055: The Biggest Mistake Authors Make- Cricket Freeman

It is easy to get published these days. All you need is the internet, a "book" you've written and some basic knowledge to upload it to Amazon. But is that really all you need? Is a book a book? What does it take to be a success as an author?  My guest on this episode is a longtime literary agent, resource for publishers and authors alike and has even started her own publishing house. For over 30 years she has guided authors to success and been a major success herself. Listen as she shares, the biggest mistake authors make, what 3 questions writers need to ask themselves what help and support for author's is out there. She even shares the theory of 1000 fans and why what you are being told about having a huge following is not really true. After years as a business owner engaged in sales and marketing, Cricket Freeman redirected her creativity toward the writing business, freelancing for magazines (more adventure than money) and business clients (more money than adventure). For too long a time she slaved as the editor-in-chief of a national, full-color, glossy trade magazine, overseeing design, ad sales, editorial, and staff - and still writing 1100 damn-fine words a day, day after day for print.  As a result, she tends to measure her writing credits by the pound.   Along the way Cricket intertwined her business experience, art and humanities education, and writing skills to establish Possibilities Press to support small book publishers with writing, editing, design, and production services.  Ever the entrepreneur, a decade later she shifted her focus exclusively to literary representation and in 2001 founded The Christina Pechstein Agency, later changing the name to The August Agency LLC.  In 2014 she founded augustwords.org, an innovative network of writers' resources supporting literary and literacy charities. Then just a few months later she established August Words Publishing, specializing in unique books by exceptional authors for select readers. Cricket is a popular speaker and instructor at writers conferences and workshops because of her straightforward style. Writers appreciate that she's been closely involved in every phase of a book's life in the past three decades: from its conception as a tug in the back of a writer's brain; through the explosive creative writing of it; to the painful editing, exacting design, and printing; then down to the distribution and marketing.  With more than twenty years as a writing instructor, from conference talks to community education workshops and community college classes, she makes sure everyone enjoys a unique learning experience and leaves with their questions answered. www.augustwords.org