Member Articles

5.) If you don't promote your book, no one will know it's there. Of course, you can still use it as a door opener to potential clients, but it's much more effective if they've heard about the book somewhere else. It's a tree in the forest sort of thing. If no one is there to hear it fall, does it make an impact?

6.) There's a difference in a publisher and self-publishing. The traditional route is to offer your book, or a proposal of your book, to a number of publishers, usually through an agent. If a publisher bites, you'll get a contract and an advance on royalties. That advance is often the only money you'll ever see from the book, unless it goes into a second printing and becomes backlisted in the publisher's catalog. This process will often take a year or more, from proposal to publication. If you choose to self-publish, you are essentially paying a company to print your book and taking on the job of distribution yourself. This is faster, and is becoming a more respected way to go than it was years ago, when a vanity press was not something to brag about. You can put your book on Amazon, sell it through your own website, or set up a card table at speaking engagements. Once in awhile, a self-published book becomes such a hit that a publisher makes an offer to do another printing. 

7.) Get clear on why you're writing the book. If you see the book as a way to create visibility for your business, then this process is very manageable. Start with the end in mind and work backwards to create a book that will be relevant to your target market. But if you just want to write a book, then go ahead and write it. If your dream is to be an author, you don't need a business reason. Just know your expectations before going into the project.