Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Randee Dawn, writer, editor, and social media strategist of Armchair News, located in Brooklyn, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I'm an entertainment journalist and an author who just published her first novel, "Tune in Tomorrow," in August 2022. My customers are editors at entertainment publications -- and readers who love humorous, fantastical stories that happen to take place in the world of entertainment.
Tell us about yourself
I've been a writer since I was very small and telling stories about my stuffed animals. My goal has always been to be a full-time fiction writer, but that's gotten sidetracked as I've made a living as a journalist. I love telling stories, whether in a non-fiction or fiction framework -- and the two things that motivate me each day are first that I have to pay the bills but second that there's nothing like escaping into a story I'm building, then getting to share it later with others.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Getting my first novel, "Tune in Tomorrow," published by Solaris/Rebellion in August 2022. I've had several short stories published over the years, but this was the big goal. Next up: The next book!
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
As an author, you most prefer to be in the creative stages of any given work. But that's only a fraction of the job: There's revising, editing, then finding a home to publish the work. And once the story or book is actually published, you have to shift gears and become a marketer and public relations expert. Any author I know would much rather be creating more stories -- but we have to be full-service experts in so many areas that it eats up a lot of the time we'd spend writing.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Find something you're passionate enough to do even when it's hard, less than remunerative, or fulfilling. Something that you almost have to do.
- Be willing to adjust or shift or revise or picture what a successful result will be. Authors know, or learn, that their first drafts are only the beginning, not the end, of the journey.
- Figure out how to be your best advocate, which can mean learning all sorts of skills you never expected to have to know anything about. Learning how to edit has made me a better writer. Learning how to sell my book -- on social media and in person -- has made it possible to write more books. It all comes together as a whole.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://randeedawn.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRandeeDawn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/randeedawn/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/randeedawn
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randeedawn/
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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