It’s cheap to write books, it really is. All you need is a keyboard or a notepad and pen. Selling them, on the other hand, is the pricey part. I am fortunate to write for Harlequin who does an incredible job marketing my books. Still, I need to do my share to help in that endeavor, so here are a few things I feel are worth the money.
1. A professional author photo. Yes, you need one. That selfie you took in Disneyland is not going to send the message that you are a serious author. Trust me.
2. A website and someone to design it. Yes, there are people so amazingly talented that they can design a professional website without paying someone else to do it. I am not one of those people. My website guru designed my site and updates it for me. If I have any more children, I am going to name them after him. This will be awkward for baby Jason, if she is a girl. but that can’t be helped.
3. Conferences. Yes, they can cost thousands included travel expenses. Yes, they are worth the money for the learning and more importantly, the networking. Be sure to pick a well respected conference that’s been around awhile.
4. Memberships. I belong to Romance Writer’s of America and American Christian Fiction Writers. I get neato magazines and internet access to all kinds of people and information. Well worth the money.
5. Giveaways. The jury is out on how cost effective these are, because mailing fees are a killer, but I like to send out books and goodies to people. I really am incredibly honored that folks read what I write, so sponsoring giveaways on blogs, Goodreads and my own FB and blog makes me happy. And there’s no price on happy, is there?
Outside of basic living expenses, what is something you spend a significant amount on? Do you recoup the value in dollars or in some other way?
Fiction 4 Writers and Readers 
Posted by Suzan Michet on March 14, 2014 at 3:24 am
I don’t know if it’s a “significant” amount of money, but I spend out of pocket for stickers for the kindergarteners I work with. I get them from an outlet to keep the prices down. I find the motivation this gives the kids is worth the price.
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Posted by dana mentink on March 14, 2014 at 1:41 pm
Ah, the power of stickers! I buy them for my class (third graders) too.
Dana Mentink award winning fiction author http://www.danamentink.com
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Posted by EllenToo on March 13, 2014 at 2:00 pm
Since I am now retired there are no expenses connected to a job BUT there was a pretty good bit of money connected to teaching. Probably the biggest cost was driving to school and back, then there was clothes and the cost of going to seminars and finally the cost of providing supplies that you need for lesson plans etc which in some schools are provided and others the schools can’t afford.
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