Keep the Business Side in Mind

Photo by modenadude 

This weekend I started writing the first draft of my first novel. Usually when I sit down to write I only think about the creative side. I think about what story I want to tell and don't really care too much about the other factors. Today, however, when I sat down to write I had a voice in the back of my head reminding me to know my audience, to make sure what I'm writing is marketable, and to still infuse my creativity into it.

Managing the business and creative side of writing can be a bit of a challenge. You don't want one part to overwhelm the other, but you also have to be conscious of both. I don't think I will ever be the type of writer to write something just because I want it to sell, but I think it is important to keep in mind. Whenever I think of potential projects I have to be passionate about them in some way in order for them to be successful. 

If you are writing only for yourself, write on, but if you have a vision of your book in that little book store around the corner, or on Amazon, it would be good to keep in mind that this is something that someone else will need to want to read. Ideally, even with this in mind, it will still be something you would read, too.