You are an author. You turn ideas into reality in the shape of a book.

You turn the thoughts in your head into valuable intellectual property assets. You understand how powerful the written word can be. Now, it's time to use your words to create a business plan to take your writing career to the next level - whatever that means for your situation.

I'm Joanna Penn, and I've been a full-time author-entrepreneur for almost a decade. In this book, I’ll guide you through the process of creating a business plan that will help you achieve your creative and financial goals.

It’s relevant for fiction and nonfiction authors, as well as those who want to include other products, services, and income streams. It’s also applicable whether you’re just starting out or if you already have a mature author business. A plan helps at any stage of the journey.

Part one covers your business summary and author brand, taking you through the process of deciding the overall direction for what you want to achieve and who you want to serve.

Part two goes into the production process around your writing, publishing and licensing, products, and services.

Part three covers your marketing strategy and author ecosystem.

Part four goes into the financial side of your business, from mindset to revenue and costs, as well as paying yourself now and into the future.

The final chapter will give you a framework for simplifying your plan and turning it into achievable steps across a chosen timeline.

In each section, I give examples from my own business plan, and there are questions for you to answer, templates, and resources that might help along the way, as well as example business plans for different kinds of authors.

It's time to take your author career to the next level. Let's get started on your business plan.