Success Starts with Intention: Why Knowing Your Why Will Transform Your Writing Journey
Why it's so important to know your "why"!
At KWE Publishing, when we first meet with a client, we start with what we call your strategic plan. Now, that sounds fancier than it really is—it’s just a simple but incredibly powerful exercise that revolves around three key questions:
What is your intention?
What is your message?
Who is your ideal reader?
Today, let’s focus on your intention. Simply put, what does success as an author look like for you?
For some authors, especially in the fiction world, the intention is to scratch a creative itch. You might find yourself lost in a world of your own making—characters, conflicts, relationships—that you just have to share. It's all about expressing an idea, telling a story, or bringing a world to life in a way that only you can.
For many nonfiction authors, the intention often revolves around sharing a journey or offering a solution. Take a book about overcoming addiction, for example. The author might say, “I went through hell, but I made it out the other side. Now I want to show you how you can, too.” In these cases, success means communicating something deeply personal or offering guidance to others who might need it.
But there’s also a business side to writing. Does that surprise you? Many authors don’t always consider it, but if part of your intention is to sell books—whether it’s a side hustle or your main gig—then you are in the book business! Someone once told me to think of your book as an employee—ask it, “What are you going to do for me?” Whether it’s sharing your message or establishing yourself as an expert in your field, your book can serve a strategic purpose beyond just storytelling.