"If you want to change your life," Harry Beckwith wrote in The Invisible Touch, "write a book." But writing a book can also be tremendously frustrating and unrewarding.
Following are the 11 biggest reasons most first-time authors fail to receive the rewards they are due.
1. Unrealistic expectations. Don't expect to get rich off your book, even if it's a success by publishing standards. The vast majority of books fail to earn out their advance.
Instead, develop a personal marketing plan to leverage your career off your book. Instead of trying to make money on the book itself, use your book to open doors, promote your credibility and build relationships with readers.
2. Writing without a contract. Never write a book without a signed contract. Instead, prepare a polished proposal and two sample chapters.
Publishers are increasingly selective about the titles they accept. Often, less than 1 in 20 titles proposed are published. Writing a book that isn't accepted is not a good use of your time.
3. No agent. You must be represented by a literary agent. Publishers rarely accept unsolicited book proposals. Unsolicited proposals are frequently returned unread or are simply discarded.
The right agent will know exactly which publishers might be interested in your book. Agents can also negotiate terms more effectively than you.
4. Weak titles. Titles sell books. The title of your book is like the headline of an advertisement. The title represents your one and only chance to attract the attention of acquisition editors or bookstore readers.
Successful titles stress the benefits readers will gain from your book. Successful titles arouse curiosity and offer solutions. They often include consonants and alliteration (repeated 'hard' sounds like G, K, P or T).
5. Title versus series. Focus on a series of books rather than an individual title. Publishers want concepts that can be expanded into a series rather than individual titles.
6. Going it alone. Successful careers involve a nurturing support group of readers and peers. Your quest should include the support of your friends, other authors, book coaches, readers and others who will help you maintain your enthusiasm while providing ideas, assistance and feedback.
7. 'Event' writing. Write a little each day rather than 'going away' to write your book. Stress is an author's biggest enemy. When you attempt marathon writing, you're putting an unrealistic burden on yourself. "What happens if I come back and my book isn't written?"
8. Self-editing. Avoid unnecessary self-editing. It's far more important to complete the first draft of your book than to agonize over the perfection of every word.
Editors will ensure that grammar is correct and ideas appear in the proper order. But they can't do anything until you submit the final manuscript.
9. Failure to promote. Publishers are not promoters. Publishers are skilled at editing, manufacturing and distributing books. But they are not set up to give your book the marketing attention it deserves. A single publicist may represent over 100 books!
If you want your book to succeed, you have to promote it as well as write it.
10. Failure to back up and save. Save frequently when writing. Always save before printing. Never turn off your computer without making a copy of your files for off-premises storage. Never end a writing session without printing out a hard copy of the latest version of the chapter you're writing.
11. Failure to plan future profits. Before writing your book, create a book marketing plan. Book sales should be just the first step in an ongoing relationship with your readers. Your plan should identify opportunities from consulting, newsletters, audio/video recordings, seminars, speeches and yearly updates.
A book can, indeed, change your life. But you must take charge; take a proactive role in promoting and leveraging its success.
Roger C. Parker knows the secrets to promoting your business one page at a time. Find out the simple way to keep in constant touch with your customers, while saving you time and money. Visit http://www.onepagenewsletters.com for your three free reports.
Alto Pass chicago limos ..Before you even begin writing your novel, you need to... Read More
It's important to have a space set aside in your... Read More
Mixing and mingling with industry professionals is an opportunity that... Read More
In the current job market, many editorial freelancers have turned... Read More
My husband is no poet, so when I offer my... Read More
An island in the Mediterranean. A beach in Africa. The... Read More
Arrogance has a bad rap. We think of arrogant people... Read More
Fiction manuscripts receive feedback that addresses and scores:? The theme... Read More
Q. My writing sounds stiff and stilted. Help!A. Memories of... Read More
It turns out that "tips and templates on how to... Read More
My Dad has this old joke that goes, "What's the... Read More
Many of the most effective low-cost marketing strategies require writing.... Read More
Style manuals are all well and good, and in fact,... Read More
"If you're like me, than I'm sure you're pretty familiar... Read More
To capitalize on ways to make extra income you can... Read More
People can't believe I did it, but I did. I... Read More
When you get stuck for ideas, and the words won't... Read More
Tips for your writing journeySo, you'd like to be a... Read More
When most people consider writing a book, they don't think... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?The writer, who doesn't have the time... Read More
At some point, every serious writer is forced to sit... Read More
Good writing is like sex. Two people are involved ?... Read More
According to one of my previous articles, whenever a Southerner... Read More
Congratulations on writing your first book. That is quite an... Read More
I???ve spoken to hundreds of editors, employers, and project managers... Read More
Alto Pass cool limo ..By far, I have found that the lack of discipline... Read More
Suspense novels, unlike any other genre, need fast starts. Fans... Read More
Joanne Kathleen Rowling was born in Chipping Sodbury,England in 1965.... Read More
A well-punctuated approach letter may make the difference between acceptance... Read More
Once you've plotted out your book, developed the characters and... Read More
No matter what your fifth-grade English teacher says, some grammar... Read More
Writers are notorious collectors of slips of paper. They tear... Read More
What do you mean, you don't have a website yet?... Read More
Back in the mid to late 1980s I was a... Read More
In the 7th grade I wanted to be an architect... Read More
Griselda spent hours polishing up her resume. No detail was... Read More
I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of... Read More
You can create a great headline, a dynamic first sentence,... Read More
As an aspiring or an established entrepreneur, you are an... Read More
Sometimes a freelance writing career can feel very much like... Read More
Choosing the wrong words can have a poor effect on... Read More
"This is just brilliant. The whole interview is incredible? I'm?... Read More
More and more good authors are turning to the Internet... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?It's no use coming up with a... Read More
My bookcase take up one whole wall in the family... Read More
Among the various foolproof methods used to boost traffic to... Read More
The tiniest things can be so useful when you come... Read More
As a previous article ("Making Better Word Choices ? 4... Read More
Hundreds of writing contests tempt screenwriters with the lure of... Read More
Is your book nearly finished, finished, published, or even in... Read More
Writing |