What does it take to become an author? Notice that I didn\u2019t even insert the word, \u201csuccessful\u201d in this sentence. Success is relative, anyway, isn\u2019t it? I know authors who don\u2019t believe they are successful until they sell 100,000 copies. And then there are authors who celebrate their success if they earn back enough to pay their printing costs.<\/p>\n
But what does it take to become an author\u2014to accomplish the requirements of authorship? During my nearly forty years as a career writer and author; after 35 published books and after having worked with dozens of clients on their book projects, I\u2019ve narrowed it down to 5 P\u2019s. Ask any author who has been around the block and they will tell you that it takes:<\/p>\n
\u2022\tPlanning
\n\u2022\tPreparation
\n\u2022\tProofing
\n\u2022\tPublishing
\n\u2022\tPromotion<\/p>\n
There are no shortcuts. One cannot deviate from this established path to authorship. If you want to become an author and experience whatever measure of success you desire, you must consider each of these 5 P\u2019s. (It wouldn\u2019t hurt to throw in the word Patience, either.)<\/p>\n
Planning<\/strong> Before proceeding, ask yourself, \u201cWhy do I want to write this book?\u201d and \u201cWhat is the purpose of this book.\u201d If your responses are valid and reasonable, move forward. If they are frivolous and emotionally-driven, reconsider your project.<\/p>\n Now sit down and write a book proposal. There are many resources to guide you, including Herman and Adams, Write the Perfect Book Proposal and my How to Write a Successful Book Proposal.<\/p>\n What will you learn as you progress through the book proposal process? Here are the most important questions that you need to answer through your book proposal. <\/p>\n \u2022\tDo you have a valid book at all? What you learn from a well-researched, well-developed book proposal will guide you in making your next decision. Is your original idea a good one or do you need to tweak it a bit in order to make it more marketable? <\/p>\n This could be an important turning point in your project. Make an emotional decision (I love my idea and I\u2019m sticking with it even if I can\u2019t justify producing it) and you may fail. Make an educated decision based on the facts revealed in your book proposal, and your book has a fighting chance.<\/p>\n What about a book proposal for a novel? While the book proposal process is designed with the nonfiction book in mind, I recommend preparing one for a novel, as well. You should establish your genre, have a plan for your story, know something about your audience and how to reach them and you must be prepared to promote your book once it is a book. The fact is that no matter which publishing option you choose, you\u2014the author\u2014are responsible for promoting your book. So you\u2019d better start building your platform\u2014your following, your way of attracting readers.<\/p>\n Watch for an explanation of the next set of P’s needed in order to succeed as a published author tomorrow. What does it take to become an author? Notice that I didn\u2019t even insert the word, \u201csuccessful\u201d in this sentence. Success is relative, anyway, isn\u2019t it? I know authors who don\u2019t believe they are successful until they sell 100,000 copies. And then there are authors who celebrate their success if they earn back enough to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16,3],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t
\nBefore you start writing the novel or the nonfiction book of your dreams, put some thought into the potential for your project\u2014a lot of thought. I suggest writing a book proposal. You wouldn\u2019t open a business without a business plan. Consider the book proposal a business plan for your book. At the same time, look at your book as a product. If you view this project any other way, you are already starting down the wrong path. <\/p>\n
\n\u2022\tWho is your audience and where are they?
\n\u2022\tWhat else is out there like your book?
\n\u2022\tIs there actually a market for this book?
\n\u2022\tWhat are your qualifications for writing this book?
\n\u2022\tDo you have a strong enough platform to generate sales for this book?
\n\u2022\tHow will you promote this book?<\/p>\n
\n
\nANNOUNCEMENT<\/strong>
\nReviews for my latest book, Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author<\/em>, are coming in and boy are they great! I’m also hearing from people from all over the globe–people who, despite my serious attempts to be known, have never heard of me until now. And the ranking at Amazon for this book has gone from over 4 million to 45,000. Yahoo! Check it out at Amazon.com or http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"