Authors, Taking Care of Business: Making Yourself a Job

An antidote to unemployment, underemployment, and leaving your future to chance

Photo by Eric Prouzet on Unsplash.

Here’s a thought of the day for you: Every author who builds income around their books is a job creator. You’re creating a job for yourself.

That’s not a small thing. In a world of automation, AI, globalization, volatile politics, and constant economic disruption, the ability to make yourself a job — to generate income from your own skills, knowledge, creativity, and relationships — is one of the most valuable capabilities a person can develop.

Call it defensive entrepreneurship.

Call it intentional self-employment.

Call it taking care of business.

Whatever you call it, it’s your antidote to unemployment and underemployment, and if you’re doing it at any level you’re several steps ahead of others who are only worrying about it.

Job vs. Business

These aren’t the same thing, and the distinction matters.

A job, even a self-created one, trades your time and skills for income. You show up, you do the work, you get paid. Freelancing, consulting, speaking, coaching, event hosting — these may be jobs you’ve made…