How do you know if your book topic is worth pursuing? With hundreds of thousands of books published each year, are there really any original ideas anymore? Well, not EXACTLY. Before you get discouraged, though, know that your particular take on a topic IS new and original. (Whew.) Validating your book idea will ensure that there is a market for your book. Of course, that does not guarantee book sales.
Read MoreWriting a book in a short time frame — whether it’s 30 days, six weeks, whatever — is about quantity over quality. It’s about putting your head down and getting words on paper. Is it possible? Sure. Is it a great idea? Not so much, in my opinion. You’re interested in quality over quantity.
Please don’t misunderstand: Can you write a FIRST DRAFT in 30 days that you’ll then spend at least that amount of time revising and improving? Absolutely. But writing a draft in 30 days and then putting that book into production (that is, having it edited and formatted) is almost impossible if you’re publishing a high-quality book.
Read MoreRepurposing is a buzzword in the online marketing and online business world these days. Create something once and use it over and over again. Makes sense, right? Bloggers often ask me if there’s any way to repurpose content from a blog into a book — and if so, how to do so. The short answer is YES! Chances are, you won’t have everything you need in blog post form, but I bet you’ll be surprised by how much you DO have once you take inventory. Here are some ideas to get the wheels turning.
Read MoreWriting is like a muscle. Use it or lose it! That means you need to write regularly to decrease the chances of facing such a block. Establishing a regular writing routine and practicing your craft regularly (preferably daily) is so important to good writing.
Read MoreSurely you've heard of S.M.A.R.T. goals and why they are beneficial to your business. S.M.A.R.T. goals are:
Let's take the concept of S.M.A.R.T. goals and apply it to book writing so that your book serves your business in the way you want it to.
Read MoreWriting doesn’t come naturally to every entrepreneur, and for those people, the thought of penning an entire book can be overwhelming — even if they know they want to write a book to grow their platform and have committed to doing so. If you stay organized from the jump, however, it’s not terribly complicated. Here’s the most important piece of advice I can give you: Build a daily writing habit. The sooner you do this, the better. (By sooner, I mean preferably before you start writing your book.) Writing is a muscle that gets stronger with use (an atrophies with no use!). A daily writing habit will train your brain about when it’s time to write so that you don’t waste your writing time each day. Day by day, the words will get written and the book will be built.
Read MoreIf you've been following the blog this month, you've seen me refer to my master checklist of self-publishing to-dos. You can grab that here. Writing obviously precedes publishing, but there are tasks that need to be done even before you sit down to type (or write, if you’re old school) the first word of your manuscript.
Back to that checklist for a moment: If you read the blog post that accompanies it, I talk about pockets of time. There are times during the publishing AND during the writing processes during which you’ll have pockets of time to move the big-picture process forward. Knowing when these are coming can be helpful.
Read MoreExactly when an editor fits into your publishing plan depends on a few factors, first and foremost what type of editor you want to hire. Remember there are three kinds of book editors: developmental editors, copy editors, and proofreaders. (Need a recap of what each of these editors do? Check out this post.) This blog doesn’t address proofreading, as that is generally a quicker process and it’s not as critical to book that service quite as far ahead as the other two.
Read MoreHave you ever heard of frontmatter or backmatter? Unless you have worked in book publishing or have published a book, chances are you have not. A book map is basically everything that will be included in your book.
Read MoreAs those who’ve written books will tell you, it’s a major undertaking, and one that requires organization. It’s one thing to look at a book manuscript in Microsoft Word, but it’s entirely different when you start to actually put those files together, in order, as an actual book. You might start looking at various books in your office or home and realize that there doesn’t seem to be a cookie-cutter approach to books. They don’t all contain the same elements. So how are you supposed to know what the heck to do? What’s required versus what’s optional? I’ve got the basics covered for you with this post about the book sections/pages I get the most questions about.
Read MoreSure, you can start writing, putting together a marketing plan, and thinking about a title before you determine your launch date, BUT without an end date -- that is, a launch date — it will be impossible to set a time line with deadlines for your book production.
Read MoreHave you ever made chili but didn’t add enough chili powder? It might have tasted okay, but it wasn’t, you know, chili. Creating a book is similar in that the ingredients are all necessary, and they must work together in order to achieve the final dish (book) that you want. A successful book is equal parts strong manuscript, professional editing and design, and appropriate marketing plan.
Read MoreI am asked on a daily basis about traditional publishing versus self-publishing. (Did you check out the Path to Publication series to see which one is right for you?) Here are the five most common myths people seem to have — and why they really ARE just myths.
Read MoreSelf-publishing can feel overwhelming, especially if you are a first-time book author. The publishing industry simply isn't one most entrepreneurs are familiar with, so let me give you the lowdown of just what needs to happen to get you to the point where you are holding a printed and bound book in your hands.
Read MoreThis month’s edition of Off the Shelf takes a look at Brené Brown’s Rising Strong. This might be my favorite of Brown’s books!
Read MoreLaunching a book is serious business. If you’ve ever launched a course or product, you know this. A book is no different. I asked some of my friends in the creative entrepreneur and writing communities what they wish they’d known before launching their first book.
Read MoreEditing has been, for my entire career, my bread and butter. However, I received so many requests to enter the writing process earlier over the last few years that I added coaching to my services in addition to editing. When you hire a copy editor, your manuscript is written. You can still make big changes to its structure, but that’s often easier to do before or during writing. Or what if you want someone to help you flesh out the contents before you start writing? Or what if you need help defining your goals for writing a book to make sure that your writing supports said goal (or goals)? Or what if you need help knowing how to approach beta readers and obtain reviews? Maybe you need help with all of that, or maybe just one or two or those things. Enter a book writing coach.
Read MoreResource Roundup: Book Publishing Posts
Read MoreLet’s be honest. There’s a reason you create content: To get your message out there so you’re visible and relevant. Of course that’s why. After all, you need people to notice you if your business is going to be a success.
But no one will to pay attention to your content if that’s the approach you take with it. It’s time to grab a new agenda and make your content about your audience. Not you and your products and services.
No matter who you’re marketing to, online business owners have very little time. So if you want them to consume your content, you need to make it worth their while.
Read MoreThis month I’m reviewing Happy Pretty Messy: Cultivating Beauty and Bravery When Life Gets Tough by Natalie Wise. This is a fabulous read for anyone, but especially entrepreneurs!
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