KNOW YOUR TOPIC

The first step to become an author, as noted in a previous blog post, is to know your topic. Many of you are probably thinking, “Well, duh! Of course, I’m going to write about what I know.”

But let me ask you this: Have you ever started reading a book and thought that the author had no idea what he/she was even talking about? They were way off topic or wrote about the topic as if they knew very little or only the basics, and even some of that was wrong …

Most of us have. This is why knowing your topic is so important.

Most of us would not even consider writing about neurosurgery unless we were a neurosurgeon, right? But we might think about writing something on Bitcoins or non-fungible tokens (NFTs) if we had been experimenting with them a little and had made some money. We might even think we are a quasi-expert.

However, unless we are in finance and understand everything about NFTs, how they work, and the variables that make them function as they do, then we are not even a quasi-expert. Yet, there are articles and books out there written by people who believe they are. This is not the only topic in which this occurs, but it is a great example.

The best way to write a book that sells and builds your name and credibility is to write about something you know very well.

If you are in a specific business, then a book about that business should be your first book. Computers, management, change management, and diversity and inclusion are just a few of the trending business topics.

If you are a counselor or therapist, then writing about your specialty would be your book. There are many people, parents and patients alike, searching for books on surviving trauma, neurodiversity, ADHD/ADD, and so much more.

In all honestly, for your first book, the better you know your topic, the faster you write that book.

Let’s look at the steps to picking the topic for your first book.

1.    Brainstorming

Now that we know we need to be not just interested in a topic, we need to know about it, it’s time to think about it. This is where some brainstorming comes into play. There are plenty of ways to brainstorm, and you probably have a favorite method. So, your exercise in this step is to write at the top of the paper or screen—Topics I Know Really Well. Then Go!

2.    Pick Out Your Four Favorite Topics

Take your brainstorming session and start picking out your favorite topics. Why the favorites? Remember in school when you were given a topic you didn’t like? It took forever to want to write the paper, but when you had a topic you liked, it was easy? It is the same idea. The more you like the topic, the easier it will be to write the book. So, pick four of your favorite topics.

3.    Brainstorm Again

Well, brainstorm each of the favorite topics. This time, at the top of the page, you will type/write—What I Know About ______. Use one page for each. Give yourself about fifteen minutes with each topic. Think about what you know about that topic and put on your brainstorming page.  

4.    Find Your First Book

Look at the four favorite topic brainstorming pages. Which one has the most information? Which one makes you smile when you read it? Which one makes you want to expand even more as you review it? That is your first book.

Now that you have the topic of your first book, you are ready to think about your audience, but that is a topic for another blog post! In the meantime, find your topic and get ready to look at your audience next.

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Content credit: C. Storm

Image credit: Executium

FOUR STEPS TO BECOMING A WRITER

Becoming a writer is more than what people expect or imagine.

Very few people reach international best-selling author status by just sitting down and writing. Most don't even reach national best-selling author status doing this.

However, no one starts as an international best-selling author. All of us start as newbie writers trying to find our footing and hoping we don't make too many mistakes along the way.

If the truth be told, there is a process. Steven King actually wrote a book all about writing. He talked about all the tools in the writer's toolbox. The tools in this toolbox help would-be and seasoned writers meet their writing goals when used properly—just like any tool.

You may also have heard people talk about writers as pansters or planners, but most people are plansters.  What are these?

Pantsers are people that write by the seat of their pants. Planners are writers that plan out their entire book. Plantsers are those that do a little of both–most people are plansters.

But does any of this really have anything to do with becoming a best-selling author?

The answer is “yes.”

You know yourself the best. You know your weaknesses that will affect your commitment to writing.

Think about it this way:  How often have you put off something you wanted to do because of work or because someone wanted you to do something else? You gave up what you wanted to do for work or for the other person.

This same thing will happen unless you use some tools to help you truly commit to being a writer. Before being a published author, you have to be a writer, so using these tools is just one part of the process.

So how can we go from having the fantastic idea to being a published author? What are some of the tools? 

Here are four tools that you should work with before you ever start writing.

1.    Know your topic.

Make sure you really know your topic. You need to make sure you are comfortable enough with your topic to write about it. It doesn't matter if it is nonfiction or fiction. You have to know your topic. If you don't know it well, then research it.

2.    Use audience-centric wording.

Think about who you want to read your book and who you think will read your book. If you can answer these, you will know the appropriate wording, phrases, and vocabulary that the audience will easily identify with and understand. For example, you wouldn't use a lot of high-level jargon in a beginner's book just like you wouldn't jump into a fight scene without giving background that brings the reader to the fight. You have to write for your audience, so you need to know them.

3.    Make a writing schedule.

Create a schedule that you will follow to help you work on your book every day or every week. Only you know how much time you have to devote to writing your book, so be realistic and put the schedule on your calendar. If you can only work on the book on Saturdays from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., then block off that time and use it for writing. Be accountable to yourself, and don't push it aside for work or others. This is important to so stick to your schedule.

4.    Write the whole draft—from beginning to end—before you start editing.

Otherwise, you may never finish, and if you do, it will have taken you two to three times as long to finish. If you start editing before you are done, you'll just keep rewriting the same thing over and over. Write the whole draft, and only then should you start the editing process.

Yes, being an international best-selling author will get you speaking engagements, wonderful advances, and a nice income, but you need to be a writer first.

These are only a few of the tools that can help you make the transition from writer to best-selling author. The choice is yours if you decide to use these tools, but do know this:  many authors earning a nice living follow them. Why recreate the wheel and make mistakes when others have already found solutions before you?

Start with these tools and give yourself a strong foundation for becoming a published author and possibly the next best-selling author.

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Content credit: C. Storm

Image credit: Jason Leung

MAKE YOUR BOOK LESS OF A SECRET AND MORE OF A SELLER

Reading books has been a common pastime for many in previous centuries. Even today when entertainment options abound, so many people still buy and read books. Gary Price reports that book sales in 2020 rose to 751 million units. This is the best year yet for print book sales as this was a growth of more than 8.2% from previous years. Research shows that this was actually brought on by lockdown restrictions implemented during the pandemic, increasing the need for at-home education and entertainment.

It is clear that the demand for written work is there, but how do you go about getting people to read your book? Writing, publishing, and selling a book is not easy work. You can find an agent who will send your manuscripts to publishers, or you can send your work to publishers yourself. Self-publishing has also become an option for those who are still starting out because it is far more accessible than the traditional means. Founder and CEO of MindStir Media, J.J. Herbert, lists the reasons why self-publishing is better for many people like having more creative control over your work and a guarantee of being published. If you’re considering publishing your book, here’s how to get people interested in picking up your work:

Know who needs your book

The first thing you have to consider is for whom are you writing? Who do you want to read your work? Who do you believe needs the content you will provide in your book?  Knowing your audience can help you write a book that will resonate with them. You can use this to guide you in what information you should include, how you write your book, the tone you use, and even what stories you tell. Gaining feedback helps you know what your readers expect and want from your work. It is also important to know the goal of your work. Though it is good to reach a wide audience, your primary target audience should always be your priority. They are the people who will most likely purchase your book, and catering to what they want gives you a loyal readership; and it also helps you expand your audience in the future.

Write to challenge conventional thinking

It might sound like a challenging task, but writing something that has not been written before will definitely help in attracting readers. With hundreds of books being published every year, you want to make your work stand out from the rest, and you can do this by being an innovator. Marketing a book in a highly competitive landscape can be a challenge, but as New York Times bestselling author Jonah Berger who wrote The Catalyst puts it, marketing is not about pushing harder, arguing better, or spreading information; true change comes from catalysts. This means that to make an impact in the writing world, you will have to take leaps and risks.  Write from your perspective, a perspective that may be unconventional and is one that challenges what people have always believed.  As Berger emphasizes, a catalyst removes roadblocks and barriers. Writing something you believe is different from the rest will naturally help you garner readers and make you a pioneer in your own right.

Create a strong strategy for getting the word out

Once you’ve written and published your book, the next thing to focus on is promoting your work. This will play a big role in getting people to read your work. There are many things to consider when conceptualizing your campaign. This can range from creating the right book cover, categorizing your book in the proper genre, and distributing press releases. Even the time of year you release your book should be considered as we detailed in a previous blog post. You can even make appearances on local shows and podcasts to help spread the word about your books. Having a good PR list and sending advanced copies to influential personalities that might enjoy your book is another way you can promote your work. Carefully planning how you market your book will help entice people to read your work. (And when you sign on with Press 49, we provide you with a comprehensive marketing plan that includes in-person and online options for getting the word out about your exciting project!)

Book publishing can be a difficult market to enter. It is an aggressive market, and it may be daunting; but it is more than worth trying. Use these tips to help in growing your readership and getting your work out there.

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Content credit: Melissa Ford, guest contributor

Image credit: Tayeb MEZAHDIA

YOU ARE THE EXPERT–NOW PROVE IT!

We have discussed expanding your audience and making sure you get to those people who will appreciate and/or need your book. In the past, we have talked about educating your audience with your knowledge. Now we will focus on you as an expert because why would anyone spend their hard-earned money to buy your book? They wouldn't unless they know you are an expert.

Being an expert is more than just writing words on a page or standing up and presenting at a conference.

Writing words–isn't that what ghostwriters do? They write what they are told to write. It's not a bad thing, but it doesn't prove expertise.

There are also people who go to conferences giving presentations or creating classes and courses just because they know a little more than the general public. They make money doing this, and they do learn more; but they are not necessarily experts when they start.

You, on the other hand, have probably been in your field for a while. You've worked your way up the ladder and have experiences they don't teach in any university class. How? Because not every variable can be explained or considered, and life is just throwing variables our way on a daily basis.

The years of real-world experience will make you stand out and shine when it comes to your audience and your readers. When you present at conferences or network with others in your field, you can show your knowledge and expertise. This lets you shine in-person.

You need to do this when you write as well! You need to find a way to shine without sounding conceited or coming across as a braggart. You need to let the reader understand your expertise.

How can you do this? How can you shine and show you are an expert without putting people off?

The answer is pretty simple, and you probably already know the answer—or at least most of it.

First is the author's description that is found near the end of the book or on the back cover of the book.

In this bio, you want to show your expertise in a statement of fact—straightforward with no embellishments. This doesn't mean you can't talk about awards and such. It means to state the information like you would for a job interview or on a résumé. Make it factual and impressive but not over the top, and definitely don't exaggerate or make things more than they are.

Next is to give a short introduction before the first chapter of the book itself.

In this, you can explain in more detail your years in the field and what you have learned from these real-world experiences. You can also explain more about why you wrote the book (i.e., saw a problem in the field no one is addressing, found a solution to a common problem that is often just ignored, discovered a new way to simplify a process, etcetera), and how you will use your expertise to teach the reader what you know so they can have the expertise too.

The final step is to put yourself in the book.

Most people think they should write in third person point of view and stay out of the book, but the truth is this book is about YOUR EXPERTISE. This means you should be in the book. Maybe not front and center, but the book could definitely be written in the first-person point of view, especially if you are sharing personal and/or professional experiences.

If you are a speaker, use the same voice to write the book. You'll have to change it up a little because the reader can't ask you questions in the moment or even at the end of the book without a lot of extra steps.

Since this is a book, you won't be able to have a Q&A at the end of the speaking engagement. This means you should consider the questions you usually are asked at your presentations. Answer these in the body of the book in the appropriate places.

Answering questions in the appropriate sections of the book rather than having a Q&A section at the end will help the reader know you are an expert and view you as understanding and caring about what you are teaching them. You are taking the extra step to help them understand terms and concepts at the moment rather than at the end.

You want your reader to not only see you as an expert but to recommend you to others as an expert. You're in business; you know how important networking is to business. Well, it is even more important for books. Word of mouth can help you become a best seller or…

It can destroy your reputation. Remember, the potential reader may check out your information, and if it doesn't add up or seems exaggerated, you'll lose readers. Also, if you present yourself in a conceited or bragging manner, they may lose interest because no one likes to listen to (or read in this case) someone do nothing but talk about how great he/she is.

The last thing to remember is that if the reader doesn't buy your expertise, you will lose him/her and any person in the field he/she talks to about the book because if someone mentions your book, the reader will quickly speak up and tell why he/she doesn't believe you're an expert or why the person shouldn't buy your book.

You are an expert, and you are a businessperson. Present yourself as such–expert and businessperson. You won't go wrong if you do this in your bio, introduction, and throughout the book. Build your credibility with those people at your presentations or clients, and they will help you sell your book because they believe in you.

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Ready to publish? CLICK HERE to schedule your consultation today!

Content credit: C. Storm

Image credit: Joshua Hoehne

EDUCATING READERS IS WHY YOU WRITE YOUR BOOK

In a July 2021 post, you were encouraged to expand—expand your reach by writing a book. You want to make a name for yourself in your field. You have knowledge that you want to share. You are sitting at your desk with your laptop open, ready to write your book and…what?

Writing is not always easy, but it is not really hard either. It just takes answering some questions to get you focused in the right direction. You want to share your knowledge of your topic, so you want to educate your audience.

Writing a book is just educating your audience on your topic. You can make it as basic or as in-depth as you see fit. If you know enough about your topic, you can create a series and start with the basics and move to more advanced concepts with each new book.

After you read this blog, do a quick exercise. Write down your topic and ask yourself these questions. Write two to three sentences under the question. 

• Why do I want to educate my audience?

• How can I educate my audience?

• What do I want my audience to know or be able to do after I educate it?

These three questions can get you on track, keep you focused, and set you up for success. Let’s look at them more closely.

First, let’s think about why you want to educate your audience.

Most of the time, we want to educate our audience because we want to share what we know about the topic. For example, if we know how to program in JAVA, we may have found a way to do this more easily. If you are a math teacher, maybe you have figured out how to help students remember how to work complicated equations. If you are in cybersecurity, perhaps you have seen a new trend and want to share the information quickly. Or maybe you have created a new lure for fly-fishing that has fish jumping onto your lines.

It really doesn’t matter what your topic is. You want to educate your audience because you have information or knowledge you deem important and want to share it.

Now on to question two. Consider how you will present the information in a book to educate your audience.

Another way to think about this is the way in which you will structure your book.

There are many ways to do this; it is just finding your perspective on the topic, then creating your way of presenting the information in book form.

For question two, you have to consider your topic and what you want to do with it. If you are educating your audience on how to sew or create a lure, your book will be instructional. You will be explaining the process of the project or projects covered in the book by giving step-by-step instructions for each project. You will probably want to include a few paragraphs to build a rapport with your audience, but the bulk of your manuscript is instructions.

Another way to structure your book is to clarify misinformation. There are a lot of rumors on the Internet that people take for truth. If you are frustrated with the misinformation about your topic, you can list all the misconceptions about your topic, then have a chapter or a section explaining why and how the information is wrong. Then you can follow that with accurate information to show your knowledge and build credibility with your audience.

Similar to clarifying misinformation is answering a question in the field. You may be asked the same question repeatedly and feel that this question is obviously a much broader issue than you initially thought. You decide to write a book about your topic and answer the one big question or several questions that seem to repeatedly come to you.

Another option is to give your solution to a problem in an industry. Maybe you work in the industry, but no one at your company is listening to you. Through your network, you know other companies around the world are having a similar problem. This is a perfect time to write a book explaining the problem, introducing your solution, and then showing how your solution will solve the problem.  

Finally, for the last question, when you write a book, you want to always give your reader a call-to-action in some sense. 

Just as a teacher provides a homework assignment after preset a less, and since you are in the business of educating with your book, you will want to ostensibly do the same.  This means now that they have read your book, what do you want them to do?  What should they do differently?  For instance, you can add action steps, exercises for them to try, a list of recommended readings or other resources to extend their knowledge on the topic, or questions for them to ponder at the end of each chapter/section or at the end of your book.

Your next thought probably is “Will my book reach enough people?” Sure, not everyone goes fly-fishing, but plenty do; and they would love to learn about new lures. Not everyone is interested in cybersecurity; I know that is hard to believe but true. Still, there are more and more people every day who are interested in learning more about cybersecurity. A book is one of the best methods for teaching those interested in your topic or your field.

People buy books on subjects that interest them. They usually purchase several books on the same subject, so don’t stress if there are other books out there on a similar topic. People like different perspectives and different ideas. They want to be students.

Once you see your readers are your students, you’re ready to start educating your audience. The great thing is that they are waiting for your class to start. What are you waiting for? Write your book, get it published, and start educating your readers.  

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Ready to publish? CLICK HERE to schedule your consultation today!

Content credit: C. Storm

Image credit: Element5 Digital

CAN’T EXPAND YOUR REACH? HERE’S A SOLUTION!

You have a message you want to share, so you’ve set up a website and maybe have a brick-and-mortar location. You possibly have an online course or podcast. However, you feel that you aren’t reaching enough people.

You put money into search engine optimization and social media ads. But you’re not getting much response, and when there is a response, it is only a trickle. Definitely not a good return on investment.

Your course gets some students, but they are sporadic; and few ever finish.

You decide to try to do more on social media to promote your business, course, or podcast. You’ve seen all these coaches and business people live streaming, so you try it. More social media ads are created to promote your upcoming live stream, and when it finally is time, only your current following shows up. You’re not gaining new followers and, therefore, are not being heard by more of the people you are trying to reach.

After all that and you still don’t feel like you’ve reached those who you are targeting. 

You probably feel like you have done everything to reach out and share your knowledge, but have you? What have you left out?

You may have considered it but thought it was too much hassle or time.

I have the answer, and it is easier and less hassle than you can imagine.

Ready for the answer?

You’ve left out writing a book!

Yes, writing a book is less hassle than creating ads, completing A/B testing, setting up and doing live streams, and everything else you’ve been doing. Think about it. You can write anywhere and anytime. All you need to do is figure out what you’re going to be writing. Actually, there is a little bit more to it than that but not much. Writing a book can get your message out to more people more effectively than you can by yourself.

Think of how many books you have read this year so far. How about the number of books you read last year? My guess is that you have read more than just a few. Most business people read dozens every year to stay up to date in their industry and improve themselves.

Why shouldn’t your book—your message—be out there with the others?

It should! In a previous blog post, we talked about leaving money on the table, and that is precisely what you do when you don’t consider writing a book.

You may be thinking there are already tons of books out on your subject. There probably are, but the point is they are not your book.

No one reads just one book on a subject. Plus, readers prefer to read new books on a subject. This means that your view of the subject is wanted, and that is super new is even better. 

Moving a course or podcast to book form is a relatively easy task. Likewise, moving your message from oral to written is easy. (Think presentations, podcast interviews, and webinar recordings.) A book will expand your reach and grow your audience. You’ll be finally getting your message to all those people you haven’t been able to reach in other ways.

Don’t make the mistake that so many others make by letting your message get missed. Now is the time to sit down and write! It is time to write your book!

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Ready to publish? CLICK HERE to schedule your consultation today!

Content credit: C. Storm

Image credit: Daniele Franchi

IS THERE A “BEST TIME” TO PUBLISH YOUR BOOK?

Many people ask, “When is the best time to publish my book?” The answer is always the same:  when it is ready and not a minute before. But that is not really an answer, but it is the best answer.

When people ask this question, they want to know if a particular month or day is better for the success of their manuscript.

The answer is a definite maybe.

There are definitely times of the year where certain types of books do better than other times. However, there is no hard and fast rule to this, nor is there any proof that publishing in a particular month will bring you more success than any other month.

If you are still wondering when to publish your book, here is a quick list of what each month tends to showcase the most. Note: This doesn’t mean that these books are a success; it means this is when most books in these non-fiction genres are published. I still believe that the best time is when the manuscript is ready and not before.

Anyway, here we go:

January – At the beginning of the year, the diet books, exercise books, self-help (new year new you) books are published.

February – Poetry is a big deal around Valentine’s day. Since February is Black History Month, historical, inspirational, civil rights, and biographies on African-Americans are often published this month.

March – Since March is Women’s History Month and this month also has International Women’s Day, any book about historical or current events surrounding women is often published this month. Easter, religious texts from various religions, books about Christ and the resurrection, and other relevant topics are published toward the middle and end of March.

April – World War II, personal memoirs, and holocaust historical narratives are often the non-fiction books published in April.

May – Travel books start coming out in May and continue until August. Books about the historical and current events surrounding Hispanic Americans are often published this month. Also, books on motherhood, memoirs of mothers, and similar topics come out around Mother’s Day.

June – Gift books and inspirational books for graduates from high school and college are the big sellers in June. In addition, job hunting books also see an increase this month.

July and August – These months are more focused on fiction genres as people are in search of summertime reads while by the pool, at the beach, and on vacation.

September – American historical and current events books are often published this month, as are textbooks and other books on going back to school from kindergarten to college.

October – Paranormal and Halloween books, whether they are about the history of Halloween or how to do Halloween crafts or some other relevant topic, are published this month. Some religions also publish books about celebrations at this time of year.

November – Cookbooks, general history, and spiritual books seem to be published more often this month. There is also an increase in publishing children’s books this month in preparation for the holidays.

December – Any topic about any of the December holidays and year-end observations is often published this month.

Please note that the above list is not an all-encompassing list of when books are published. What it is showing is that the largest number of those topics are often published in those months.

Now with this list in front of you, can you decide when the best time to publish your book is? Do you want to publish it when other books of a similar topic are published, or would you rather be outside of the crowd?

In non-fiction, there is no perfect time to publish your manuscript other than when it is polished and ready. You don’t have to wait for a given day, week, or month. You have to publish when you are ready. Maybe you’ll decide to publish a month or two before the big influx of that topic hits the presses. Perhaps you want to ride the wave with others to get more promotion for less.

No matter when you decide to publish your book, you have to do it when you feel the time is right.       

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Ready to publish? CLICK HERE to schedule your consultation today!

Content credit: C. Storm

Image credit: Laura Chouette

WHY A NICHE?

Right now, we see the world of nonfiction writing and publishing all focusing on the concept of niche.

Why a niche? Why now?  What exactly does the concept of niche mean to the writer? Do I need a niche?

These are all questions many writers are asking. Before, one could just write about anything. They could self-publish their book and be done. No one questioned them about why they wrote the book. The public just accepted—well, much of the public accepted it.

However, in the past decade or so, the concept of fake news has taken hold of the public. While many people still believe in fake news articles and information because they assume the person giving the information is an expert, this expectation has changed the author's role. Now authors have to prove they are experts in the fields they are writing about for their books to be taken seriously.

Years ago, a writer could be a generalist and write about anything. Research is easy when you know how to do it quickly and where to find reputable sources. However, with the advent of the internet and the ability of anyone to publish anything on the internet, this hurt the generalist writer.

Sites like Wikipedia, when initially started, didn’t fact check, and anyone could go into any article and change it. There were many sites like this, and they spread like wildfire. People were using them as reputable sources when often the information was faulty.

Over the years, Wikipedia has gotten better, but other sites still do not fact-check and allow anyone to publish anything on their platform. 

Because of this influx of false or inaccurate information to the masses, finding a niche for your writing is so critical to you being a writer.

For writers, a niche is a specialized market that they will focus all their writing. Sure, some generalists still exist, but most have found two or three niches that pay the most and can be considered experts.

But what does that mean for someone who wants to write a nonfiction book?

It means you have to prove you are an expert in your book, in the about the author section, and on any social media platforms you have a presence.

For example, a tech company CEO should focus on what he/she knows—running a business or the technology industry. From the position as CEO, they know how to run a business. However, they wouldn’t necessarily know how to run a mechanic business.  From their position as a tech company CEO, they know how to run a business in the tech industry.  This is their niche—running a business in a specific industry or a field related to that topic. 

The niche is a general idea of a specialized industry or market in which you are an expert. You don’t have to have a degree, but you have to have verifiable knowledge of the subject.

When you see the next book, ad, or announcement to help you “find your niche,” know that you already know what your niche is. You know where your knowledge and expertise lie.

You don’t need others to help you find your niche. You may need them to help you hone it down a little but not find it.

If you want to write about something you love and have experience and knowledge about, do it. No one can stop you because you are the expert.

Now figure out your niche, and get started on your book!

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Ready to publish? CLICK HERE to schedule your consultation today!

Content credit: C. Storm

Image credit: Rita Morais

TOOLS OF BEING A WRITER

Many people ask, “What do I need to know to be a writer?” The honest answer depends on what you are writing and your individual needs. There are formulas to follow for different types of manuscripts, but those are only important if you have the tools you need already. What you need is your process that gets the formula completed. This process is different for every writer. No class or book will teach you how to write a book. The classes and books will give you basics about what should be in a book, but more often than not, they only help you learn basic writing and grammar skills. They don’t tell you how to write a book. Even books on novel writing may give the basic formula of novel writing, but the formula is never a one-size-fits-all. Plus, they never tell you how to get to the end of the supposed formula. In all honesty, writing is more about what you have in your writer’s toolbox than any formula.

What is a writer’s toolbox? The writer’s toolbox includes the skills that a person has learned, honed and created, and discovered through experience that helps them write.

Learn

Let’s start with the “learn” in the writer's toolbox. In school, we learn what a proper sentence is and what a proper paragraph contains, and why outlines are important. However, the sentence and paragraph parts mainly focus on academic writing, which we all know when we read a non-fiction or fiction novel, do not read, look, or feel the same. There are drastic differences. Therefore, from learn, we get the basics of grammar and structure of writing correctly. Outlining does serve a purpose in writing a book, so that moves us to honing and creating.

Hone and Create

“Hone and create” is where we take skills we learned and make them our own. For example, not everyone outlines in the same way. In school or books, we usually only learn one way to outline. Forget that! Some people use levels of numbers; others levels of letters. There are still others that use notecards, outlining software, and on and on. There is no one way to outline. You, as a writer, hone your outlining skills to accommodate your way of writing. This means you could have a one-page basic sketch of an idea or a forty-page detailed formal outline. It depends on what works for you; however, if you are co-authoring or hiring a ghostwriter, the more detailed the outline, the better and the faster you will write. The more you practice writing, the more you will hone your outlining and other writing skills and create new ways to use those skills to improve your writing.

Discover

Then there are the skills you “discover” after you have been writing for a while. Through experience, you may discover that when working on a non-fiction manuscript, writing the introduction first doesn’t work for you. In fact, the introduction feels more complete and more in line with the manuscript when you write it last. Or you may find while writing fiction that you need to see pictures of places or people to be able to give lots of details in the scenes. It doesn’t matter what order you write a manuscript in as long as it is cohesive, connected, and coherent in the end.

These skills and experiences are what is meant by tools in the writer’s toolbox. Each toolbox will be different for each writer. Whether a writer calls it a toolbox or not, it is the best way to describe the assortment of skills a writer assembles. Every writer has a toolbox they pull from while writing their manuscripts.

Take some time and think about what is in your toolbox. Don’t worry if you only have a few tools right now. As you write more, your toolbox will grow. You will learn what makes a manuscript work. You will learn about how to determine your audience. You will learn so much the more you write.

Plus, more tips and tools will be coming throughout our blog and emails. We also offer book coaching that can help you build your toolbox faster.

Writing is a forever learning experience, so keep writing, learning, and enjoying the adventure.

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Ready to publish? CLICK HERE to schedule your consultation today!

Content credit: C. Storm

Image credit: Maria Domnina

WHICH PUBLISHING OPTION IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

In recent posts, we detailed the different kinds of publishing available to go-getters, positioning more people to get their content out to the world, and we conducted a comparison of those three types of publishing to give you a better idea of how each one stacks up against the others. Now, the big question is …

Which should you choose?

Traditional Publishing

This route of publishing works well for an author with a BIG platform—think celebrities, well-known politicians, and social media influencers—and/or an author who has already published a book that sold well. In reality, this is not an option for 99% of people.

Self-Publishing

This route of publishing works well for an author …

• With a lot of time to devote to the book.

• Who wants to manage all the details.

• Who wants or needs to keep costs down.

Hybrid Publishing

This route of publishing works well for an author whose objective may not be about making money from book sales. It works well for someone who ...

• Sees the upfront fee as an investment in his/her future.

• Does not have the time or interest in managing all the details and would rather leave it all to the professionals.

• Does not want to manage all the details.

• Has the money or is willing to pay for a professional product.

• Sees other avenues for monetizing his/her book (speaking engagements, attracting clients for bigger projects, using the book as a basis for leading masterminds or master classes).

Hybrid publishing is also a good fit for someone who wants to …

• Leave a legacy.

• Use the book to further establish his/her brand or grow business.

• Launch or grow his/her career.

• Make a difference.

• Inspire others.

• Tell a personal story.

• Add “published author” to an already impressive list of accomplishments.

• Establish him/herself as an authority on a topic.

• Have a book that will serve as an “elevated business card.”

• Provide added value to clients and/or members of his/her community.

• Give his/her followers another way to connect with him/her.

• Be seen as an expert in his/her industry.

So which one is the right choice? To which option should you say “yes”?

Here’s the answer: The option that has you nodding your head, the one that makes the most sense for your personal goals and objectives, the one that resonates the most with you … that is the one you should choose.

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Ready to work with a hybrid publisher like Press 49? CLICK HERE to schedule your consultation today!

Content credit: B. McGowen-Hawkins and D. Hurley

Image credit: Drahomír Posteby-Mach

HOW DO THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PUBLISHING COMPARE?

In a recent post about whether you should pay to get published, we discussed the three types of publishing that will help you determine which type of publishing you should pursue. However, how do those different routes stack up against each other? It’s time to take a closer look at the benefits and drawbacks to traditional publishing, self-publishing, and hybrid publishing. Spoiler alert: When you publish with a hybrid publishing company such as BMcTALKS Press, there are far more benefits than drawbacks!

Traditional Publishing Benefits

o   The author does not need to pay any money up front.

o   The publisher makes all the decisions.

o   The publisher edits, formats, prints, markets, and distributes your book.

o   The book will be published properly.

o   The author receives an advance against future royalties.

Traditional Publishing Drawbacks

o   There is a one-in-a-thousand chance you will get a return call from an agent or that the publishing company will provide any feedback on an author’s proposal and manuscript.

o   One has to write a tremendous and incredible book to be chosen by a traditional publisher. The book has to clearly be one they immediately and unequivocally know they can market and sell to a wide swath of people.

o   The publisher makes all the decisions; the author does not have any say in cover design, marketing, etcetera.

o   The publisher may insist on massive changes to the content before it will publish you.

o   The publisher owns most, if not all, of the author’s intellectual property. The author will not receive a copyright certificate listing her/him as the owner of the IP contained within the pages of the book. The publisher will be listed as the claimant.

o   Depending on the publisher, the quality of the book can be compromised.

o   One normally has to have a platform, an extremely large following, or a big name to get picked up.

o   It can take a long time to get published; it is normally a one- to two-year process.

Self-Publishing Benefits

o   You are guaranteed to get your book published.

o   You retain creative control.

o   You do not have to allow other people to determine your success.

o   You and your readers decide the worth of your words, thoughts, and ideas.

o   You do not have to wait to get your book published.  You publish when you are ready.

o   You decide who gets your manuscript.

o   You get the majority of the royalties.

o   Successful self-publishing will make it more likely you could be picked up by an agent and traditional publisher.

o   You do not spend a ton of time trying to get an agent’s attention.

o   In the Amazon Kindle store, you can publish a new book whenever you want.

o   There is nothing to stop you from using your book content to develop and sell supplemental lines (courses, updated versions, audiobook re-release, et cetera)

Self-Publishing Drawbacks

o   You have to pay as you go for services you contract.

o   You are working with independent contractors.

o   You have to hire someone to do all of the following or figure out how to do it yourself:

• Editing

• Typesetting

• Cover design

• Proofreading

• Copyright

• ISBN

• Sell sheet

• eBook format file

• Printing

• Distribution

• Marketing

o   You should self-publish only if you have the time, drive, money, and dedication to vet your suppliers at each step.

o   You have to know how to properly position your book for Amazon, market it, and even title it.

o   Writing your book is a lifetime achievement; you don’t want to ruin it during the publishing process.

Hybrid Publishing Benefits

o   You are guaranteed to get your book published.

o   You have major input into your book.

o   You can get published quickly.

o   It will be of excellent quality.

o   We will save you a tremendous amount of time.

o   We will help you market your book.

o   You own your content to use to generate revenue through other products. That is your intellectual property to which will lay no claim. (Be careful. There are some hybrid publishers who will take 100% ownership of your IP.)

o   We will create an eBook for you.

o   We get your ISBN and LCCN for you.

o   We can help you leverage your content into other streams of income.

o   And many more benefits!

Hybrid Publishing Drawback

o   There is an upfront investment.

So how do you decide which is the right fit for you? The post at this link will help with that.

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Ready to work with an award-winning hybrid publisher like Press 49? CLICK HERE to schedule your consultation today!

Content credit: B. McGowen-Hawkins and D. Hurley

Image credit: Markus Winkler

SHOULD YOU PAY TO GET PUBLISHED?!

“Isn’t it the standard process for a publishing company to pay me as an author, not the other way around? I’m not supposed to pay to get published, am I?”

The answer is “it depends.”

How much work do you want to do to get your book published? Or do you not have an interest in becoming a publishing expert and want to turn everything over to the professionals so you can spend your time doing what you love? And if you turn over everything, then how much control do you want to have over your finished book? And how important is it that you actually get published?

Once you become clear on your answers to these questions, the publishing route you should take will also become clear to you.

There are three major publishing routes: self-publishing; hybrid publishing, which is what we offer; and traditional publishing. When you expect a publishing company to pay you royalties, you have your sights set on traditional publishing and possibly hybrid publishing. Not sure of the difference? Here is a quick synopsis of the three publishing routes:

Self-publishing, also called independent publishing, is where an author shoulders the full cost and responsibilities associated with getting published. That means the author covers the costs of paying several different contractors to edit, typeset, proofread, design the cover, print, and distribute the book through bookstores and other retailers. That means the author has to research, locate, and vet professionals who specialize in each part of the publishing process, and this does not include the legwork that has to be done with getting an International Standard Book Number (ISBN), submitting a copyright application, and other publishing logistics. However, the upside is self-published authors receive 50% to 70% royalties, and you are guaranteed to get published.

Hybrid publishing is similar to self-publishing; you typically retain all the rights to your contents and have full creative control. However, instead of paying several different contractors to produce and publish your book, you pay a single entity to handle all aspects of the publishing process. (That’s what we do at Press 49.) Proofreading, typesetting, book cover design, etcetera, are typically all handled by the hybrid publisher. A hybrid publisher operates with a different revenue model than traditional publishing but keeps the rest of the practices of publishing the same. The revenue of hybrid publishers comes from both book sales and fees charged for the execution of their publishing services. Authors are guaranteed to get published and receive higher royalties when working with a hybrid publishing company than when working with a traditional publishing company.

Traditional publishing is where the publisher offers the author a contract; the publisher pays you a royalty (an advance against future sales), and in turn, the publisher edits, formats, designs, prints, and distributes your book through bookstores and other retailers. The publisher essentially buys the right to publish your book and pays you royalties from the sales, which is usually 10% to 12%. If you are getting a book published for the first time and want it published by a traditional publisher, you oftentimes need an agent, and to get one, you have to write an absolutely superb book. But bear in mind that the manuscripts an agent will take are few and far between—an agent will take approximately one manuscript for every 1,000 that come across his/her desk. In short, there is no guarantee you will get published.

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Ready to publish? CLICK HERE to schedule your consultation today!

Content credit: B. McGowen-Hawkins and D. Hurley

Image credit: Stephen Phillips