How many books can you write on the same basic topic? Do you ever wonder? Are you the author of one or more nonfiction books on a topic of your expertise or interest? Are you like me—always coming up with new book ideas, new themes?
If you write articles for magazines, newsletters, epublications, websites, your blog, etc., you probably come up with new topics and new twists on older topics all the time. You manufacture article ideas in your sleep, while at the gym, after talking to a client or friend, while working on your blog or another article. You have a plethora of article ideas on paper, on the web and still in your head.
So how many books can you legitimately write related to your topic. I’ve come up with my eleventh book related to writing, publishing and book promotion. I wonder how many more I could write? Right now I’m too busy to think about it, though.
My articles and blog posts related to this subject probably number in the hundreds, when you consider the angles, twists, sub-topics, sub-sub-topics. I mean there are the nuts and bolts articles, those driven by emotions or the psychology of the theme, bits on various resources and decisions made by myself and others that have affected publication or book sales, and so many, many different directions I’ve taken the theme of writing and publishing.
My latest book launched this month by Allworth Press has probably 50 books inside. When you study Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author, you are getting material that you can’t get anywhere else under one cover. You might have to read a dozen other books to get the education available in this one book.
I can envision your desk. There, at arm’s length, are your reference books. Among them are
The Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition); Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author; Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author; a good dictionary and, in some cases, a current edition of Writer’s Market.
What more do you need? You have information here for style and grammar questions, self-editing, writing a book proposal, finding a publisher or agent, choosing the right publisher or agent, working with an agent or publisher, book promotion, distribution, bookkeeping, copyright, how to write a query letter and press release and just about any other question that would occur to a hopeful or published author.
So clear your shelf today and order these standard reference guides for a cleaner, more orderly look and more efficient research.