Writing a book? Every one of you wants to know how to write and sell a good book. And, if you compare self publishing with New York publishing, you already know that with a little help from a bookcoach or mentor you can create self publishing success.
Self publishing help is available to prevent author mistakes.
Here's five mistakes and how to correct them:
1. You write the wrong book first.
If you want to know how to write a business book, you know your audience is entrepreneurial and wants a problem solved. This is the audience that buys most books, so if you know a lot about a topic they want help on, write that book first. Then use that money to fund your fiction or other book. Write the book your audience wants and needs to read.This hints that knowing your target audience is a pre-hot selling point to know before you write a single chapter. Then, your book has an angle and is more likely to stand out from the crowd.
2. You write a second and third book before you market the first book.
Every author/client I know gets a lot of book ideas before their first effort is finished. STOP! Wait a year or two to create new print, ebooks, CD's or cassettes. Because you need to learn free book marketing and develop a book marketing plan that includes online book promotion before you write another book.
Unless you include a marketing strategy online with traditional marketing, your book will languish where you store it. Or, if an eBook, no one will see it because you didn't do self publishing distribution. Remember you can only market well one book at a time. You must make each promotion whether by email or by blog for only one thing at a time.
Just because your first book isn't selling well doesn't mean you should write another one--that if the new book doesn't get book promotion attention, it will not sell well either.
3. You don't get help on a WOW book cover.
Yes, we self publishers can't do it all well. Be sure to read informative free book coaching ezines that give top resources for this important hot-selling point. It's the number one reason people will buy your book. So, you need to know what colors, fonts and titles to use. If you want an eBook cover, as a bookcoach, I suggest maxcovers.com or if you want a quality print book cover, I suggest you check out georgefostercovers.com. Or, visit a Barnes and Nobel bookstore and check out covers in your book section such as nonfiction, fiction and how to's. Invest some money into a four-color cover. This expense will pay off well.
4. You don't get editing or bookcoaching help at the front end.
If you want your book to attract long term customers, make each chapter title shine with keywords or strong verbs. Inside each chapter, use headings to compel your reader to keep reading and make your book easy to read. Long paragraphs turn your modern reader off. They are busy and want to skim nonfiction and how to books. At the end of your journey, you'll want some line editing to catch typos and simple grammar mistakes. Even professionals need editing because a pair of fresh eyes will see things you aren't aware of--those writing sins we all take with us from school or our profession.
5. You fear the internet and stick to old standard book promotion.
Maybe you use press releases and book signings or applied a $2000 guru's Amazon marketing techniques or other guru approach. That money may be well spent other ways. Unknown authors of mainstream books such as health and fitness, relationships, financial security have big competition from "Big Shots" or famous authors. You need an author advocate who will point you to a more independent path--the one of marketing on the internet. The simplest and most profitable approach is writing articles and submitting them (article marketing) to high traffic websites. You are writng a book, taking excerpts and turning them into short articles work so well.
Now you know you don't have to do it all yourself. Choose carefully--get advice from a full service professional book coach who knows the whole picture of self publishing pros and cons and hasn't just written a book or two, but has written how to books on book writing, book publishing and book marketing, especially online because it's so much easier and cheaper. You can save a lot of time and money mistakes and get self publishing help from an inexpensive author's advocate, not a big company guarding their self interests.
by my book coach Judy Cullins (www.bookcoaching.com) - see her books on the CPN homepage!
www.PamPerryPRCoach.com
Posted By: Pam Perry
Monday, October 27th 2008 at 3:29PM
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