I meet a lot of authors, in person at writers’ group meetings and conferences, online at forums and discussion groups, and via email, when they write asking for information or advice. And I’m always surprised at how many of them are getting in the way of their own publishing success.
Sure, some of them attend writers’ conferences and meetings and they seek out help. But, instead of embracing the wisdom in the workshops they attend, the counsel they receive and the books/articles they read, some authors reject it as soon as they hear it
Others avoid the study. They hide out in their writing rooms focused on their books without ever learning anything about what lies ahead—the complex and competitive publishing industry.
If you dream of writing, producing and selling many copies of your book, you’ll have to take every aspect of the process seriously. And this means listen to the experts with an open mind, accept even some of the hard tasks as very real possibilities in your publishing path and take the necessary steps.
Here are the seven top excuses I hear from authors who just don’t want to step outside their comfort zone in order to launch a successful book project. It’s not that they don’t want success. Oh yes, they hope to create a bestselling book. They want to land a major publisher and start receiving large royalty checks. They dream of retiring on the earnings from their books. But they don’t want to do what it takes.
Read through the following excuses and see if you think these authors will attain the level of success they desire
1: “I’ll write a book proposal after I write the book. I don’t want to be distracted from the writing.” This excuse generally comes from hopeful authors of nonfiction after I suggest that they write a book proposal to make sure they are on the right track with the focus and slant of their books.
The fact is, there are so many books out there now, that the competition for most books is enormous. It is important to find out if the book you plan really does have an eager audience. Proceed with a business, self-help, how-to, reference or other nonfiction book without checking the competition and your proposed audience and you could be writing the wrong book for the wrong audience within the wrong time period.
Be aware of the market before entering into the publishing game with your great nonfiction book idea. Write a business plan for your book and you will know if you’re making a good decision or one that is ego-based
2: “I don’t need an editor—if the publisher likes my manuscript, he’ll have it edited.” Yes, traditional royalty publishers do have editors on staff. If they issue you a contract, they will, at some point, turn your manuscript over to their editorial team. The condition of your manuscript when you submit it is not quite a matter of life and death, but it certainly is a matter of acceptance or rejection. Submit a manuscript that is less than your best effort and you risk immediate rejection.
3: “I don’t need to develop a marketing plan because this book will sell itself.” I actually had a gentleman tell me this. I tried, but there was no way that I could help him understand the nature of bookselling (or selling anything, for that matter). Promotion is about getting exposure, having your book become known, putting it before your audience… And if you don’t do that, no one will know about it, which means they certainly will not purchase it.
(Lame excuses 4-7 tomorrow.)
Start your study of the publishing industry by reading the book I wrote for you: Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author. It’s at Amazon.com in print, for Kindle and audio. Or order your copy here: http://www.matilijapress.com/PublishYourBook.html