I meet a lot of authors, in person at writers\u2019 group meetings and conferences, online at forums and discussion groups, and via email, when they write asking for information or advice. And I\u2019m always surprised at how many of them are getting in the way of their own publishing success.<\/p>\n
Sure, some of them attend writers\u2019 conferences and meetings and they seek out help. But, instead of embracing the wisdom in the workshops they attend, the counsel they receive and the books\/articles they read, some authors reject it as soon as they hear it<\/p>\n
Others avoid the study. They hide out in their writing rooms focused on their books without ever learning anything about what lies ahead\u2014the complex and competitive publishing industry.<\/p>\n
If you dream of writing, producing and selling many copies of your book, you\u2019ll have to take every aspect of the process seriously. And this means listen to the experts with an open mind, accept even some of the hard tasks as very real possibilities in your publishing path and take the necessary steps.<\/p>\n
Here are the seven top excuses I hear from authors who just don\u2019t want to step outside their comfort zone in order to launch a successful book project. It\u2019s not that they don\u2019t want success. Oh yes, they hope to create a bestselling book. They want to land a major publisher and start receiving large royalty checks. They dream of retiring on the earnings from their books. But they don\u2019t want to do what it takes.<\/p>\n
Read through the following excuses and see if you think these authors will attain the level of success they desire<\/p>\n
1: \u201cI\u2019ll write a book proposal after I write the book. I don\u2019t want to be distracted from the writing.\u201d This excuse generally comes from hopeful authors of nonfiction after I suggest that they write a book proposal to make sure they are on the right track with the focus and slant of their books.<\/p>\n
The fact is, there are so many books out there now, that the competition for most books is enormous. It is important to find out if the book you plan really does have an eager audience. Proceed with a business, self-help, how-to, reference or other nonfiction book without checking the competition and your proposed audience and you could be writing the wrong book for the wrong audience within the wrong time period.<\/p>\n
Be aware of the market before entering into the publishing game with your great nonfiction book idea. Write a business plan for your book and you will know if you\u2019re making a good decision or one that is ego-based<\/p>\n
2: \u201cI don\u2019t need an editor\u2014if the publisher likes my manuscript, he\u2019ll have it edited.\u201d Yes, traditional royalty publishers do have editors on staff. If they issue you a contract, they will, at some point, turn your manuscript over to their editorial team. The condition of your manuscript when you submit it is not quite a matter of life and death, but it certainly is a matter of acceptance or rejection. Submit a manuscript that is less than your best effort and you risk immediate rejection.<\/p>\n
3: \u201cI don\u2019t need to develop a marketing plan because this book will sell itself.\u201d I actually had a gentleman tell me this. I tried, but there was no way that I could help him understand the nature of bookselling (or selling anything, for that matter). Promotion is about getting exposure, having your book become known, putting it before your audience\u2026 And if you don\u2019t do that, no one will know about it, which means they certainly will not purchase it.<\/p>\n
(Lame excuses 4-7 tomorrow.)<\/p>\n
Start your study of the publishing industry by reading the book I wrote for you: Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author. <\/i>It\u2019s at Amazon.com in print, for Kindle and audio. Or order your copy here: http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/PublishYourBook.html<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I meet a lot of authors, in person at writers\u2019 group meetings and conferences, online at forums and discussion groups, and via email, when they write asking for information or advice. And I\u2019m always surprised at how many of them are getting in the way of their own publishing success. Sure, some of them attend […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16],"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