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.
Read MoreOne 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.
Read MorePerhaps 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…
Read MoreOne 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).
Read MoreYou’ve likely heard me say that your work as an author-entrepreneur is far from over when you finish writing your book. In fact, that’s just the beginning. You might also mistakenly think that you can sit back and relax once your book is uploaded to and available for purchase on Amazon. If only that were true! Here are five ways to maximize book marketing as soon as your book is available.
Read MoreSelf-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.”
Read MoreImagine 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.
Read MoreSome 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?
The term author platform gained traction in the book publishing world alongside the rise of self-publishing. Essentially, it refers to your ability as an author to sell books based on your audience — who you can reach and convert into paying customers. Traditional book publishers were looking for authors with a large platform to help with marketing efforts. Nonfiction writers with a built-in author platform had a greater chance of getting a book deal, especially with larger book publishers. An author platform offers influence, which gives authors a leg up when it comes to book marketing efforts.
Read MoreIf you have followed me for a while, you know that I regularly talk about the long game of book marketing. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. I have seen so many authors treat it like a sprint and burn out — quickly. The investment of time, energy, and money can be overwhelming, and it is ongoing, so pacing yourself is critical. Book marketing experts talk about multiple phases of marketing, and most agree that there are three (called by different names, of course): pre-launch, launch, and post-launch.
Read MoreWith about a million books published each year in the United States, book marketing is absolutely critical. Much of book marketing is trial and error, since every book is unique. That said, here are some common book marketing mistakes I see. Learn from others’ mistakes and avoid these, and you’ll already have a leg up in the book marketing game.
Read MoreOne of the common misconceptions about self-publishing is that you can’t get a self-published book into bookstores. False!
It is absolutely possible to get a self-published book into a bookstore. That said, there are a few things you need to do as an entrepreneur to make sure your book is available to sell in bookstores.
Read MoreAs 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.
Read MoreWith so many possibilities — unlimited possibilities, really — it can be hard to know where to focus your book marketing efforts. That includes both time and money. Whether you DIY your book marketing or hire a book marketing/publicity firm, these three tips work for just about every author-entrepreneur
Read MoreWith thousands of books published every day (yes, you read that correctly), you need to give your book the best chance to succeed. One of the smartest ways to do just that is to conduct a book positioning study. (You might also see this called a competitive analysis or a book marketing study.) Of course book success relies on writing a great book that has a great cover. But there’s SO MUCH more you can do.
Read MoreAs 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.”
Read MoreA book launch party isn’t JUST a party. Sure, it’s a celebration of your hard work. But it’s more than that: A successful book launch party should be a celebration AND a promotion tool.
Read MoreWhat: 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.
Read MorePre-sales are a hot-button topic in the book publishing world. You likely haven’t thought much about pre-sales, so let me break down a few of the most common pros and cons so you can decide what’s best for your book.
First, though, let’s define a pre-sale so we’re all on the same page. (See what I did there?) A pre-sale is, essentially, making your book available for purchase by setting up an advanced listing on a selling platform (e.g., Amazon or your website). When readers “buy,” they are simply reserving a copy, which will be shipped (if a print book) or released (if an ebook) on launch day, and at that time their payment will be processed.
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