I have some amazingly informative and thought-provoking posts lined up for the next several days, starting tomorrow with an interview with my client, Jerry Malugeon, author of “The Black Dog and the Cyclone Racer.” This book is designed for the loved ones of those suffering from bi-polar and other disorders.
Following this interview I’m providing some resources for authors. I’m posting a piece on how to make the most of your out-of-town book-selling presentations. Also coming up are posts outlining some of the most serious mistakes authors make. Study this list and make sure you are not committing any of these sins against your book.
The thing is, if your book isn’t selling, you can blame the economy, the bookstores, other authors, your publisher or self-publishing company…you can blame the alignment of the stars, the organizers of a recent book festival or conference…you can even blame your poodle. But the responsibility is all yours. If your book is failing, it is all your fault. You are the guilty party.
If you are doing all of the right things now—you understand the concept of book promotion, you are heavily promoting your book in all of the right places—then maybe the problem goes back to the beginning of the process. Perhaps you wrote the wrong book for the wrong audience. Maybe your cover is hideous or just plain not effective—it doesn’t speak loudly enough to your target audience. If you discover this is the case, it is okay to backtrack—to call “foul” and revise the book. If you can’t afford to reprint right now, test the revision and the more appropriate cover at Amazon—as a Kindle book.
If your book is in trouble—you fear that you will be one of the nearly 78 percent of authors who fail—please pick up my book, Publish Your Book TODAY. This book is designed for authors to read at any stage of their projects, but is especially important for the first-time author to read BEFORE he or she ever launches out to write a book. Yes, before you start the writing process.
Think of yourself as the CEO of your book from start to finish, because you are. Think of publishing as a seriously competitive business, because it is. Treat your book project as a product being produced through your business, because it is.
Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author. In print, Kindle and audio at Amazon.com. Read the 12-five-star reviews. Also available here: http://www.matilijapress.com