Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Maria Murnane, a Bestselling Author, based in Brooklyn, NY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I write lighthearted stories about life, love, and friendship!

Tell us about yourself

The way I became an author is a little crazy. I quit my high-tech PR job and went to Argentina by myself for what was supposed to be a two-week trip. Instead, I ended up staying for a year to play soccer for one of the most famous clubs in the world (River Plate). While down there, I also did something I’d long dreamed about: I wrote a novel!

Fast forward a few years, and I’m now the bestselling author of the Waverly Bryson series (Perfect on Paper, It’s a Waverly Life, Honey on Your Mind, and Chocolate for Two, which received a starred review in Publishers Weekly), as well as International Book Award winner Cassidy Lane, Katwalk, Wait for the Rain, and Bridges. More recently, I’ve also written screenplays of Wait for the Rain and Bridges (being shopped by my producer), plus a pilot for a TV show based on Waverly Bryson (also being shopped).

My latest writing project is a pilot for an original TV show about a coed soccer team. You can sign up for my newsletter at my website to stay posted on what happens with all my scripts. It’s very exciting, but I’ve learned it also takes FOREVER for things to happen in Hollywood, so let’s hope I have news to share soon!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Getting published! The book I wrote in Argentina (Perfect on Paper) was initially turned down by several major publishing houses, so in an effort to prove them wrong, I self-published and implemented a creative, grass-roots marketing campaign. And it worked! Within a year, Perfect on Paper attracted the attention of senior executives at Amazon, who chose it out of more than 10,000 self-published titles for the company’s venture into traditional publishing. They offered me a contract, and a year later, Perfect on Paper reached #2 overall on Amazon. Since then, the book has been translated into German, Hungarian, Italian, Serbian, Turkish, and Indonesian. My subsequent novels have also been purchased by Amazon Publishing, each housed under the Lake Union imprint.

Organizations that have invited me to share my story of perseverance include the Harvard Women’s Leadership Conference, the Massachusetts Conference for Women, the Baltimore Book Festival, the Pennsylvania Conference for Women, the Texas Conference for Women, and Temple University’s Fox School of Business, among many others. I’ve also been featured in USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Entrepreneur, and PopSugar.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Everything is all up to you. This is also what I love most.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. If you believe in your idea, don't take no for an answer.
  2. Outsource what you're not good at.
  3. Make it easy for your customers/readers to help you spread the word.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

If you're not happy with the way your life is going, change it. No one is going to come along and change it for you.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://mariamurnane.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariamurnane
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariamurnanewriter/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mariamurnane
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-murnane-43316/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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