Publishing imperfectly – why having a publishing standard matters
When I worked in publishing, we had to find a balance between the need to meet deadlines and the requirement to publish to a high standard. You notice I said “to a high standard”, not “perfect”. That’s because getting each book published was also of high importance (you don’t get far if you don’t get the book out into the market).
Why publishing a book requires partnership
As a self-publisher, you may think that partnership is going to be the one element you will miss by producing your own book. But that is not the case. The opportunities for partnership are still there.
Do mistakes matter in a book?
Do mistakes matter in a book? It is a question I often see being asked by self-publishing authors who are reluctant to spend a lot of money on editorial support. The simple answer is ‘yes’.
Surviving the book production process
The book production process is definitely a challenging part of getting your book published. There are four distinct phases to the publication process: conceptualizing and planning, writing and revising, production, and marketing. In my view, as a business owner there is a fifth process, too, and that is monetizing – the process of turning your book into a money-making product or one that significantly develops and grows your business in some way.
Today, though, I’m going to focus on the book production process because it is a place that many self-publishing authors get stuck, especially if they want to get their book published in print.
The Publishing Process – Editing
The publishing process can be confusing and difficult to navigate. When I first started working in publishing, it took me a while for me to totally understand the process, so I sympathise with you if you are coming to it for the first time. The truth is that the publishing process is not set in…
Which is the hardest part of writing a book?
Opinion varies as to what the hardest part of writing a book might be. Is it the process of coming up with an idea, choosing a title, creating a marketing plan, executing a marketing plan or actually writing the book?
Speak your way to a book
There is more than one way to speak your way to a book: create a range of audios, do a series of speaking engagements, or simply dictating your book and getting it transcribed. Speaking offers a great amount of flexibility and a number of advantages that especially suit aspiring authors who prefer to communicate verbally rather than in writing.
That said, some of the advantages of speaking your way to a book can be enjoyed by those who like to write as well, so the benefits are definitely transferable.
The final stage in getting your book done
The final stage in getting your book done is often the hardest because it involves a technical process that can be difficult to understand, and because it can involve working with other people.
This can quickly turn into a stumbling block that keeps you turning back to more revisions, and endless delaying unless you finally begin the publication process itself.
Is it true that self-publishing means rubbish publishing
Some people seem to be of the opinion that self-publishing means rubbish publishing, or at least that to be taken seriously as an author you have to be commissioned by a traditional print publisher.
Choose the best format for your book
When you write a book, there is a lot to consider and one of the most important decisions you have to make is choosing the best format for your book. You may wonder why format is important and why you need to decide about it before you begin writing. After all, you could publish your book in a number of formats, so why do you need to choose? Here is a summary.
What would success mean for your book right now
Success does not necessarily mean finishing your whole book, achieving bestseller status or growing your list by hundreds or even thousands. Of course, all of those achievements are huge and big indicators of success. While those pinnacles may be what we all dream of want for our books, we know that smaller achievements can be experienced as significant successes as they take us forward on the path of developing our businesses.
How to handle a revised deadline
Deadlines can change in the blink of an eye. When I worked at BBC Books, deadlines changed all the time as television transmission dates altered.
A Brief Guide to the Publishing Process
Publishing is complex process with a lot of technical terms. To help you navigate the publishing process, I have written a brief guide to the key points in the publishing process. Starting with the manuscript, this little guide takes you through from the point where you, as an author, finish writing your book and begin…
Why You Need to Create a Book Project Plan
When you are clear about you purpose in publishing a book, you need to get started making a plan. This is the second Key to Publishing Success and it’s a very big key! As the saying goes, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. That is reason enough to create a book project…
A Brief Guide to Publishing Formats for Self-publishers
The publishing format you choose for your book will have an impact on how it performs in your business. Each one has benefits and disadvantages but if you know what you want to achieve, you can make the best choice for your book. There are three key publishing formats you can choose from as a…