For book/ebook authors, publishers, & self-publishers
What's Your Biggest Challenge with Your Book?
I'd be interested to learn what authors/publishers on this network think their biggest challenges are with their book. I wonder if there's any common, pervasive challenge we all face.
Views: 9108
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Don L Redinius on
-
The dilemma I am having is to put all of the marketing and decision making tasks into the proper order prior to publishing the book (that too has options which I am weighing). I had hoped to go the traditional publishing route and started drafting a comprehensive proposal for a literary agent. I am unsure how much of the marketing effort I need to do before submitting these proposals. Also how much I can expect from the publisher in term of letting me know the types of things they would prefer I do. I understand they don’t do much in the way of marketing but there surely are things they would want me to do.
Some Background
I have completed the manuscript for my first book (about 110,000 words). The book is primarily focused on achieving financial success (wealth and abundance). It does this by helping the reader to first recognize and achieve their full potential, then to create life and financial success visions followed by a proven methodology to achieve them.
I (of course) consider it to be a powerful book for people because it uses logical process flow and a methodology that is repeatable for solving various problems and opportunities. I have had eight others review the book and they too think it is a great book that could help millions of people.
I am a seasoned business executive and fully understand sales and marketing. However, book marketing and sales is a new ballgame. I have done considerable study on numerous approaches on social networks, blogs, websites, radio and TV, seminars, etc. The options are incredible.
Any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated.
-
Permalink Reply by J. Steve Miller on
-
Don,
I wrote a book on the same general topic, which was published in March.
I think you'll find it valuable to read a lot of my blog posts for year 2009, since I blogged each step of the way, tell on what basis I made my decisions, which marketing decisions paid off and which didn't (I'm very candid), how I'm finding the best places to send it for review, how I'm most effectively sending out press releases, etc. (I plan to eventually publish all this as two books, one on "Getting Published Without a Platform" and another on marketing books.
http://freelancewriterblog.blogspot.com
I acquired an agent who was quite enthusiastic about my book, was very professional, and had great connections in the book publishing industry. I sent it with a query, book proposal, and 50 page marketing plan. Nobody wanted it. Basically, they said, "People don't buy books like that unless the author has a big platform, like a national radio show or national column."
In my mind, I had somewhat of a platform because educators in every state and a fair amount of foreign countries purchase my educational resources. But publishers evidently wanted something more.
So, I started my own publishing company and published it myself through Booksurge and am so glad I didn't go with a traditional publisher! Because of my lack of platform, I really don't think it would have sold in bookstores, sitting next to the Dave Ramsey's and Donald Trumps. But selling it myself through special sales (CPA's giving it away as gifts) and on Amazon (getting 35% of the retail price as opposed to the 8% or so of retail that a traditional publisher would have paid), I'm much happier marketing it myself.
Here's my press page for the book:
Here's my Press Page:
http://wisdomcreekpress.com/press_kits.html
My blog tells the story. Just ask if you want more specifics.
-
-
Steve,
Great tips and I went to your Press Page, scanned it and watched two of the interviews, very helpful. I will study it in great detail later today and comment back to you on how it has helped me. Thanks so much for the direction you have supplied.
-
-
Don,
I'm open to any input. A fellow-writer gave me some tips on that press page the other day that made me re-arrange some things. It had sort of grown organically, and it needed some touch-up.
And looking back at parts of my blog that might be applicable to where you are in the process, you might want to start back in 2008, where I was struggling with how to overcome this "platform" problem. This is the first blog of the "Getting Published Without a Platform" series of posts:
http://freelancewriterblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/getting-published-w...
That series of blogs is what I want to eventually turn into a book. If you look those over, let me know what you think!
J. Steve Miller
Author of Enjoy Your Money!
"The money book for people who hate money books."
-
-
Steve,
Did a quick review of your blog, I like what I see. Will try to digest over the weekend.
-
-
I have read your blog from January 08 to Aug 08 so far, taking notes as I go. It has been extremely helpful in clearing the fog relative to publishing my book. Additonally there are also a lot of golden nuggets about life in your blog. Thanks so much for what you have done. By your writing, your passion and your caring, it is obvious you are a great person.
I will continue to read and then provide more specific feedback with the goal of meeting you some day.
-
-
Thanks for the encouragement Don! Great to feel useful!
-
Permalink Reply by Alan Cook on
-
I'm not really sure how to classify my novel. It is Christian based in the fact that my hero gives his life to God, but in the same time there is premaritial sex, lesbian characters, threesome scenes. I don't go into detail with any of the scenes. The book is cleanly written, no swearing at all. The problem I see with Marketing it, it might be too risque for the average Christian reader, and too biblical for the mainstream fan.
I guess its like the old country rock groups back in the early 70's. Too country for the rock stations and too rock for the country.
-
Permalink Reply by John C. Bieber on
-
Biggest challenge is selling and publicizing it. Writing it was easy, really. I was concerned about dialog sounding real, but all my test readers enjoyed it and were very encouraging. I have learned to control every aspect of how the book cover looks and the look and layout of the pages. I can't imaging writing non-fiction. Way too academic. Maybe the other biggest challenge may be what to write about next.
-
Permalink Reply by Joel Friedlander on
-
I don't envy the task of the self-published novelist, which has to be one of the hardest sells there is. However, people continue to "break through" with innovative writing, innovative publishing approaches and new ways to get in touch with potential readers.
The remarks by Steve Miller, above, are even more true for novelists. You simply must build up a readership online in order to make your novel viable. It's difficult enough for the nonfiction authors to do this, it's much more difficult for the fiction writers.
Any opportunity to get your work in front of people so you can begin to attract people who like your work is great. Blog about your book, release parts of the novel on your website, do a podcast reading a chapter and offer it as a free download, hang out in writer's forums, it all helps to develop that platform. Eventually your readers will become your best salesmen.
Good luck!
-
Permalink Reply by Irene Stephney on
-
marketing! i am really trying with that aspect right now, but thats definitely a challenge, especially with my very small budget...
-
-
Irene, I think the greatest marketing leverage for absolutely $0 has got to be Twitter and Facebook and other social media. If you study the literature on how to do this that's available online, you could market non-stop for weeks without spending anything. Most paid advertising is not all that effective for short run niche books anyway.
Book Marketing Bestsellers
About
Recommended Website
Music
© 2024 Created by John Kremer.
Powered by
