The decision to publish a book is very exciting!
It causes the creative juices to flow and the eyes to light up. But
wait – before you begin the publishing process, know about the seven
most important steps you need to know before publishing your book. Make
sure that you take every step into careful consideration so that your
road to success is an easy one:
1. Know why you are writing a book. Are you writing your memoirs
for the family, are you writing a community cookbook, are you writing a
book of regional interest or are you writing a national bestseller? All
of these goals are valid, but each goal has different implications for
your business plan. Know why you are writing and know that you can
create that bestseller if that is your goal.
2. Treat publishing as a business. You are passing beyond the
realm of author into the exciting world of publishing. You are not just a
writer, you are about to become a publisher who wants to produce a
profitable book, and you want to keep the profits for yourself.
3. Write a business plan. Being aware of the business aspect of
publishing is not an end in itself – you need to formally write your
plan. It does not need to be a fifty page document with every accounting
possibility recorded, but it should outline all of the costs that you
will encounter from obtaining the necessary funds to knowing the price
of mailing a book. The business plan needs to account for future
expenses as well as pre-publication expenses.
4. Plan for publicity and marketing. You must plan for the
publicity and marketing of your book. You can have the best book in the
world, but if no one knows about it, no one will buy it. You don’t want
to print books that sit in your garage. You want to print books that
will sell, sell, sell!
5. Write about a subject that you know well. Don’t write about
something that you can’t talk about without effort. Write about a
subject with which you are very familiar and that excites you. Writing
the book will establish you as an expert in your field, so choose the
topic that causes everyone you know to come to you for advice. The
publicity will then be so easy that you will love being the “star”.
6. Know who will buy your book. So many authors think that
“everyone” needs and should buy their books. Not so. Perhaps “everyone”
needs their books, but not “everyone” will want to buy. Research and
know WHO will actually WANT your book and market, market to them. They
will buy!
7. Look for non-bookstore markets and do not be afraid of the
large discounts. Bookstores are a hugely important market for most
authors, but they are far from being the only place to sell books. There
are many non-traditional markets that buy books in large quantities
with no returns. This is a great market – sales made are guaranteed
sales not consignment sales. Do not be afraid of the larger discounts
when you make those large volume sales. The books you sell are actually
SOLD.
Think how much more pleasant a journey is if you know which fork
in the road will lead you to smooth driving and which fork in the road
will lead you through potholes. Knowing the most effective publishing
steps before you print will make your publishing career fun and
profitable.
Copyright © 2003 Ink Tree Ltd.
Ink Tree Ltd. Helping writers publish, market and sell books! If
there is a book inside you – profit from it. Learn everything you need
to guide you from Idea to Book… to Success – the fast, easy, simple way.
Publish your own book with one-on-one expert help from publishing
professionals who have created numerous bestsellers and sold hundreds of
thousands of books.
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