Sunday, December 5, 2010

Writing a Book That Sells

So you have decided you want to write a book, but the important thing is to write a book that will sell. There are some easy tips to writing an interesting book that readers won't be able to keep their hands off.

Type of book to write. Focus on something that will interest a broad market of people. Usually non-fiction works best for new authors. Write your non-fiction, self-help book first since it is more of a moneymaker for new authors, so you can finance your other efforts.

Have passion about your topic. A common refrain in writing circles is to "write what you know." Research might seem like a daunting undertaking, but if you have enough interest in the subject that you want to write about it, then you shouldn't worry. Finding someone who does know about the subject and talking with them about it is a way to learn more without having to brave dry, boring tomes. Getting a personal, human touch to the information may even provide some inspiration, or a story you can give as an example.

Knowing your audience. Know your audience before your write your book to keep it organized, flowing, and compelling. Write something interesting that will fulfill their needs and wants. When writing a book, don't write it for yourself. Write to serve your public. Write what your readers want to read. Your subject must benefit your audience or they won't buy your book. To successfully sell your book, you need to know your audience. Who do you intend to read this masterpiece? If you don't write it with them in mind, chances are they won't be interested.

Regular writing schedule. Remember that a book doesn't finish itself. A page a day equals a book a year. Think about your circumstances and evaluate your effort in finishing your book. Commit yourself to a schedule.

Appealing to eyes. Consider writing a book that has as many pictures of illustrations as your budget can afford. Eye appeal in a non-fiction book creates sales. That is one of the reasons tabletop photography books do so well. They are appealing to the eye and make great gifts which will help generate interest in your book and word of mouth about your book will help marketing and sales.

Avoid heavy subjects. Subjects such as controversial topics, social commentaries and scientific theories fall into a niche market, serving only those who agree with your theories and will gain you much unwanted criticism.

Book title. Make sure your book has a catchy title. Try to avoid boring and monotonous titles like, "How to Live Well", etc. An eye catching title that rolls off the tongue easily is a great starter for a good book.

Book Cover. Think about hiring a professional designer for the cover of your book. While the saying goes "You should never judge a book by its cover", people do and they will judge your book by its cover. Find out what designs and images appeal to the target market, and design accordingly. For instance, business books do well with images of lifestyle and money; horror novels do well with an element of blood on the cover.

In the end, you will find you have written a book that sells and that generates an income for you.

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http://www.bookpal.com.au is helping self publishers all around the world to successfully self publish and market their books with cost effective solutions to create bestsellers. The website offers a free book for budding self publishers, and many other free resources. To learn more about how BookPal can help you to get your book published, please register now for your FREE Self-Publishing Consultation.

Terence Tam is the founder of Bookpal, he previously spent 6 years as an academic and was a contributing author for several academic books. Frustrated with the level of service he was getting with traditional publishers, he set up his own self publishing company to help other authors publish and market books with cost effective yet efficient solutions.