Just like their self-published counterparts, a traditionally published author has much to do besides writing In the last post, I pointed out that self-published authors need to be entrepreneurs and listed what that entailed. The reality is that a traditionally published author needs to adopt this same mindset, being entrepreneurial as well. A given requirement […]
Should You Bother to Pursue a Traditional Publisher? Traditional Authors Traditional publishing requires less of the author, will likely result in more book sales, and carries the prestige of a publisher selecting your book for publication. The negatives include the effort to find a publisher, the length of time to publish the book, and earning […]
Authors are advised to treat their writing like a business If you write solely for the fun of it or treat writing as a mere hobby, then don’t read this post. Seriously, it will just make you mad. But if you want to succeed as a writer, regardless of how you define success, then this […]
When pitching my book at a writers conference, one industry person said my length was perfect, while another wanted it 20,000 words long, and a third said it should have at least 25,000 more words. That’s a huge difference. Finding the Ideal Book Length There is no universal answer to the ideal book-length, but there […]
Some authors start writing their book, focus on it until completion, work to publish it, and then promote it. Then they start their next book—assuming they have an idea for one. They have one book in their book pipeline. Other authors are working on so many books that it’s hard to accomplish anything. I fall […]
Last week we acknowledged no one has all the skills required to self-publish a book. The only solution is to pay a team of people to handle the critical tasks of book publishing. This includes cover design, editing, interior layout, photography, and so on. Or is there another way? Although it would take great effort, […]
Write for your audience, and don’t try to impress others with your skill I recently read a nonfiction book. My assessment was that the author wrote to impress more than to educate. Though I did learn from her words, I’d have gained much more had she gotten out of the way and put me, the […]
Every writer needs avid supporters to help get the word out about his or her books When it comes to marketing our book we need a group of loyal followers. They are apt to buy our books and will be excited to tell others about them. We need a platform. Most writers cringe at the […]
Author discusses possible ways to measure publishing success As an author how do you measure success? Here are eight possible ways: 1) Number of Books Published: What do you think when you read an author bio and learn they’ve written over one hundred books? You may think they’re successful. I wonder if they do. How […]
We talk about writing books, producing books, and marketing books. Successful writers must do all three. Neglect one element and your book will fail to meet expectations and reach its potential. Even if you find a traditional publisher they will only handle the second requirement: publishing your book. Unless you are an A-list author they […]