You are far more likely to successfully write and publish your book if you follow these tips before you write a single chapter.
1. Write your book's working title. It helps you focus and answer the readers' questions about the topic. Most non- fiction has subtitles as well. It's better to be clear than clever, but clever and clear are fine. _Passion At Any Age: Twelve Ways to Unleash It_, _Self-Promotion for the Creative Person_, _Quadruple your book's Online Sales in Less Than One Month_.
2. Write your book's thesis. A thesis is a sentence or so stating the audience's main problem and how your book will solve it. Knowing the thesis before you write the book keeps you on track. All chapters should support it. The thesis could be "Each of you has passion and you can unleash it through these twelve steps."
3. Test your book's significance. While most writers fear their book won't sell, it takes only two significances to write a book, and three for a great seller. Ask yourself, Is it relevant? Then write it! Does it present useful information? Does it have the potential to positively affect people's lives? Is it lively, humorous? Does it help answer important questions? Does it create a deeper understanding of human nature?
4. Pinpoint your target audience, all-important to your book's success. No, not everyone will want to read your book. How old are your prospective readers? Male? Female? Are they interested in personal growth, science fiction, mystery, how-to books? What challenges do they face? Are they business people? What magazines and Web sites do they like? Are they Internet savvy? What causes do they support?
Once you know them, write a letter and tell them why you are writing your book and what benefits it will bring them. Dear over-50 reader, "I'm writing Passion At Any Age to help you live life full throttle--with more abundance, joy, and meaning."
5. Write your reasons for writing this book. Your reader, the media, the television and radio talk show hosts all want to know why you wrote this book. Be prepared up front, so you will shine when opportunities come your way. For instance, "I wrote this book because so many of my clients and students asked me to. They didn't want theory; they wanted practical how to's to help them live life well. This audience, primarily over 50, wants and needs practical and spiritual tools to let their passion out.
6. Write down your publishing goals for this book. Do you want to give it away to members of your family or a particular group? Do you want to sell it? How many copies do you want to sell your first year? How much money do you want to make each month? What publishing format will you choose--self- publishing, traditional publishing, Print Quality Needed or Print on Demand, or eBook?
7. Organize the parts of your book. In one file, keep your introduction; in another, your index or resource section. Include your bibliography and keep a file of all people you will quote in your book who may give you a testimonial later. Keep each chapter in its own file labeled correctly so you can find it within minutes. Twenty percent of your papers are important. Be sure to file them vertically and in order to save you time and frustration as your book projects grows. Keep computer files also.
8. Write down your chapter's format. Readers expect a clear map to guide them. They like consistency. In non-fiction, each chapter should be approximately the same length and have the same sections. To make your chapters sparkle, use stories, anecdotes, headings, photos, maps, graphs, exercises, tips. Readers like easy-to-read side bars in boxes.
9. Write the back cover material before you write your book. This "outline" helps give your book direction and helps you focus only on what's important to your thesis or theme. Your back cover has around 8 seconds to impress your prospective buyer.
Include what sells: reader and famous people's testimonials, a benefit-driven headline to hook the reader to open the book and read the table of contents, and bulleted benefits. Your bio and picture can go on the inside of the back cover to leave more room for your sales message on the back cover.
Use your back cover as a sales letter that can go on your web site or emails you send out to your prospective buyers.
10. Mock up a front cover in your book's early stages. Keep it by your workstation to inspire you. To sell your books, your cover and title have around four seconds to hook your buyer. Covers are more important than what is inside. Browse the bookstore and copy a few ideas to get you started. Do you have color preferences? Is you title powerful and short enough to be read across the room?
Writing a book is so much easier when you approach it in small bites. As soon as you get these ten parts written you will be able to start asking more specific questions that become your chapter headings.
About The Author
Judy Cullins: author, publisher, book coach - helps professionals manifest their book and web dreams
eBook: "Ten Non-techie Ways to Market Your Book Online"; www.bookcoaching.com/products.shtml.
Send an email to www.bookcoaching.com/products.shtml - FREE The Book Coach Says... includes 2 free eReports
www.bookcoaching.com/products.shtml; Ph:619/466/0622
maide service in Lincolnshire ..1. Make your goals achievable.By achievable, we mean realistic and... Read More
If you are looking for copywriter books, you'll want to... Read More
Most people can easily identify with the dreaded "writer's block".... Read More
Names are important. Names give clues about us, where we... Read More
Many writers write for the experience. Others dream of having... Read More
Joanne Kathleen Rowling was born in Chipping Sodbury,England in 1965.... Read More
1. PLAY A GAME LIKE SOLITAIRE....for half an hour or... Read More
Dream that your book can be a number one best... Read More
I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of... Read More
Human beings seem to be born with a gene for... Read More
First, let's tackle the question that is uppermost in many... Read More
If you want to be a writer, you must write... Read More
There is no specific formula for children's fiction. There are,... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?What a plot is and what a... Read More
Once you've plotted out your book, developed the characters and... Read More
Clustering, also called Mind Mapping, is a great way to... Read More
Boost Brain Power Through WritingHave you ever noticed what happens... Read More
Think of writing like karate...it's about DISCIPLINE.Writing, like other forms... Read More
In the ten years that I've taught people how to... Read More
Is there a book inside of you? Yes? Then why... Read More
ESSAYS ON AUTOBIOGRAPHY: NUMBER 1Preamble:Nearly seven years ago I wrote... Read More
Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's... Read More
The urge to write fiction seems God given for some,... Read More
Written communication is often the first impression you make on... Read More
It was reported that the great American author Sinclair Lewis... Read More
cleaning lady near Deerfield ..Self-examination sheds light on a writers motives, goals, and aspirations,... Read More
You can create a great headline, a dynamic first sentence,... Read More
Peter Abrahams is the author of thirteen novels, including "The... Read More
William Faulkner, the great Mississippi writer, said, "The tools I... Read More
The only way to become a writer is to write.... Read More
Yes, you know your subject. You also need to think... Read More
"The Magic of Layout..."???Okay... "magic" might seem a bit over... Read More
How do you describe a scene without slowing down the... Read More
Someone once commented that there were no new ideas to... Read More
The Blogfest 2005 Writing Contest has only been running for... Read More
----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute,... Read More
1. What Is A Premise?A premise is the point you... Read More
9 out of 10 professionals and small business owners have... Read More
Over the past eight years or so, I have tutored... Read More
Nike's ad has taken on new meaning for me of... Read More
All the famous writers I heard of could paper the... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?When an idea comes to us for... Read More
Everyone has a book inside them, or so the saying... Read More
Have you ever started a creative writing project with great... Read More
Having trouble finding a solution to a nagging problem? Try... Read More
A UK based freelance proofreader should be able to provide... Read More
Have you ever had a student write to tell you... Read More
Imagine a three hundred page book was in the author's... Read More
Story Structure Templates are the fastest way to write screenplays.... Read More
Freewriting is a release from the prison of rules. It... Read More
Writing |