When people think about writers most associate them with words, books, magazine articles and art in general; but like all art a business exists behind it. In this case, most writers who really consider themselves artists or wordsmiths often don’t understand how to take their words, get them published, and really make a living at what they love.
In fact, many authors are often left confused and lost when it comes to not only getting their work published, but also after it’s published how to make it a money-making enterprise. In an effort to form a community of expertise and help authors learn not just tips to improve their writing but build a successful writing career, 3L Publishing is launching a new and free group called Writers Who Mean Business.
“We work with writers every day,” said group founder Michelle Gamble-Risley, president of 3L Publishing. “They’re great when it comes to their craft, but we found that art and business expertise often collide. Authors will finish a book or article and then ask now what? They don’t know the ropes of the publishing business. This challenge follows them throughout the process too. Once they have a book in hand, they don’t know how to market and publicize it either. Sometimes the major publishing houses help, but more often they leave the writer to figure it out on their own.”
In an effort to bring writers together and educate them about the business of their craft, Gamble-Risley and her business partner, Michele Smith, CEO of 3L Publishing, are forming Writers Who Mean Business. The group will meet at the Sacramento Theater company the last Thursday of the month and invite speakers to come in and educate and guide writers through the challenging business of being published. They will also include information to improve writing skills, synopsis critiques, advice on getting an agent, information on the different publishing models, and how to build a “platform” to promote their books.
“We obviously have a lot of experts in the field we can pull from to come in and lend their guidance to these writers,” explained Smith. “We want to create more than a mastermind group, but a collective mind of business experts and writers who can openly pick each others’ brains, provide support, or just laugh about the realities of what can be a tough business to break into. We believe Writers Who Mean Business can genuinely help writers find their way through the maze that is publishing.”
3L Publishing provides complete publishing services to help authors, individuals and businesses take their manuscripts or custom publications and turn them into beautiful, perfect-bound books. We offer premier writing, editorial, production and marketing and public relations services for authors looking for a publisher to produce their books; individuals wanting an idea transformed into a publishable book; and businesses seeking experienced writers and editors to produce manuals, guides and custom publications, reports and papers.
