When did you know that you wanted to be an entrepreneur or business owner?
It wasn’t something I initially set out to do. It became a natural progression after becoming a first-time author. I purchased a publishing package from a hybrid publishing house for my first book. After that experience and getting to know the publishing world, I felt it was right to self-publish.
Was it an easy decision for you to start?
It required me to research and learn as much as possible about the writing business. I read self-help books and participated in workshops to determine the best course.
What helped you in the beginning?
While reading self-help books, I ran across a recommendation to establish an LLC for writing. I began researching the requirements to move in this direction, which resulted in my establishing Adoni Publishing, LLC, obtaining my license, and completing other registration requirements.
What about your audience? How did you know who you wanted to serve, and how did you go about reaching them?
I was always aware of my audience from the beginning. My focus is an audience of single women interested in preparing for marriage. My passion has always been to help women be the right mate, to discover the right mate. What I did not anticipate was an audience of married couples who expressed excitement learning from my stories, which helped them reset their marriage based on the tips they discovered. Also added to my audience unexpectedly were the male readers who expressed their needs.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your journey?
Hearing the response to the book or a story or receiving feedback about how someone saw themselves in a story and was able to make changes in their lives as a result. I also enjoyed hearing others purchase books for people they knew who would benefit from reading them. My favorite responses are: 1) An interviewer who responded, “Where was this book when I was dating? I dated all the fish characters in the book.” And 2) A woman who said she is now comparing the meeting she meets to the characters and asks herself, “Now, which fish are you?”
Can you share some of the challenges?
Most of my challenges involved determining what I needed to do to publish my books independently. The self-publishing world was unfamiliar territory, and I had a considerable amount of information to digest quickly.
The world is changing daily. How have you been able to keep up with the changes in your area? Stay current by connecting with fellow authors and writers’ groups. Gain wisdom from the blogs of those you admire. Also, I’ve always written with God’s guidance. Every decision, which book to release at a given time, what topic to address and how to structure my writing activities around a business are made through prayer and guidance.
What role has social media played in helping you grow your business and reach your audience?
I continue to learn as much as I can about social media and its impact on my writing. It’s easy to monitor my posts and interviews, check analytics, and track sales based on these activities. The analytics and sales also help direct my focus.
What advice do you have for others looking to start their own business or become an entrepreneur?
Take your time to research your vision. Look for others in the same line of business that you can emulate or glean wisdom from. What we do is not competitive because every business is different. So, connect and establish relationships based on your goal. Business relationships are just as valuable as your audience.
Contact Information
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrVelmaB
Instagram/Author: https://www.instagram.com/drvelmabagby_author
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/BagbyVelma
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@drvelma-bagby
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