet, wine, blogging
- travel, collectibles, contemporary art, Japanese culture
- boatmaking, cycling, local history
- auto repair, camping, jigsaw puzzles
- community theater, Italian-American heritage, organizing social events
Okay, I carried on a bit. What’s my point?
My point, authors, is that business can also be a hobby.
Perhaps most authors should even treat business as a hobby — something to explore and enjoy, something to dive into and develop at your own pace. Something that over time you can look back with some surprise and say, hey, I’ve come a long way with this!
Because most authors are somewhat business reluctant. Some are even business adverse. Fearful. It’s not easy, it’s not comfortable, it’s not right. You just don’t want to do it.
And yet.
Most authors do want more from their book and their author life. More readers, more exposure, more satisfaction, and more money. Even at the hobby level, they typically want to be bringing in more money than they’re spending. A concrete reminder you’re getting back more than you put in.
Can’t fault anyone for this.
And here’s the thing. In my experience, an entrepreneurial approach is not only a good way to be an author, I think it’s the best way and often the only…
