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11 Steps to Publishing Success by Nelson Tan
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 with
in 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 e-book 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 e-book! 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?
Now the secrets to turning your e-book into profits...
E-books 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 e-book,
is that the market is overwhelmed with e-books, and many of them are
not worth the time it takes to download them. Just because the ability
exists to easily produce an e-book, 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 e-book to sites that specialize in e-book 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 e-book.
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 e-book 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 e-book.
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!
To recap the 11 steps to publishing success:
1) Start researching in your subject. Read a lot.
2) Plan a content structure for your e-book.
3) Don't rehash old material.
4) Start writing and sustain your pace. Do not edit and write and the
same time. Let the ideas and words flow from your mind first. You get
to express more content in less time.
5) Know when to stop writing and start editing.
6) Price your e-book.
7) Design an e-cover for your book.
8) Get external reviews or find creative ways to get testimonies, e.g.
barter trade.
9) Prepare a sales copy and set up a site promoting your e-book.
10) Consider creating a free giveaway version of your e-book.
11) Write articles related to your subject and submit them to major
article directories. Your resource box points back to your sales page.
About the Author
Nelson Tan is the webmaster behind Internet Mastery Center. Download $347 worth of FREE Internet Marketing gifts at Internet Mastery Center.
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