I had some knowledge but if I was going to expand what I knew already I had to take the next step. For me it was to read that book and apply the information. Herein lays the key to how to avoid making the biggest mistakes first time authors make.

The first step is to acknowledge you don’t know something. Then you have to assess what you do know. Once you do that, then you work on where you want to go and what you want to accomplish? In my case I knew how to place my hands on the keys and type but I did not have the speed. I had come to realize that if I was going to get a job with promise for promotion after the birth of my son, I needed to at least be able to type with speed.

As a first time author, what is your goal, either you desire to have someone publish your book, or you plan to do it yourself? If you are planning to have it done, who can get done what you need? You have heard about publishers. You know that is what you need. What you don’t know is that there are different types that can be used to accomplish your goal. If you go on the internet and type in publisher, or publishing, you’re talking thousands to millions, which adds to the confusion.

Where do you start? You need information that can help you to understand what each type does and how you can effectively use them to get where you want to go. Your research quickly reveals that one process is faster than the other, which has led to the rise of more and more publishing options.

Publishers are classified as traditional and non-traditional. The traditional publisher buys the rights to your book, arranges for the printing and distribution, through marketing to the reading public. There are upfront costs prior to the traditional publisher buying the rights to your book. The non-traditional publisher, sometimes called vanity presses, or self-publish, or print on demand provides all of the services of a traditional publisher to prepare a book for the market, with one exception, the author pays for all the services from idea to finish product, plus marketing.

What will work for you depends on how impatient you are and how much you are willing to invest. The traditional publishing method can take years. It will never be over night. You will spend time sending query letters, attempting to sell editors on why your manuscript is the next best thing since slice bread. Yes, and rejection is a part of that.

There is no doubt the non-traditional methods are faster. Having access to a great editor will make a world of difference using this method. Find an editor that would be willing to let you sample their expertise for a small fee so that you can get a feel for that person’s capabilities.

The non-traditional publishers will be most visible online. How will you know you are dealing with a non-traditional publisher? If they charge a fee to produce your book, then you have a non-traditional publisher. The traditional publishers will not be that visible online. You can access them through books like the latest Writer’s Market, or get the online version. This book also contains some non-traditional publishers as well as tips and samples of query letters you can use to work the traditional publishers’ market.

With the non-traditional publishers you are shopping for the best price, for the most services. What you want done depends on your manuscript need. If you need editing, or proofreading, then you look for those who can provide that service. Some also provide a marketing package. Don’t be fooled by this by any means. Those marketing packages help you to position yourself to make book sales, but will not be an all out launch to sell your books. You will still have to actively work at marketing.

Once you have assessed the package, examine how easy it will be to upload it to their site. Some are more complicated. Work with non-traditional publishers you can talk with periodically as your book is being produced. If they have no patience with you, this might not be the best choice. Spend your money with people who will take the time to help you to understand what they are doing for you.

Go over everything before you submit. Make sure you personally proof your final prior to submission. If you hire a proofreader and editor clarify what exactly they are going to do; get it in writing, either by you sending an email reiterating what has been discussed, or asking them to send you something. You may want to find out if they will make the corrections. There maybe an additional charge but it will be worth it. That way you can focus on the re-reading and not doing both functions. If you negotiate a flat rate, ask if they would include a final read as part of that service. Use the services of proofreaders and editors before you submit your manuscript to traditional publishers.

The best part of becoming a published author, if you decide you can’t wait to be picked up by a traditional publisher and you want to self-publish, you can continue querying the traditional publisher. The door to the traditional publisher is not closed because you self-publish.

Though traditional publishers have cornered the market in the past, leaving many writers to give up in despair, the self-published markets have made splashes that have caused traditional publishers to race to the acquisition of some of these self-published works. There has never been a better time to publish a book. Get it done and enjoy the journey. It will be the best decision you ever made.

It is your dream to have your book in every bookstore in the country, perhaps even in several countries. But wait, have you planned beyond bookstore sales? Many authors are unaware that there are many markets for books beyond the bookstores. The bookstores may be your first market, but there are many other “hidden” markets, and here are some key book marketing tips to help you tap into those markets.

Let’s begin with the job of writing the book. When you put “pen to paper”, it is important that you focus on one audience but write for many markets. Let’s begin by identifying why you are writing a book. Some people merely want to be a published author, giving them claim to a copyright and their name on a book. That is satisfaction enough. They don’t care about the financial return or the development of writing or publishing as a career. Other people just want to write a family history and sell it to their extended family. Some people are interested only in selling to the attendees of their seminars. Many others, however, want to sell thousands of books in as many markets as possible. Decide at the beginning of the writing process why you are writing so that you can determine whether or not you are creating a business venture.

Once you have established your reason for writing, move on to what you are writing about. Don’t try to be all things to all people or the encyclopedic source of all information on a subject. Choose an area of a subject with which you are very familiar and develop your topic well so that you don’t overwhelm or bore your readers. For instance, if you are writing a cookbook, don’t try to be The Joy of Cooking – that’s already been done. Instead, write about a category of recipes, such as heritage recipes, or recipes of a region or culture, or recipes from famous restaurants, etc. Your goal is to make your book different, and better, than other cookbooks.

Having now decided on the why and the what, focus on the who, meaning who will buy your book. You believe that many people will be interested in your book, but let’s define “many”. Do you mean all of the people in your interest group, your church or your workplace, or do you mean everyone? A word of caution, though – there is NO book that is for everyone. Sure, everyone may need your book but not everyone will want it. If your book is a healthy lifestyle cookbook, everyone might need it, but only people who actually want to be healthy will buy it. Do some research on who those people are and where they are likely to actually buy your book. Understand their demographics: age group, income level, shopping habits, activities, etc. Now write for them. What information are your target readers looking for? Is their a gap in the information about a subject that is very familiar to you or in which you have the credentials to fill the gap? Make sure that your book solves a problem or problems for the reader, or make sure that your book will increase the well being of the reader. Avoid falling into the trap of writing to make yourself feel better – you are not the one who will buy your book. Or if you are, you are the only buyer that you will have!

The why, what and who now being defined, you can turn your attention to the where you can sell your book. Because there are many markets for books, decide early in the writing process just what those markets are and write to sell your book in those markets.

It is likely that the first market that will come to mind is traditional book stores, and of course they can be a vital part of your sales. Do your research in getting to know your competition on the book store shelves, i.e., look at the other books that have been written in your genre. What writing style is most appealing to a wide audience? Is there a gap in the information provided in the other books? Are there problems that have not been addressed? Find the needs and fill them. When you are satisfied with the information that you are providing, think about what will attract the book store buyers. They will want to know about your planned publicity campaign. If you want people to buy your book in book stores, you are responsible for letting people know that your book is available, thereby driving buyers to the stores.

Besides book stores, books are purchased in the nontraditional book market by display retailers, book clubs, catalogs, gift retailers, volume buyers (think Costco and Price Club), corporations, foundations and foreign markets. These markets are considered “hidden” because they exist outside the usual bookstore market, yet they account for many millions of dollars each year in book sales. In fact, we sell thousands of books to buyers like these every year (for more about our Book Marketing tips and secrets click here: Book Marketing Tips). These markets, however, do not buy any and every book. They are looking for books that appeal to their customers.

For instance, if you are writing a book about spiritual experiences, think about which of those markets will likely buy your book. Will you approach book clubs? If yes, which book clubs – those that specialize in spiritual books only, or those that market to the general public? Will you approach the gift market or catalogs? Each market evaluates its purchases for its own clientele. Book clubs that target the religious book reader have a greater interest in spiritual books than do general interest book clubs. Volume buyers, catalogs and gift buyers (unless they target a religious market), display retailers and corporations will very seldom buy a spiritual book. Foreign markets, however, are often very interested.

Even if your book is written for the general book trade, you can still think of corporations that might be able to use your book as a promotional item. Make a list of corporations that could be interested in your book and make sure that your writing supports their products or philosophy, and that what you are writing about will solve some problems for the corporate clients. For instance, one cookbook was targeted at busy people who want to follow a healthy lifestyle. It became a bestseller very quickly in the traditional book trade, but sales exploded when it was sold to pharmaceutical companies who used the book as support information for clients who needed to achieve a healthy weight. The book also sold successfully in foreign markets, to catalogs, as fund raisers and to shopping malls as a customer reward.

The point is: you need to know how to slant your writing for your markets. You can sometimes get around the road blocks by giving your book the look and feel of a gift book rather than one that is a “serious read”. Don’t give your book the look and feel of a thesis. Many volume buyers are looking for broad interest books that people buy on impulse as gifts. This approach to writing increases your market tremendously, so if you want to appeal to a very large audience, approach your subject from a much “lighter” angle.

However, if you are a professional speaker who knows that you have a very good chance of selling your book to your seminar attendees, and perhaps to the corporations who hire you, writing for a very broad market is not necessary. You are not even trying to sell to the impulse buyer. Your buyer is already looking for a source of expertise such as yours.

If you are planning to sell your book primarily from a website to a specific type of buyer, someone who is searching the internet for answers to a concern or problem, you can be as specific as you like. The general public, again in this instance, is not your market – you already have enough buyers to make you very successful.

So, before you begin the writing process, make an outline of your book. Then, look at your list of potential buyers. Have you filled their needs? If not, can you add information or chapters to your book that will increase the likelihood of sales to those buyers? If you want to sell thousands of books, think about the end user of your book and write for them, not for yourself. That is the ultimate book marketing tip. See you on the bestseller list!

© Copyright 2004 Ink Tree Ltd.

Self-publishing is the hottest trend in books, as it provides creative thinkers turned authors with a fast and easy way to get their work on the market. With the added option of “print on demand”, and desktop publishing and design software, the initial cost to get your book out can be very minimal.

Self-publishing is also the most profitable since you get to keep all the profits for yourself. IF you are committed to the work it is going to take to sell your books that is.

One of the most difficult challenges a self-published author faces is getting their book into the hands of people that will appreciate it enough to pay their hard earned money. I recall reading an article on the self-publishing industry that reported the average number of self-published books sold per author is about 100 copies!

With that horrifying number in mind, you need to roll up your sleeves and prepare to launch a focused marketing and promotion program that will have you doing at least 3 things per day every day for the next 6 months to promote your book. Remember, no one can dream your dream but you, and ultimately, you are the only one responsible for the success or failure of your book.

Start by arming yourself with as much knowledge on the subject as possible. Check out these books and websites on marketing and promoting for self-published authors:

THE SELF-PUBLISHING MANUAL by Dan Poynter is I think hands down, the best promotional book and guide to successful self-publishing for a first time author. It is easy to read and understand, and organized in a fashion that make it a valuable reference as you go through the writing and publishing process.

GUERILLA MARKETING FOR WRITERS by Jay Conrad Levinson is another easy to follow guide with more than 100 ideas for marketing and promoting your book. There are like a zillion Guerilla Marketing books covering a wide range of markets.

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO SELF-PUBLISHING by Tom & Marilyn Ross guides authors through the entire self-publishing process from writing the first word to wildly creative ways to market the finished product.

1001 WAYS TO MARKET YOUR BOOK by John Kremer is top notch. John Kremer is a legend in the book marketing field. But there are SO many ideas presented this 3″ thick book that I found it to be somewhat overwhelming. His websites are much easier to go through for people that are A.D.D. like me!

Leveraging the power and global reach of the Internet is the next step you must take.

Every author needs a web page. Do you have one set up for your book or books yet? This site will serve as the foundation of your marketing campaign and is a step you cannot afford to skip. Your website will be used as a vehicle to promote both yourself and your work 24 hours per day. It will also display or link to book reviews, to provide the media and press with an avenue for contacting you for interviews, and will of course help you sell your product.

Your website does not have to be fancy and expensive. As a matter of fact, it is better if it’s rather non-dynamic. You want the key focus to be on your book and YOU, not your fancy FLASH intro.

After that, you need to get your book reviewed. There are mainstream book reviewers, and there are many niche market reviewers as well. Check out John Kremer’s list of newspaper reviewers at BookMarket.Com.

Authors of Black books have many options available.

When seeking reviews, be prepared to send out a copy of your book along with a headshot photograph, author contact information, and information on where your book can be purchased. This is when you would mention your wonderful new website! Here is a list of Black book reviewers and sites:

QBR The Black Book Review

QBR is a reliable source for what is current in Black books. QBR also produces the Harlem Book Fair, the largest African American book Fair nationally, held annually in New York City.

Felicia Pride’s Black Books Blog – More Than Words

Felicia reviews and blogs about Black books on AOL’s Black Voices channel.

African American Literature Book Club (AALBC)

The largest site on the web focusing on Black books.

The RawSistaz

This group of ladies provides casual reviews of a wide variety of books, all written by African American authors.

Let’s Talk Honestly with George Cook

George provides free interviews with Black authors which are posted as pod casts each week on this popular website.

The Black Issues Book Review

This the only nationally distributed magazine devoted exclusively to covering the latest news and reviews on black books.

Now you have a published book and a couple of great reviews. It’s time to contact Black bookstores in your area. Go visit them with your book in hand, introduce yourself, and ask if they will either carry your book or allow you to have a book signing in their store.

Book retailers usually receive a rather large discount from the cover price (as much as 60%). Since each independent retailer has its own sales agreement and terms, all I can tell you is to be sure to read each carefully.

Make sure the terms regarding book returns, payment dates, and merchandise delivery are spelled out clearly and to your satisfaction before signing on the dotted line.

Writing, researching and editing your book is certainly a lot of hard work, but that is just the beginning. All that work pales in comparison to the long hours and the effort you must put into getting your name out there and your book noticed every single day until you reach your sales and financial goals.

I cannot describe with words the deep sense of satisfaction one gets when you open up a package from your publisher and find the first copy of a real book that has your name on it. And selling thousands of those books is certain validation that what you have to say has value and is important to others.

Get busy making it happen!