The Craft of Writing a Book - Pencils&Lipstick

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kat Caldwell, Producer and Creator of Pencils&Lipstick, located in Arlington, VA, USA.

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

I'm a novelist, certified book coach, and podcast creator. My business is split between the readers of my books and the writers who come to me for help in developing their own writing.

Tell us about yourself

I started taking my dream of becoming a novelist seriously in the summer of 2014 while my third baby took her nap. I knew I could write if I just made the time to do it. I chose to go the Indie Author route by setting up my own company and published that first book, a historical fiction called Stepping Across the Desert, in the fall of 2017. By the fall of 2019, I had another book published, but I knew I didn't know everything I needed to know about writing and marketing a book. I started the Pencils&Lipstick podcast to create a space where I could talk to leaders in the Indie Author world and share their knowledge with other writers. I have since published two more books, become a certified book coach through Author Accelerator, and developed my business of helping other writers through the process of writing and marketing their books.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I believe my biggest accomplishment is getting past the mindsets that held me back. As a young mom of three children living overseas, I had to struggle past the negative thoughts such as thinking no one wanted to read my books, that I didn't know enough to help others or that I didn't have time or, a big one, that I was taking time away from my kids by focusing on my desire to write.

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

Building a small business of one takes a lot of perseverance. There are so many small pieces to put together and lots of learning involved. I messed up a lot in the beginning just because I didn't know what I didn't know. When a mess-up happens, the negative thoughts start to come back. That's when I reevaluate and ask myself, What are my goals? Do they still align? If the answer is yes (and so far they have always been, yes, I want to write my books. Yes, I want to help other writers), then I pick myself up again and keep going. I remind myself that I can learn from others, that I don't have to know everything, and that it's more important to be open and honest than perfect.

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

If you're looking to write and enter the book world, understand that it is so much more than writing a story. Read about storytelling and the craft of writing. Take courses from writers who know how to teach not just how to write beautiful prose but how to write a good story. Take time to learn how to market yourself as an author and how to speak about your book.

Get involved in local and online writing groups, as well. If you want to enter the world of teaching writing, it's best to have some accreditation, so the same advice goes for learning the craft as well as keeping up with the ever-changing industry. And above all, start a newsletter where you can gather readers (or writers) and learn direct marketing skills such as copywriting, graphics, and social media.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://katcaldwell.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katcaldwellauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katcaldwell.author/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PencilsLipstick
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katcaldwell/

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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