'Treat it as a business': Tips for becoming an author from an Amazon top 100 writer

Talli Roland has written several books that have made it in to the top 100 on Amazon. Ahead of the Amazon Academy on 23 November in London, she explains how she became an author, how she engages with readers and her tips for launching a career as a writer.

If you are looking to grow your business by improving your knowledge of the internet and digital technology to increase online sales and exports, Amazon Academy is for you! Register for free here.

How did you end up becoming an author?

I don't even remember starting to write; I just did. I was always scribbling something, a poem, a short story, a make-believe newspaper article. When I was nine, I wrote my first travelogue, a non-fiction piece called Disasters in Florida, based on a family trip to Orlando. My real piece de résistance, though, was my novel called Glint off the Gold, which I completed on the Commodore 64 at age 13 and sent off to various publishers. And thus began my long love affair with rejections!

My first big break was when a small publisher contracted me to write a London travel guide. Although non-fiction was never really my dream, I figured being published in any genre was a good first step. It taught me a lot about how the process works.

Why did you decide to sell your books through Kindle? What benefits has it given you?

I had a very satisfactory experience working with a traditional publisher for my first two novels, but with hardly any distribution in print and 99% of my sales on Kindle, it made more sense for me to pay a one-off fee to an editor and cover designer, and keep the remainder of the profits for myself. Since striking out on my own through Kindle Direct Publishing, I have published three novels and four novellas on Kindle, and hit the top 100 on Amazon UK three times. Leaving a traditional publisher was a risk, but it's one I don't regret at all.

I think any independent publisher would tell you the biggest positive is having control of every step of the process. You set your own timelines, choose your own cover, and press that "publish" button yourself. You manage marketing campaigns, check your sales figures, and decide on price-points. The ability to publish as quickly as possible is also a huge benefit: independent-publishers can take advantage of trends before traditional publishers (witnessed in the US with the emergence of the New Adult genre) and can grow their readership much faster than traditional publishing usually allows. A big advantage of independent-publishing is also the financial reward, of course. I've been able to make a living as a writer for the past few years, something I couldn't do when I was traditionally published.

How do you use Kindle and other methods to communicate with and get feedback from your readers?

Social media is important for any author these days, but it has to be used in the right way. Screaming "buy my book!" at every opportunity is such a turn-off, yet some authors continue to do so.

I've worked hard to build relationships through Twitter and Facebook, interacting with followers there every day. When I do release a novel, my contacts are eager to help me share the news because they are genuinely my friends. But apart from promotional purposes, social media is so much fun! I've "met" so many readers there, and it's wonderful to chat with people who have read my books. I always put links to sign-up to my newsletter in the back of my books, as well as links to my other novels.

How do you stay innovative and come up with new ideas for your stories?

I read a lot of newspapers! I love human interest stories. I'm fascinated by what makes people tick and their hidden lives. I try to come up with different angles and stories that I haven't seen in novels before.

What advice would you offer to people looking to become a successful author?

I would advise people to treat writing as a business, not a hobby. Have a dedicated time to write, and set manageable goals each day. Don't wait for 'the muse'; just sit down and do it. Can you imagine if you told your boss at the office that you were waiting for inspiration before starting work? Enjoy writing, but take it seriously, and don't let other people take you away from it.

If you are looking to grow your business by improving your knowledge of the internet and digital technology to increase online sales and exports, Amazon Academy is for you! Register for free here.