Posts in Publishing
Hybrid Publishing for Author-Entrepreneurs
Hybrid Publishing for Author-Entrepreneurs

Traditionally, authors had one path to publication if they wanted a book deal: traditional publishing. Self-publishing crept in, at the start for those who were unable to get a traditional book deal. Self-publishing was most certainly “plan B.” As time went on, self-publishing became a legitimate publishing model, and it is, frankly, “plan A” for business owners especially, due to the control over the process that self-publishing affords.

The hybrid publishing model incorporates elements of traditional publishing and self-publishing. (Did the word hybrid give it away?) Like self-publishing, the model is author-subsidized, whereas in traditional publishing the author receives money in the form of an advance before the book is published. The tradeoff is that the hybrid model includes traditional book publishing services. Those services include editing, design (book cover interior), marketing, rights management, and distribution.


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PublishingAllieDanae WalkerPath to Publication, Publication Plan, The Business of PublishingComment
Editorial Feedback for Your Book
Editorial Feedback for Your Book

During the editing phase of book production, at some point authors receive feedback in the form of an editorial letter, or an edit memo. (Different editors use different terminology.) For the author, this can be nerve-wracking. What if the editor hated it? What if they point out a million ways the book needs to be changed, fixed, and more? What if the book isn’t ready to be published like they thought it was? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First and foremost, remember that the editor’s goal is to help the book accomplish its mission — however the author has defined that. The feedback is meant to help authors. Depending on the type of editing, feedback looks different. Let’s break it down that way so the difference is clear. (And remember: Every editor works differently, so you’ll see general information here in addition to my own work style.)

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PublishingAllieDanae WalkerComment
Time Line for Launching a Book
Time Line for Launching a Book

When you finish writing and revising your book manuscript, it moves from writing into production. For you, that means copy editing and typesetting. It could also include cover design, though that can be done while you’re writing. (That will depend, in part, on whether your cover designer and typesetter are the same person.) It also means getting serious about your launch and marketing plan.

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PublishingAllieDanae WalkerBook Marketing, Self-PublishingComment
When Is Your Book Ready for Publication?
When Is Your Book Ready for Publication?

One of the benefits to business owners of self-publishing is the control over the process, including the time line. One of the decisions traditional book publishing houses make for their titles is pub date — AKA launch date. Oftentimes business owners writing a book don’t have a particular time they want or need to launch. The pub date gets pushed further and further because “the book isn’t ready.” (There are exceptions, of course. An entrepreneur writing a book on organization and planning might target an October launch, for example, because that’s when their audience is looking for resources.) Without the external pressure of a deadline, it’s easy to let the book writing and publishing process drag on.

Only you, as the author, can declare a book ready. As a book coach, though, I can offer some signs to help you decide whether your book truly isn’t ready or whether you have more work to do (which may or may not include some mindset work). These lists are not exhaustive, of course, but they should give you some idea of where you are.

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PublishingAllieDanae WalkerPublication Plan, Self-Publishing, The Business of PublishingComment
Pub Team Assemble!
Pub Team Assemble!

Perhaps you’re familiar with the Avengers franchise rallying cry “Avengers assemble!” (Surely I’m not the only one who’s spent countless hours (and dollars) in movie theaters with teen nephews and nieces over the years?) The phrase often comes to mind with author-entrepreneurs who try to “go it alone” when writing and publishing their books. Writing can be a solitary act, but for business owners especially, getting a team in place is a smart way to go about publishing a book. As you build your book team, look for people who are experts at what they do. To keep the Avengers analogy going for a bit longer: If you wanted to find the strongest Avenger, you’d look to Hulk. If you wanted the fastest, Quicksilver. Similarly, look for the people who can complete the task(s) you need. Here are just a few service providers you should consider…

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PublishingAllieDanae WalkerPublication Plan, The Business of Publishing, Editing, Book Design, Self-PublishingComment
Does a Publishing Imprint Make Sense for You?
Does a Publishing Imprint Make Sense for You?

One of the main reasons business owners choose self-publishing as their publishing model is because they enjoy the control the process offers. When self-publishing, an author-entrepreneur is both author and publisher. Sometimes, it’s as simple as that. A business owner writes and publishes a book, uses their name as the publisher, and calls it a day. Other times, though, business owners might want to consider starting a publishing company (or imprint, as we call it in the book publishing industry). When would this make sense? Often it’s when a business owner plans to write more than just one book (or even is open to the possibility, since ISBNs are cheaper to buy in bulk).

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PublishingAllieDanae WalkerSelf-Publishing, Publication PlanComment
Dos and Don'ts to Ensure Your Book Looks Professional
Dos and Don'ts to Ensure Your Book Looks Professional

Self-publishing is on the rise. Final 2018 statistics haven’t yet been released, but according to Bowker, self-publishing grew 28% in 2017 (up from 20% in 2016) and 1,009,188 new titles were released. You might be thinking, That’s a lot of books! I’m thinking that, too — but I’m also thinking about how important it is for self-publishing authors (as most of my author-entrepreneur clients are) to produce a book that’s as professional as possible. With that many books being published, you want your book to stand out in a good way. Self-publishing used to have a bad rap in the industry, and the main reason was because the barrier to entry was so low that some truly bad books (in content and form) were released. And by “some,” I mean “a lot.”

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PublishingJodi BrandonThe Business of Publishing, Self-Publishing, Publication Plan, book DesignComment
Book Copyright 101
Book Copyright 101

Imagine this: You’re scrolling the internet one afternoon and you read something that resonates with you. Those words seem so . . . familiar. When you reread the paragraph, you realize you have heard those words before. In fact, they’re your words. You’ve been plagiarized.

Before we dive into specifics, a quick disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, so this post does not constitute legal advice. I don’t pretend to know everything about copyright law. I do, however, know some basics that every book author should know.

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PublishingJodi BrandonSelf-Publishing, Book Writing Comment
Your Book Time Line
Your Book Time Line

Some of the hesitation I hear regarding a plan for book writing comes with the unknown. As a business owner, you've planned a launch or two (or 10), but you've never spent months writing and then publishing a book. Whom do you need to hire? What steps come first? Here’s what you need to know to plan your book writing and publishing for best results.

To allow plenty of time for schedule mishaps, breaks, and, you know, life and business, author-entrepreneurs should allow six to nine months for this process. (More wiggle room in the schedule never hurt anyone, did it?) Sure, you could do it quicker than that, but putting together a high-quality book takes time.


Ready to dig in?

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PublishingJodi Brandonbook writing, Publication Plan, Self-Publishing, The Business of Publishing, Author PlatformComment
Organizing Your Book Publishing Plan with Trello
Organizing Your Book Publishing Plan with Trello

As it is with any large project entrepreneurs take on (course creation, for example), organization is critical to book writing and publishing. And make no mistake: This post advocates using Trello to organize your book publishing plan, but what’s most important is that you have some method to organize your project, whether it’s Google Drive, Asana, Evernote, or whatever works for you. No need to reinvent the wheel here: Use what you (and your team) are already comfortable with in your business.

The ability to share a Trello board with your book team (your VA, your editor, your designer, your publicist, a co-author — anyone you want to have access to the details about your book project) is one of greatest reason to use it.

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PublishingJodi BrandonPublication Plan, book writingComment
Organizing Your Content Archive into a Book
Organizing Your Content Archive into a Book

Repurposing comes up a lot when it comes to content. I'm not suggesting that you can cut and paste a bunch of blog posts together, slap on a book cover, and consider yourself an author-entrepreneur (PLEASE don't do that). You probably have a lot more content than you think that is appropriate for a book, with some tweaking. One of the first exercises we do when I work with book coaching clients is to look at their content archive compared to their book brain dump.

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PublishingJodi Brandonbook writing, Writing Process, Author Platform Comment
Top 5 Mistakes Self-Published Authors Make
Top 5 Mistakes Self-Published Authors Make

As a book publishing industry veteran who works almost exclusively with self-publishing author-entrepreneurs, it’s no surprise that I am a big advocate of self-publishing (particularly for entrepreneurs). The process can be fairly straightforward, but if you don’t do some research and make a solid plan, it’s easy to make mistakes. Here are solutions to the top-five mistakes I see author-entrepreneurs make when self-publishing.

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PublishingJodi BrandonSelf-Publishing Comments
Audio Books: Yes or No?
Audio Books: Yes or No?

Audiobooks have been on the rise for the last few years. As a book lover, you probably know that. What does this mean for you as an author-entrepreneur? Does this mean you need to find a production studio, hire a professional narrator, and shell out a few thousand bucks to produce an audiobook in addition to your print version? Nope. But you shouldn’t immediately write off the idea of an audiobook, either.

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PublishingJodi BrandonAuthor Platform, Publication Plan Comments
Beta Feedback: What, When, and Why
Beta Feedback: What, When, and Why

As an entrepreneur, validating an idea isn’t a new concept to you. Surely you’ve gone through a validating process when you’ve launched other things (courses, products, services). The concept is the same when it comes to a book: Ask the people who are your ideal clients (and thus likely your ideal readers) for feedback.

With a book, though, you might complete the validation process a few times: with your book idea/topic, with your cover, and then with your actual text. The text is our focus today, and in book publishing, we call this process “gathering beta feedback.”

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PublishingJodi BrandonSelf-Publishing, Author Platform, book writingComment
Book Ambassadors: Who, What, Why
Book Ambassadors: Who, What, Why

What: Book Ambassadors Defined

Book ambassadors are essentially launch cheerleaders for your book. - @jodibrandon

Book Ambassadors vs. Book Reviewers

At the time of your launch, these are not the same people. I repeat: These are not the same people. Book ambassadors can BECOME reviewers after they’ve read your book. But at the time of your launch, ambassadors have likely not seen/read an advance copy. They are merely cheering you on and helping you build buzz around your book launch.

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PublishingJodi BrandonPublication Plan, Self-Publishing, Author Platform Comments
Book Success Recipe
Book Success Recipe

Have you ever made chili but didn’t add enough chili powder? It might have tasted okay, but it wasn’t, you know, chili. Creating a book is similar in that the ingredients are all necessary, and they must work together in order to achieve the final dish (book) that you want. A successful book is equal parts strong manuscript, professional editing and design, and appropriate marketing plan.

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PublishingJodi Brandonbook writing, Publishing Plan, Editing, Author Platform, Book DesignComment