What Kind Of Author Are You?

 When people ask you what you do for a living what do you tell them? Do you explain that you are a independent or a traditionally signed author? When you respond to people, do you really know what that means? WV Network asked 100 authors that last question and most of them answered no. From our small study, we noticed that there are more than a few authors out there who don't really know how to define their roles  because there are so many trends that it's become even harder to stay focused.

 Have no fear, writers. The WV Team has come together to create an easy visual break down of Independent, Traditional & the newest version on the rise, Hybrid authors.  Check this out:

Independent/ Indie Authors

Authors that consider themselves independent, or 'Indie' are generally those who are the executive in making decisions for their book(s). Independent authors are  known to work like well oiled machines because the promotion, marketing and the overall success of the title all fall solely on their shoulders. 
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Traditionally Published Authors

Traditionally published authors are those who take the brick and mortar approach in the industry. Usually an agent, representing the author, negotiates the deal with the book publisher and in return gets a percentage of any monies earned from the sale of the author's book. {source}
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Now that you've read the difference between traditional and independent authors, your probably wondering,  Can I do both? The answer is yes! 

​Hybrid Authors

A hybrid author is an author who has both independently and traditionally published books. If you would have mentioned this option less than twenty five years ago to a publisher, they would have laughed in your face. But, now more than ever, hybrid authors are on the rise.

“It wasn’t until I became a hybrid author that I started earning a living wage as a writer. In fact, I’ve reduced the number of traditional books I write per year after discovering that at least 80% of my earnings came from my independent books, while 80% of my time went to writing my traditionally published books. As a hybrid author, I am able to conduct more trial and error experiments, utilizing various advertising mechanisms.” -Farrah R.
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Being a hybrid author gives you the opportunity to experience the best of both worlds. Don't be afraid to step outside the box and expirement with your a option! A rule of thumb we like to go by here at WV is, to promote your book like you were never published!

Good luck!

Thanks For Reading!