I meet and hear from many authors who are on the verge of quitting\u2014giving up on their book.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s too hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve done everything I possibly can and my book\u2019s still not selling.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to go out and talk about my book, commit to a blog and all that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Generally, I try to help these authors by teaching basic book marketing concepts\u2014helping them adopt a more realistic perspective about book promotion, identifying their audience, and finding ways to approach them. I encourage authors to keep on keeping on. But I wonder if this is always wise.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve spent decades trying to reach authors before they make the huge publishing commitment. I\u2019ve spoken to them at numerous writers conferences and I\u2019ve produced several books and written hundreds and hundreds of articles for the magazines and newsletters they should be reading prior to entering into the highly competitive business of publishing. Some hopeful authors refuse to believe what I and others tell them and they forge ahead anyway, thinking their experience will be different.<\/p>\n
Most authors today fail. They come out of the starting gate gung-ho\u2014focused on winning the race, but soon learn that they haven\u2019t brought their best game. They may know the rules, but choose not to follow them. They are focused on one things\u2014the prize\u2014the end result of their dreams. But they neglect to do the work and gain the knowledge they need in order to make it happen. They end up with a contender that isn\u2019t up to the competition and unrealistic expectations. Of course, their plan fizzles.<\/p>\n
This doesn\u2019t have to be the end of the story for the author. He can definitely redeem himself. If he has the courage and the stamina, he can stop his forward motion, put the book on the shelf for a while and go back to square one. Study the publishing industry. Learn the important first steps to a successful product:<\/p>\n
Or you can quit. Maybe authorship is not for you. Certainly it\u2019s to your benefit to determine this before putting out a chunk of money and devoting weeks, months, or years to your project.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve entered the publishing arena and you\u2019re discouraged about your book\u2019s progress, take time now to study the publishing industry. If you are just thinking about writing a book\u2014the wisest step you could take is to read my book before moving forward.<\/p>\n
Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author. And don\u2019t forget to follow up with Promote Your Book, Over 250 Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author. By Patricia Fry http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com<\/a> or at Amazon.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I meet and hear from many authors who are on the verge of quitting\u2014giving up on their book. \u201cIt\u2019s too hard.\u201d \u201cI\u2019ve done everything I possibly can and my book\u2019s still not selling.\u201d \u201cI don\u2019t want to go out and talk about my book, commit to a blog and all that.\u201d Generally, I try to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16,5],"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