Steps to Publishing Success
BY KAREN MARTIN
Even if your best friend owns
a top publishing company, giving you an immediate "in," this
does not guarantee publishing success.
First, you have to write a
quality book that has a clear target audience. And your book
must answer a common problem or need that audience shares.
Then you have to develop a marketing plan, and stick to it for
at least two years.
Let's begin with the process
that should commence before you write your first word. Begin
by reading A LOT. Read both books you passionately love and
books you can't seem to make it past page five. Then figure
out what the author did in the book you loved, and what was
wrong within the book you couldn't finish. Write down these
points so they are crystal clear to you. Read other people's
books for inspiration and to discover what you should avoid as
a writer.
The next step is to plan out
your book. Narrow down your subject, and then divide it into
chapters. Each chapter should address a specific aspect of the
problem your book is going to solve. In each chapter, break
the specific aspect down into several parts. This will help
your readers take in your information a bit at a time instead
of overwhelming them with every bit of information clogging up
the pages until they feel like they're about to go blind. It's
not quite spoon-feeding the information to your readers, but
it's close.
The next two steps are
obvious. Write your book and then revise it. And then revise
it again. And perhaps again. Of course, writing is extremely
hard, and writing a book can seem like an impossible task.
There are many books out there that give you guidelines to
help you become familiar - and even love - the process of
writing and revision. Find a number of books about writing.
Better yet, find a number of books about writing the specific
type of book you aspire to write. These can serve as roadmaps
on your writing journey.
Once you've written your ebook
and revised it at least twice, show it to someone else whose
opinion you respect. If you're lucky enough to know a good
editor, see if you have something to barter for him or her to
go through your manuscript. Or join a writing group and let
the other members critique your work.
Then take all these ideas from
other people, and revise your manuscript one last time. And
then stop! Put down that pen! Get your hands off the keyboard!
One of the most important
steps to actually producing a book is to know when to stop
writing and tinkering with it.
You've finally written your
eBook! Pop open the bubbly! Give yourself a night out on the
town!
Okay, now that this necessary
celebration is out of your system, what do you do next?
How to Turn Your eBook into Profits
eBooks are a revolutionary way
to publish your book without incurring the costs of print
production. All you need is a relevant and targeted subject
and some inexpensive software, and you can transform your
manuscript into a book.
The problem, in terms of
actually seeing any profits from your eBook, is that the
market is overwhelmed with eBooks, and many of them are not
worth the time it takes to download them. Just because the
ability exists to easily produce an eBook doesn't make it good
writing.
Make sure your book does not
simply rehash old material. You will injure your credibility
as an author by claiming to offer valuable new insights and
disappointing your audience with material they've read a
zillion times before. So spend enough time writing and
revising your book to make sure it's of the highest quality
and presents the most current information. A good book will
eventually sell itself; false claims about your book will make
it extremely difficult to sell any future books you may write.
Assuming you have determined
that you do indeed have a quality product that answers some
question or need of your target audience with NEW information,
how do you know how much to charge for it?
Rule number 1: Set a price for
your book equal to its value. An under-priced book will only
give the impression that your book isn't worth very much.
To figure out a fair price,
estimate how much time you put into creating it and how
difficult it was to transform the necessary information into
understandable and engaging writing. Figure out how much your
time and effort is worth, and then price it accordingly. The
goal is for you to be adequately compensated for your talent,
your time, and your effort.
Once you've figured out a
price that is high enough to convey the value of the book, but
not so high as to be out of the reach of your target
audience's mean budget, then it's time to offer it for sale on
your website. To attract sales, you will need to develop a
promotional campaign, particularly if you are an unknown
author.
There are multitudes of books
about self-promotion that will guide you in your efforts.
Choose a plan that is both creative and professional. Learn
how to write a catchy yet informative press release, and send
copies of your eBook to sites that specialize in eBook
reviews.
Learn how to write powerful
sales copy, or hire someone to write it for you. This is an
essential. You absolutely need excellent sales copy to sell
your book. Make sure the copy includes all the reasons your
target audience needs your book, and the benefits they will
derive from buying it.
Use graphics in your
promotional materials. Beautiful graphics have the power to
instantly convey the quality and value of your eBook. Graphics
can also convey the amount of valuable information the book
contains, and your careful attention to detail. Professional
graphics sell professional books. They reassure the customer
that the product is what it claims to be.
Consider excerpting chapters
for articles. You can offer these tidbits for free on your
website as a sort of demo of your book. Include an order form
for your eBook at the end of the excerpted articles.
Finally, when you set-up your
download link, make sure to simplify the process. It's a good
idea to offer a few bonuses that make your book even more
enticing to purchase, but make sure the bonuses are valuable
and high quality. Too many bonuses that are basically a load
of useless stuff will compromise the impression your audience
has of your eBook. The goal is to convey to your audience that
they are getting a quality product for a good deal. That means
applying restraint, especially when it comes to adding bonus
items. Too much free stuff offered diminishes your
credibility.
Make sure your book is a
quality product. Make sure it is relevant and current. Develop
an effective marketing plan that includes excellent sales copy
and excerpted articles. Then offer your book for sale, and
wait for your audience to discover you!
Karen Martin is the Sub-Editor
of 'The Internet Affiliates Resources Directory' where
subscribers have the opportunity to have their Affiliate
programs promoted absolutely free and on a permanent basis.
Email to get the details & free sample subscription.
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