Writing a book is a dream many writers share, this is because to write a book is like a culmination of years of hard work and practice. But sadly not all writers get to publish a book of their very own. Because as writers set out on creating their own books, many a would be author will realize one thing. It is hard to write a book. It is expensive, and most of all it is very time consuming. And, add that along with the relative uncertainty of whether your book will succeed or not, then you will find yourself quitting at the middle of the process. Thus, it is very important that you have a foolproof plan. A plan that will keep you interested on the book publishing process no matter what. Here are some great tips on how to plan your book publishing process!
- Know your reasons for publishing your book
One thing that you should do before you even think of publishing is to make your reasons for writing a book clear. Don’t go into the publishing process with vague and unclear reasons. Instead you should ask yourself these questions.
- What am I writing this book for?
- Who am I writing this book for?
- What do I hope to accomplish or gain once I do finish this book?
- Can I effectively market and sell my book?
- What kind of legacy do I wish to leave with this book?
By being more open with your reasons for writing a book, you will be able to strengthen your resolve and go through any potential hardship you may encounter
- Identify your target market
What is a target market? And how will it help you sell your books? A target market is the audience to whom you plan to sell your book. Technically they are your potential fan base and knowing your target market is a must if you want your book to be a success. By knowing your target market you are technically making your marketing strategy more specific and efficient and cutting off audiences that are less likely to have an interest in your book.
- Create an author platform
When it comes to publishing a book, one of the most difficult parts would be the book marketing aspect of it. This is especially true if you are a newbie writer without a fan base to keep your book afloat. Which is why it is imperative that you create an author platform. An author platform is a tool that you can use to enhance your reputation as a writer and to make your book easier to discover, and in this day and age, few author platforms are as effective as a book blog. A book blog is a customizable website that you can use to market your book. The best thing about a book blog is its incredible versatility which can be used for a myriad of things. You can post examples of your work such as excerpts of your book, articles, poems and more. You can also use your book blog to create a rapport with potential readers and create your very own fan base. And seeing as book blogs are very affordable to maintain, it is a truly great book marketing option for authors everywhere.
- Look for book publishing options
Before you think of starting on your manuscript, it is important that you have a plan on how to publish your book. This is because the book publishing process takes a great deal of time and money, and if you don’t have a plan beforehand, you will find yourself struggling to get your book published on time. Luckily there are some great book publishing options that you can take.
One option is traditional publishing. This type of publishing is the most well-known and the most widely used by most authors. Traditional publishing entails a writer to work with traditional publishing companies. These publishing houses are well established and are very effective at giving authors the tools they need to publish and sell their books. This kind of publishing is by far the most effective and efficient. The only setback, being the fact that it is notoriously difficult to get a publishing deal with a traditional publishing house. You will also have to give up a majority of your rights and a percentage of your royalties to the publishing house.
Yet another viable option is self-publishing. This type of publishing is not as popular as traditional publishing, but it is still quite efficient and effective. Self-publishing was not considered a viable option back in the day because it was considered too costly and difficult to publish a book by yourself. But with the rise of great publishing innovations such as the print on demand services and social media advertising you now have the option of publishing your book without the help of a traditional publishing house. You will also get to have full control of the publishing process and not have to share royalties for every book sold. The only set back to self-publishing is that you will have to pay for everything and you will have a very busy time throughout the process. But this can be remedied by working with self-publishing companies like BookVenture Publishing. As a self-publishing company BookVenture reviews have consistently been positive and the company has helped a multitude of authors achieve their publishing dreams.
All in all, whatever option you choose depends on you, just as long as you can maintain it throughout the book publishing process.
- Have a set budget for your book publishing operations
When it comes to publishing a book, one of the things you should really take account of is how much it will cost you. There have been a multitude of authors who have gone into publishing a book and ultimately found themselves struggling financially because they did not plan things out. This is especially important if you are self-publishing your very own book. This is because you will have to pay for the entire book publishing process. So before you even think of self-publishing your book, you should really taka look at your budget and plan things out. That way you won’t be caught unawares by unexpected expenses.
- Set a deadline for yourself
Although it might feel annoying and stressful to have a deadline for your book, it is still very important. This is because a deadline will compel you to work harder and not take any unnecessary breaks. It will instead force you to take a more disciplined approach to the book publishing process.
All in all, the best advice you can get during the book publishing process is to stay disciplined. There will be times that you will be tempted to just give up. You’ll tell yourself that it is not worth it, that there is no guarantee of success. But you should also remember that many writers before you have gone through this kind of test and have succeeded. So in truth, the only thing that’s keeping you from success is self-doubt. So stay disciplined and keep moving forward.