by Kimberly A. Cook (Twitter @ WarriorTales)
Right brain creatives look at the big picture and many times make connections where others see nothing. A real life game of connect the dots. (I loved those drawing books.) This post headline is a case in point. Let me explain.
I’ve always been a big Toby Keith fan. Not only does he write songs and sing, he is very committed to the troops. He has made many trips into Iraq and Afghanistan, plus other bases and ships and doesn’t make a big deal out of it. His dad was a Korean War veteran. Toby worked in the oilfields and played some semi-pro football before trying a music career.
In 2005 he left his traditional music label and started his Show Dog Records label to produce his own music and promote other artists. “I just started the label so I don’t have to answer to anybody,” Keith said in a Forbes June 3, 2009 article.
Here comes the brainy part. In January 2010, Keith announced a merger to create the Show Dog Nashville label. Why? “Veteran producer and record-label executive Mark Wright brings some of the corporate and political savvy that had not been present at Show Dog in the past,” said Keith, according to theboot.com.
Fast forward to Sept. 22, 2011. Toby Keith is named the highest paid country star by Forbes Magazine earning $50 million between May 2010 and May 2011. Keith didn’t do it all alone.
Netflix. I’m a customer and this whole Qwikster mess was annoying. A Sept. 27 article in Fortune by Kevin Kelleher asked, “Is Netflix losing its soul?” Kelleher proposes that by Netflix focusing on the big blockbuster movies and letting the classic and independent films go to Hulu Plus, they might be cutting off the business model that built their company, “their roots.”
See any comparisons to traditional New York Publishing? Going after only the blockbusters? The impact of ignoring ebooks and the digital publishing revolution as no big deal by the New York publishers?
So what can self published authors learn from these business examples?
1. You can’t do it all alone.
2. Writing is a business and an art. Know the difference, know your weaknesses and build a skilled support team.
3. Always remember; it’s the author’s stories connecting with the reader. Readers don’t care who produced it as long as it’s quality writing. Readers rule!
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