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Most of us, the first time around the publishing block, have a clear vision of life as an author. We see ourselves holding our new books in one hand while raking in thousands of dollars in royalties or profits with the other. What a shock to discover that your wonderful book—the manuscript into which you poured your heart and soul—isn’t flying off of bookstores shelves into the hands of eager readers. The fact is that you may not even find it in bookstores at all.

If you’ve spent any time around writing/publishing websites and conferences and if you’ve been reading books and newsletters by writing/publishing professionals, you know that producing a book does not automatically grant you space in bookstores. But, then, your book is different. You’re aware of the rules/policies, but you so believe in your project that you can’t bother with these incidentals. These things apply to all of those lousy writers out there with weak books.

Excuuuuse me! Have you surveyed the level of competition for authors, lately? Are you aware that there are many wonderful books going unnoticed while some poorly written books are grabbing the spotlight? And did you know that the number of readers eager for good books is paling in comparison to the number of books currently being produced?

More than ever before, it is essential that you (the hopeful author) plan your marketing strategy even before you finish writing that book. And your strategy must go beyond local booksignings, a mailing to your list, adding your book to your personal website, getting an article in the local newspaper and doing a few speaking gigs.

Develop Your Platform
As I’ve written many times in this blog, in my books and in hundreds of articles, your platform is your following, your way of attracting readers. Who needs a platform? Every author who wants to sell books. Think about it; if you want to buy a book on sports statistics, you would choose one written by someone with a track record in this topic, right? If you had to choose from a dozen novels, you’d probably pick the one by an author whose name you recognize. I would venture to guess that Rachel Ray and Paula Deen sell more foods and cooking books than any unknown cookbook author.

Can you understand the point I’m making here? The competition within the realm of bookdom is absolutely fierce. In order to succeed with your book, you must have a strategy and part of that strategy is a platform.

What should a hopeful author do in order to establish a platform?
• Build on your experience. Keep studying, learning and participating in projects, programs, websites, etc. related to your topic/genre.
• Become an expert. Utilize what you learn and continually expand on it.
• Become widely known. Get your name out there through articles, pamphlets/booklets, promoting your website, speaking engagements, participating in appropriate conferences and other programs and projects.

Timing is Everything
Even though you may believe that your book is ready to be presented to the world, you may not be. I sometimes work with clients who want to put the cart before the horse. Their manuscript is ready, but they are not. They aren’t quite prepared to approach publishers or even to produce the book themselves. Why?

In one case, the author had a wonderfully promising book. I believed that it would interest a major publisher and she hired me to prepare her for her initial introduction to the biggest of the big ones. Her book proposal was impeccable—very well-organized and well-written, except for one thing. She had not proven the process about which she wrote in her book. In her book, she was presenting a completely new teaching technique, but she had never tested it—not once, not even with a small group of people.

Furthermore, the promotions part of her book proposal promised publishers that she would present major seminars world-wide during which she would sell thousands of copies of her book. Yet, she had no proof that she could do this—not even a smidgeon of it. I advised this hopeful author that she was not ready to present her project and that if she did it now, she was facing probable rejection. I strongly recommended that she go out immediately and teach her concept in smaller groups and see how it goes. She may need to perfect the process based on student feedback. Then I suggested she organize a seminar for a large group of people. If this wasn’t successful, she needed to go back to the drawing board. If it was a success, she had the proof she needed to help sell her project to the publisher.

Another client had a manuscript featuring tips for attaining and maintaining sobriety through Christianity. He planned to sell this book through Christian bookstores, hospital gift shops and at the back of the room after his presentations. I suggested, however, that he position himself as an expert before he brings out his book. How? He had battled the bottle for years before choosing sobriety. Why not write his memoir, first? He could build a website, submit articles for publication, go out and tell his story to groups, volunteer with appropriate organizations—in other words, become known within the realm of his topic BEFORE presenting his book to the public.

Do you have a platform for the book you are writing, have written or dream of producing? What will entice readers to buy it instead of any number of others? If you want a guaranteed readership, start now establishing your expertise with your topic. Get the kind of exposure that will align your name with your genre.

Read more about this topic and hundreds of others related to and relevant to writing, publishing and book promotion in my newest book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html And be sure to order the companion book: The Author’s Workbook. http://www.matilijapress.com/workbook.html
Email me at plfry620@yahoo.com.

As a budding or hopeful author, you’re accustomed to going it alone. You hole up in your home office and write in privacy. Unfortunately, some of you consider publishing to be an extension of your writing. Without shifting gears, you envision submitting your wonderful manuscript to a publisher and collecting royalties for evermore. Frankly, this is an old school mentality.

In case you haven’t noticed, this isn’t your grandmother’s publishing industry. Technology has changed almost everything about the processes and the opportunities. I can predict that, at some point in the process of producing your book, you will discover that you need help; and the sooner you realize this, the better.

When should you seek help? In what way will you most likely need assistance? Consider the following:

Before the Writing Begins
• Attend writing classes, join writers’ critique groups and do a lot of writing in order to perfect your craft. Believe it or not, there are some new rules in grammar and punctuation. And today’s readers have different expectations.
• Consult books, read articles and attend writers’ conferences in order to learn what the publishing industry is all about, how to successfully operate within its confines and how your project might fit into the scheme of things.
• Join publishing organizations such as SPAWN, SPAN and PMA and participate. You’ll learn volumes about the industry you are about to enter.
• Write a book proposal. If you’re unsure about how to do this, follow the instructions in recommended books by Patricia Fry, Jeff Herman and Michael Larsen. Take my online Book Proposal Course. http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookproposal.htm Hire a professional to walk you through the book proposal process. A well-researched, well-organized, well-written book proposal could keep you from making huge and costly mistakes.
• Consult a professional with regard to the potential of your book idea and how to make it more saleable.
• Discuss publishing options and specific publishers with your consultant and make some preliminary choices. (Conduct exercises to determine which publishing option is a good fit for you and your project.)
• Add to or start establishing your platform (your way of attracting readers). If you’re not sure how to do that, read articles and books on the subject. Read The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html. Read my former blog entries, visit http://www.matilijapress.com/articles.htm, do a Google search.

When the Writing is Done
• Hire a qualified editor—someone who is accustomed to editing books. This might exclude your friend who teaches English at the local high school, your employer’s college-bound daughter and your neighbor who is a retired professor.
• Work with your consultant on how to approach your choice of publishers or how to begin the publishing process, if you’ve chosen to self-publish or approach a fee-based POD “self-publishing” company.
• Continue building your platform.

After the Book is Published
• Shift into high marketing gear. If you are not sure where to begin or if you have unrealistic expectations related to book promotion, of course, consult a professional who can work with you. I had two gentlemen come to me this week complaining that they couldn’t get their books into bookstores, nor could they get book reviews. I helped them adopt a more realistic expectation for their self-published books and also advised them as to how to get their book into many bookstores and how to get numerous reviews.
• Continue to read books and articles on book promotion and continue to hone your public speaking, article-writing and marketing skills.
• Keep working on your platform.

As you can see, if you desire success as a published author, you really must reach out beyond the privacy of your home office, seek professional advice, study everything you can get your hands on and network among your peers.

An excellent way to start on this journey is to read The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book BEFORE you ever start the writing process. Use the Author’s Workbook. Sign up for my Book Proposal and/or Self-Publishing online Courses-on-Demand. And establish a relationship with consultant Patricia Fry or another professional who can guide you through the publishing process. http://www.matilijapress.com Contact me at plfry620@yahoo.com.

Most of you are probably shocked by the title of this blog entry. Why would an author turn against those who can help him succeed? It doesn’t make sense to me, either. But, trust me, there are authors who show up at writers’ conferences, enroll in online and real-time courses, subscribe to marketing publications and then block much of the information they’re offered.

They’ll email professionals with questions and, rather than consider the responses, they’ll argue about them. They’ll give out their email addresses and then complain when they receive material that could help them meet their publishing goals. I met two such people last month.

Bruce attended my authors’ workshop. He signed up to receive additional material from me and later claimed that I had stolen his email address. He said that he did not want to receive information about my blog, the discount offer on my book or anything else from me. One has to wonder how he thinks he’ll ever move forward and succeed as a published author when he is so protective of his space and has such a closed mind.

Lola visited the SPAWN booth at a book festival with a burning question: “I’m almost finished with my memoir, how can I find a publisher?” I suggested that she shift gears and write a book proposal. I told her that, through the process of writing a book proposal, she will determine whether or not there is an audience for her book, who they are, where she’ll find them and how she’ll market to them. I said that the experience of writing a book proposal will also give her the opportunity to learn something about the publishing industry, such as her publishing options, and she may come up with ideas for making her book more marketable—more salable.

You might not believe Lola’s response. She said, “Heck, I don’t want to get all that involved, all I want to do here is write my memoirs.”

I said, “Oh, I guess I misunderstood. So you just want to write this book for family and friends—you plan to have just a dozen or so printed?”

She looked at me as if I was from another planet. “No,” she retorted. “I’ll be selling it through bookstores; you know, how books are sold these days…” She walked away before I could give her a reality check on that pipedream.

The learning curve isn’t for sissies. It’s hard work getting up-to-speed on any new industry or field. And it takes an open, inquisitive and discerning mind.

Hopeful and struggling authors, I challenge you to study the publishing industry through books by professionals, membership in publishing organizations (SPAWN, PMA, SPAN) and subscriptions to appropriate electronic and print publications. But don’t stop there, also participate, read the materials and check out some of the resources.

Here are the newsletters I recommend to authors:
SPAWNews
As you may know, I am the president of SPAWN. And I can tell you that SPAWNews does not carry any advertising. Instead, we provide book reviews only on books related to publishing, pertinent articles, a book marketing column, a Q and A reflecting questions you might ask a professional and we list conferences, contests and other events of interest to anyone who is involved in publishing. SPAWNews is a FREE e-newsletter that comes to your email box every first of the month. Subscribe at www.spawn.org. Click on “FREE Newsletter.” Scope out the current newsletter and the archives at http://www.spawn.org

SPAWN Market Update
Because SPAWN’s membership is diverse, as the editor of the SPAWN Market Update, I strive to address the needs of each one. Whether you are a freelance writer, graphic artist, independent publisher, author of many or just one book, editor, illustrator, screenwriter, poet or novelist and whether you are a beginner or a veteran, if you are interested in being published, I have you in mind when I produce this newsletter. Here, you’ll find opportunities for authors, artists and freelance writers. There are resources galore and news bites and tips. I also include an agent, publisher or writer interview on occasion. This newsletter is available to SPAWN members only. Join SPAWN at http://www.spawn.org. Click on “Join SPAWN Now.” It’s $45/year. Most members get their money back and MORE from the information and opportunities listed in only one SPAWN Market Update.

I also recommend reading every page of the PMA Independent and the SPAN Connection. Obtain these important print newsletters through membership in these organizations.

The Book Marketing Expert Newsletter
I highly recommend this newsletter for anyone with a book to market. It isn’t a huge newsletter, but each issue is packed with cutting edge marketing techniques. The most recent issue of Penny Sansevieri’s newsletter features how to get more traffic to your blog. Learn more about Penny’s work and subscribe to her newsletter at http://www.amarketingexpert.com FREE.

Book Marketing Matters
Brian Jud’s Book Marketing Matters runs only about 7 pages. While he promotes his own products and services, he also adds a lot of value to his newsletter with short notes from various experts and professionals such as Dan Poynter, author of The Self-Publishing Manual; Marcella Smith, small press business manager for Barnes and Noble; Penny Sansevieri, A Marketing Expert; Rita Thompson, producer for CNBC and CBS News; John Kremer, author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Book; Rick Frishman, author of Author 101: Bestselling Book Publicity and several others including yours truly, Patricia Fry as a guest columnist from time to time. This is also a FREE subscription.

Now subscribing is only the first step on your way toward success as an author. You must also read the newsletters. I recommend reading them from beginning to end, noting the articles that resonate with you and the resources you want to check out.

I subscribe to probably two dozen writing/publishing-related newsletters. I typically print them out and read them in the evening when I’m away from the computer. I mark the items I want to pursue. And I follow through with them the next morning.

There’s a lot of unwanted and unrelated material coming at us every day, from every source. And it can be annoying and downright bothersome to have to face it. But it is vital to your success as an author to wade through the muck in order to harvest the pearls.

The revised second edition of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book, Your Complete Guide to Successful Authorship should arrive on our doorstep this coming Wednesday (October 10). Be sure to order your copy along with the brand new Author’s Workbook. Order them together for only $28.00. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html If you own the first edition of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book, order the Author’s Workbook for only $10.00.