On-Demand Webinars

Master Classes in Author Business Building with Sharon Woodhouse

 

Two comprehensive training sessions teaching the frameworks I’ve used with hundreds of authors to build sustainable, profitable businesses beyond book sales.

​

Professional development courses created for Symposium. Available on-demand.

​​

#1. How to Create a Profitable Author Life You Love

 

Stop struggling with author promotion and book marketing,

and start building an author business that actually works for your life

​​

90-minute master class | Available on-demand

​

The Problem Most Authors Face

You wrote the book. You published it. Now you’re supposed to market it—but every strategy feels uncomfortable, ineffective, or completely disconnected from the life you actually want to live.

Sound familiar?

​​

You’re anxious about money. Disappointed by results. Uncertain about what to do next. The traditional advice (“post on social media daily!” “do a book tour!” “build your platform!”) doesn’t fit your personality, schedule, or goals.

​

There’s a better way.

​

What You’ll Learn

In this 90-minute master class, I’ll show you how to transform your entire experience of being an author—from uncertainty and anxiety to enjoyment, expansion, and sustainable income.

​

This isn’t about doing more marketing. It’s about building a business model that fits your strengths, interests, and life goals.

​​

You’ll discover how to:

​

✅ Build sustainable side income from your books, author status, and expertise that can last 3–10+ years (or longer)

✅ Increase book sales and author reputation in ways that feel comfortable and authentic to you

✅ Identify your unique strengths and interests, then leverage them (instead of forcing yourself into strategies that don’t fit)

✅ Find marketing approaches that are actually fun (really! when they’re aligned with who you are)

✅ Customize a rewarding author life that meets your financial and personal goals

✅ Stop comparing yourself to other authors and build the business that works for your situation

​

Why This Training Is Different

I’ve spent 30+ years watching authors struggle with the same pattern: They’re told to market their book but given no framework for building an actual business around their expertise, experiences, and authorship.

​

This training gives you that framework.

​

Based on working with hundreds of authors across every genre and publishing path, I’ll show you:

​​

• The mindset shifts that separate struggling authors from thriving ones

• The specific income streams successful authors combine (beyond book sales)

• How to assess your current situation honestly and build from there

• Real examples of authors who’ve created sustainable income their own way

​

This isn’t motivational speaking. It’s practical business building from someone who’s built multiple profitable publishing ventures and coached hundreds of authors to do the same.

 

Who This Is For

​

📌 Published authors (any genre) who want to make consistent income
📌 Authors frustrated with traditional marketing advice that doesn’t work for them
📌 Writers who want a business, not just hobby income
📌 Authors ready to think strategically about their author career
📌 Anyone who wants to align their author activities with their larger life goals

​

❌ Not for: Aspiring authors without published books, people looking for quick fixes or magic bullets

​

Access this training on Symposium.

​

 

#2. Build and Customize an Author Business Model

 

The practical spreadsheet tool and framework for

planning, tracking, and optimizing your author income

​

90-minute master class | Available on-demand

​

The Missing Piece in Author Business Planning

You know you should have multiple income streams. You've heard about diversification. But how do you actually plan, track, and optimize different revenue sources?

​

Most authors wing it—trying random income ideas, losing track of what’s working, and never quite knowing if they’re building something sustainable.

 

This training solves that problem.

 

What You’ll Learn

I’ll walk you through my proprietary Author Business Model spreadsheet—the same tool I use with coaching clients to estimate, plan, and track 15 different types of author income.

 

By the end of this workshop, you’ll have:

 

✅ A working business model you can refine and adjust as you grow

✅ Understanding of 15 author income types and how to mix/match them strategically

✅ Income forecasting ability so you can set realistic goals and track progress

✅ A customizable planning tool that fits your specific situation and goals

✅ Real examples of how other authors combine income streams to build sustainable businesses

✅ The ability to experiment and pivot as you discover what works best for you

​

The 15 Income Streams We Cover

This isn’t just “sell more books.” We explore the full spectrum of ways authors generate income:

​

• Direct book income – Print sales, ebook sales, audio sales, foreign rights, subsidiary rights

• Expertise-based income – Speaking, workshops, coaching, consulting, courses

• Content leverage – Licensing, syndication, IP development

• Community-based – Memberships, Patreon, Substack, paid newsletters

• And more – Customized to what fits your expertise and goals

​

The Tool You’ll Get

My proprietary Author Business Model Spreadsheet allows you to:

​

💡 Estimate potential income from each stream before you invest time
💡 Track actual results as you implement
💡 Forecast future earnings based on realistic projections
💡 Adjust your model as you learn what works for YOU
💡 Plan at whatever income level you want ($10K/year side income or $100K+ full-time business)

 

This is the same tool I use with $1,000+ coaching clients. You’re getting it as part of this training.

​

Why I Created This

In 30+ years as a publisher, entrepreneurship coach, and author business strategist, I’ve seen hundreds of authors experiment with different income sources.

​

The challenge isn’t knowing these income streams exist—it’s knowing how to plan for them realistically, track what’s actually working, and make strategic decisions about where to invest your limited time and energy.

 

This framework and tool give you the visibility and structure to build intentionally instead of randomly trying things and hoping something sticks.

 

You’ll be able to forecast income, track results, and adjust your business model based on real data about what’s working for your specific situation—not generic advice about what “all authors should do.”

 

Who This Is For

​

📌 Authors ready to treat their author career as a business
📌 Writers who want multiple income streams beyond book sales
📌 Authors who like strategic planning and data-driven decisions
📌Anyone frustrated by random income experiments that don't build on each other
📌Authors ready to forecast, track, and optimize their income systematically

 

❌ Not for: Complete beginners who haven’t published yet, people who want motivation without implementation

​​

Access the training at Symposium.

​​

Take Both Trainings

​

💡 Webinar 1 gives you the mindset and framework for building an author life you love.

💡 Webinar 2 gives you the practical tool and systems for making it profitable.

​

Together, they're a complete foundation for sustainable author business building.

​

Access both trainings at Symposium.

​

​

About the Instructor

Sharon Woodhouse is a publisher, partnership architect, and author business strategist with 30+ years of experience. Author of the multiple award-winning The Profitable Author: 1,001 Ways to Build a Business You Love Around Your Books, she's helped hundreds of authors build sustainable businesses beyond book sales. Her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, and PBS Chicago. She was named three times to New City's “Top 50 Who Really Books in Chicago.”

​

Learn more about Sharon | Work with Sharon