Books

It Takes a Team to Publish a Nonfiction Book

It Takes a Team to Publish a Nonfiction Book

by Bobbi Linkemer

 

While it’s true that writing a book is a solitary process, publishing and promoting one are not. In fact it takes a team, sometimes just few people, sometimes a crowd. Listed below are seven of the most essential professional partners every author needs.

  1. Administrative Assistant

An administrative or virtual assistant will become your right hand. At every stage of the process, there will be correspondence, permissions, research, bookkeeping, organization, filing, inventory, publicity, and myriad other necessary details to attend to. You have two choices: do it all yourself, or hire someone to help you.

  1. Attorney

An attorney serves several functions, from analyzing contracts to advising you on copyright law. A lawyer will keep you from signing anything that is not in your best interest, help prevent potential litigation, and do the footwork to register your work.

  1. Editors

Editors fall into specialized categories because they work at different stages of the project. A developmental editor helps you think through your premise and organization. A content editor looks at the big picture, including writing style, structure, and flow of ideas, language, and accuracy. A copy editor checks for grammar, punctuation, and consistency and is the last person to read your manuscript before it goes to print.

  1. Graphic Designer

Graphic designers turn your ideas into visuals. Often, the same artist can handle both cover design and page layout. Sometimes, however, you will need two separate people. Readers spend only seconds looking at a book … first, the cover; then, inside. The interior is very important, so important, in fact, that many experts advise using a graphic designer who specializes in books.

  1. Printer or Publisher

Your book must be printed in some form, and you have many choices. If a conventional or independent publisher is publishing your book, this won’t be your responsibility. If you are self-publishing, obviously, it will. The kind of printing you select will range in both sophistication and price. At one end is taking the file to a quick-copy store and telling them how many copies you want. At the other end of the spectrum is a high-quality, four-color printer.

  1. Publicist or PR Person

Not every author has a publicist but if you want national exposure, it’s a good investment. The important point is that you must market your book, usually well before it finds its way into print. A publicist saves you a lot of legwork by arranging for travel, radio and TV appearances, book signings, interviews, and articles in various publications.

  1. Reviewer

Reviewers are usually affiliated with some form of media. They assess the quality of the writing, how well and logically you cover the topic, and how readable the book is. A positive review is like gold that can be mined in many ways, one of which is to quote the reviewer on the cover.
Even though writing is essentially a solitary process, producing a book is a team effort. Every member of the team contributes a different area specialization. You do the writing; they do the rest.

Bobbi Linkemer is a writing coach, ghostwriter, and editor, as well as the author of eighteen books, six of which are on writing. Her passion is helping writers at all levels convey their messages through books. She has launched a successful online course and guided twenty-four published authors through the steps of writing, publishing, and promoting their nonfiction books. Bobbi can be reached at WriteANonfictionBook.com, bobbi@writeanonfictionbook.com, or 314-968-8661.


5 Mistakes New Authors Make

5 Mistakes New Authors Make

 

If you don’t know your way around the publishing world, you may make wrong turns and unnecessary blunders, but you can avoid them if you know in advance what they are. Here are 5 mistakes new authors make and to avoid them.

Mistake #1
You mention to people that you’re writing a book, and they become instantly fascinated. “You are? That’s terrific. What’s it about?” they ask. Can you answer that question in one sentence, or will you talk your listeners into a stupor while you explain your subject? Of course, you want to tell anyone who will listen all about your book—its content, its purpose, its potential for becoming a best seller. Resist the urge. The mistake many new authors make is talking about their books, rather than writing them. Capture your topic in a single sentence: “My book is about …” Then, stop talking, and go home and write.

Mistake #2
You proudly print out your manuscript and read what have written. Does it still make sense or have you rambled on or completely forgotten everything you ever learned about English grammar? The mistake many new authors make is assuming you only have to write your book once, that your first draft is your final draft. If you have showed your book to friends and family, and been showered with praise, you’re good to go … right? Well, Not quite.

Mistake #3
Even if you have been selective about those you asked for input, are any of those people professional editors or subject matter experts? Have they given you constructive comments on content, organization, accuracy, grammar, punctuation, consistency, length, or readability? Probably not. The mistake many new authors make is failing to hire a professional editor to review their work and provide objective, knowledgeable feedback.

Mistake #4
You are to ready publish, but you are torn between sending your book to a major New York publishing house or using one of the POD “publishers” on the Web. Do you have any idea how many unsolicited manuscripts big publishers receive every day, and how few they even glance at before they throw them into the “slush pile”? Do you know what POD “publishers” really do and how to evaluate the quality and costs of their services? The mistake many new authors make is not thoroughly researching publishing options in order to make educated decisions on how to publish.

Mistake #5
At last, you are holding your book in your hands. It’s tangible; it’s real. You are a published author. Now, all you need is sales. But there are a few things you should have done before you reached this point, such as identifying your ideal readers and the best way to reach them, writing a marketing plan, launching a website, and registering for social media sites. The mistakes many new authors make is waiting until their books are published to begin thinking about how to mount a successful marketing campaign.

These mistakes are avoidable once you are aware of them. The question is how to learn what not t do when you are a novice? There are many sources of such information: authors and publishers’ associations, more experience authors, books on the publishing process, and classes, among others. Take the time to ask questions, and don’t ignore you own common sense. If you question the wisdom of some activity, pay attention to your own doubts.

 

Bobbi Linkemer is a writing coach, ghostwriter, and editor, as well as the author of eighteen books, six of which are on writing. Her passion is helping writers at all levels convey their messages through books. She has launched a successful online course and guided twenty-four published authors through the steps of writing, publishing, and promoting their nonfiction books. Bobbi can be reached at WriteANonfictionBook.com, bobbi@writeanonfictionbook.com, or 314-968-8661. 

 


Plan The Marketing Strategy For Your Book

Now that you have reached the end of the arduous process of writing your book, it is still no time to rush getting your work on bookshelves. In fact, effectively marketing your book for a successful sales period requires just as much effort and time as any other step during your self-publishing journey.

While the extra hours may test your patience, following the infographic below from The Write One Blog will help you successfully market your book.

Book Marketing Timeline


Seven Marketing Tips To Help Sell Your Book

With the growth of self-publishing steadily climbing, being able to say your book, out of the rest of the masses, is generating significant revenue is becoming a much more difficult task. However, that does not mean there aren't methods out there to gain exposure for your work, which ultimately leads to increased sales.

Edie Clarke, a media marketing expert from Virtually In Sync, details seven ways for you to create some serious buzz for your book in the video below.

 


Understanding Your Audience - Writing a Successful Book

You love your book. You love everything about it. The subject matter suits your tastes, it's just the right length to capture and hold your attention and it's your book so you get it for free.

But your own feelings of your book are not what will make it stand out from the rest. After all, every other author out there who has written a book likes theirs just as much as you adore your own.

That is why it is extremely important to understand exactly what your potential audience is looking for in their next read. The infographic below by Hiptype will help you get a good grasp on the intricacies of your book's potential audience so they can love your work as much as you do.

Book DNA


Hardcover Books Leading The Charge Back To Print

There is no denying that e-books made strong push to take over the literary industry over the past few years. However, since 2012 their rise seems to now be leveling out. As the infographic by Co.Create shows below, it is hardcover books which are revitalizing the printed book industry as readers, self-publishers and even current e-book consumers are making push back toward casebound books.

3024740-inline-i-1-books-not-dead

 
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