How Aspiring Authors Are like the First Female Self-Made Millionaire
Born into an enslaved family in 1867, African-American Sarah Breedlove married at age 14 to escape family violence. Left a widow with two children by age 20, her first job as laundress paid less than a dollar a day. Married and divorced from her third husband, Sarah (now Madam C.J. Walker) became the first female self-made millionaire in the United States.
Sarah had severe scalp and skin ailments from harsh soap ingredients. She developed remedies to solve her problems then made them available to other women with similar challenges. Sarah learned to sell locally then by mail order. She opened her own production facility and created an empire. As part of her sales force, Madam Walker taught 20,000 other women to teach, sell, and run their own business.
Once Sarah learned how to achieve success she shared her knowledge. The magic in her formula was sharing her path of empowerment with others.
How Your Message Is Your Contribution
Most aspiring authors have more in common with Sarah Breedlove than Madam C.J. Walker. They have something valuable to share but haven’t figured out how to effectively offer it to the reading public.
If you’re a non-fiction author like me, you have knowledge or skills others need. Folks who know you already appreciate the value of your message but you haven’t figured out how to share it with the world. Fiction authors are entertainers. Your story may offer readers hope, escape, or a who-dun-it no one figures out till the last page.
Sarah Breedlove mastered the process of business success then taught others the formula. At the end of 2016 I was a published author with 5 paperbacks and eight ebooks. Great material, but pitiful sales. Few readers bought my books and I had no clue how to get their attention.
What It Feels Like To Ride the Amazon Sales Rankings
I became a best-selling author April 27, 2017.
Like any business, achieving success as a writer is both formula and process. Imagine the differences among the 20,000 women Madam Walker’s company trained, yet the path to success was the same for all.
You are talented. You are unique. You have a message or story you want everyone to read. You and I may have a lot in common or very little. The one thing we both want is for people to buy and read our books.
Sarah Breedlove achieved one success then parlayed that knowledge into many more. That’s what best-selling authors do. Now that I’ve done it with one title I plan to do it with another, and another after that.
I’m beginning to understand the process, but I didn’t teach myself the formula for author success. Someone else shared her knowledge with me – and I’m still learning!
Sarah Breedlove didn’t rest on her first success – she built on it. Gaining best-seller status motivates me to set larger goals. The path to achieving them is the same I used to become a best-selling author the first time.
You Can Do It Too
Do you want your website tagline or business card to read, “Best-selling Author”? Lots of people write books. If you’re reading this you’re probably not content as one of the crowd. You want others to benefit from your knowledge or skill, and you want to reap the professional and financial rewards of providing it.
Sarah was the daughter of slaves. She is remembered for her entrepreneurial and philanthropic contributions. She didn’t just make money, she changed people’s lives by sharing the formula with others.
In January 2017 I was an Amazon footnote. Today I’m a best-selling author. I write books to help folks achieve their dream goals so they can help others do the same. That’s the purpose of this blog post. Some call it the Golden Rule. As a Christian writer, I know where it’s found in the Bible (Matthew 7:12).
Get Started Now
Where did I learn the process of becoming a best-selling author? I watched hours of videos and read countless books and articles but still didn’t understand the formula. That’s how I discovered Alinka Rutkowska’s Author Remake program – and signed up.
I love best-seller status, but the change I’m most thrilled about is offering better books to more readers. Author Remake teaches authors to produce better books, maximize promotion opportunities, and learn a formula to grow their business.
Alinka constantly gives more than she promises. Like Sarah Breedlove, Alinka teaches what she knows. If one of your goals, spoken or not, is to become a best-selling author – maybe you should sign up, too.
[Alinka here: if you’d like to join us at Author Remake send me a message at alinka@authorremake.com and put “Author Remake” in the subject line]
This is a guest post by Lynn Baber.
Lynn is a best-selling author, world and national champion trainer and breeder.
Get in touch with Lynn at www.LynnBaber.com.
Great info! I’m a new author and best seller on Pronoun but not Amazon and other places my self help e-book is being sold. I’m ready, locked and loaded to learn how to acheive higher!
Way to go, Malisha! This is a great place to start.
Malisha, I’m a fan of lateral moves. In the horse industry I suggested trainers concentrate on smaller breeds and earn world championships where competition wasn’t as stiff. When they moved into bigger breeds they already had a title few others did. As a best-seller on Pronoun you’re well positioned for your next goal. Alinka offers precisely what you need. Go ahead and pull the trigger!
Lynn
“Lynn, There is so much in your article which I can relate to. My mission and only reason for writing my books is to empower people so they can live the life they long for; I do this by sharing my personal wisdom and my life’s experiences. However, as you found, it is the ‘know how’ about marketing which puts the information where people can find it.
I haven’t published my books yet as I am in the marketing stages and just like you have been finding my way through the wealth of knowledge on the internet. It really is a case of ‘separating the chaff from the wheat’.
I am fortunate I found Alinka in my beginning stages and I agree with you about her. She constantly gives more and wants all authors to achieve their dreams. I have learnt so much from her and also from the people she has joint ventures with, and I continue to do so.
There is a wealth of knowledge in her book “I Sold 80,00 books, which amazingly is FREE!
Her Author Remake program is the best for authors available on the internet at an incredible price and I also encourage people to sign up; it is ‘a win win’ investment in any author’s future.”
Lynda, the number one rule of marketing (books or otherwise) is customer first. Your commitment to reader benefit should give your author platform a huge boost. It’s often more effective to say what you believe in your soul than just using slick copy. Doing both at once separates the stars from the crowd. (I’m still working on that…) I agree with your assessment of Alinka’s program. I cycled through a multitude of gurus, finally reducing dozens to less than a handful with unique abilities. Win-win is the goal. Best wishes for great success.
Great information! Thank you for sharing!
Keith Guernsey
thegurns2005@yahoo.com
Twitter=@thegurns
https://amzn.com/153338763X
Keith, I saw your book about fathers and sons. You certainly have a unique angle. I was glad a reviewer telegraphed the happy ending!
Best wishes for author success and the fabulous life you’re living.
Lynn
One of these days my subconscience will kick in and I will know all I need to know about marketing. This is because reading Alinka’s 80,000 book sales are a guide for everyone, even me. I don’t find it easy, absorbing material, at this stage of my life. The trick is, though, never give up. I am at present the 747,400th member of the list of millions of book-writers on, Amazon. This then is my goal to reduce this annomily and become more and more aware of my skill in the writing of numerous stories. All I have to do is present my offerings in front of their noses, and allow them,the public,to breathe gently of my work. Everybody starts from somewhere.
Remaining yours,
John J McCarrick /AKA Billybottom stories.
Hello, I have just started reading your works and think I may be doing it for quite some time, when I make the time that is as writing is my first consideration. My husband helps market my recent book but even he says you can never know enough about marketing.
Thanks so much for your help in this adventure I am sure many are sharing.
It’s so wonderful that you’re a team!