IS IT TIME TO WRITE YOUR NEXT BOOK?

Your first book may be doing well and is still seeing sales,[FIRST NAME GOES HERE]. Or perhaps your sales have plateaued. Either way, the initial rush of the debut book is over, but you have more to say on the subject or even a different subject. Now you’re asking yourself “When is it the right time to write another book?”

Here's the answer.

Take a short breather right after publication and start up again. If it has been a while since your book was released, that is fine, too. But get started now. Set a date to have the first draft done that is within reason but not too far in the future. The ideal timing is to release a book at least every six to eight months if you plan on writing more than one. This gives you about four to five months to write the next one while the first book is still in its initial sales rush. As it starts to plateau, you’ll be ready with book number two.

Consider it this way: If you wrote a business or self-help book and you have more to say on that exact subject of your first book, take the next book to the next level. Move it from a basic level to an intermediate or advanced level.

You may also have new topics you discussed previously at speaking engagements or lectures that you feel could be a great book. Start taking your speaking and lecture notes and write your book. Shortly after a presentation, on the ride to the airport or on the flight itself, jot down great questions you heard from the audience, tangents you went on, ah-ha moments you privately had or that came from others in conversations after your speech.

Maybe a new concept or technology has just become important in your field that you want to make mainstream. Start outlining how you want to discuss this new concept or technology, then start writing.

There is never one book in most cases, and the sooner you published book number two—even if it is a different subject—the more you can ride your own coattails. If it has been more than six to eight months, use marketing techniques to remind your audience of the previous book and to introduce the new one. When your audience finds out you have another book coming out soon, they will probably be interested in reading it, especially if they liked the ideas in the first book.

Don’t let too much time pass if you can help it. Remember, it doesn’t matter what you wrote before; if you still have more to say about that topic or any other topic, start writing book number two now.