Sunday, December 5, 2010
Writing a Book That Sells
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.
© 2010 Bookpal Australia Pty Ltd - All Rights Reserved Worldwide
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.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Getting Your Children's Book Published
In getting your children's book ready for publishing, you need to consider the following:
Proofreading Your Manuscript
Be certain that there are no errors on your final manuscript, and have someone proofread your final work aside from yourself. In fact, having several people proofread it may be more beneficial.
Page Layout
Make sure your pages are double spaced with a one inch margin all the way around. Each page should not only have the page number, but also the title of the book and your name.
Print Copies
Once you have your manuscript perfected, you need to print out several copies that will ultimately be sent to publishers.
Research Available Publishers
Spend some time researching the available publishers, and plan to contact only the ones who publish children's books. Find a publisher willing to take a chance on a new writer. This can prove to be frustrating as the publishing market is inundated with children's book authors. The best thing is to do your homework first. Know about the publishers you are sending your work to. What do they typically look for when selecting a children's book to publish? Familiarize yourself as well with the company's submission requirements.
Write a Cover Letter
Write a compelling cover letter as to why they should consider your book and what sets it apart from others. Remember this will be the first impression, so make it good.
Send Out Your Manuscript
Once you have done your homework, start sending out your book to potential publishers. For first time authors, it is probably best to stick to smaller publishing houses or local companies. With each manuscript that you send, make sure you follow each publisher's requirements to the letter. Send your manuscript to each publisher, making sure that you address the envelope according to the guidelines.
Keeping Track
Keep a record as to which publishers you've written, the date, and other pertinent information. Once several months have passed since you sent the original manuscript, you can write a brief, polite letter informing them you sent a manuscript and you hope they'd received it. In order to make correspondence easier, include a self addressed stamped envelope.
Now the hardest part is the waiting. Publishers get thousands of manuscripts every day from known authors as well as unknown authors. Be patient if you don't hear anything at first. If you have a good story, you will eventually get a reply.
If it takes a while, don't become discouraged. The publishers have many manuscripts to read, but in the meantime you can continue to send out manuscripts to other publishing companies in hopes of one of them finding interest in your book.
2010 Bookpal Australia Pty Ltd - All Rights Reserved Worldwide
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.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
10 Things You Should Know Before Self Publishing Your Book
Contrary to the popular belief among new authors, self publishing isn't hard to break in to. A lot of self publishing firms offer cover design, proofreading, editing services that goes along with the package you may opt thus making it easier for you. And since self-publishing is an evolving industry with lots of competitors, publishers are continually upgrading their facilities, offering higher quality services, and affordable pricing at your convenience.
2. Have an apparent goal for the book.
Know your objective for writing a book. Is your goal is to simply have a book to give to family and friends or you are serious about your career and have your mind set on a commercial venture with bigger ambition? In that case, quality design work, a comprehensive edit, distribution and a promotional plan are essential. This will help you to decide which service to go with when choosing self publishing company to publish your book.
3. Quality is better.
Today, the quality of self published books is getting pretty solid. Gone are the days of poorly printed books with mediocre edits, which can hinder a powerful message and a potentially successful book.
4. Distinctive title is essential.
Basically, you want to get the maximum SEO for your title when marketing it online, so if and when someone's really looking to buy it they'll find the link for your book and not an older one with the same title.
5. Design a great-looking book cover.
With Amazon becoming a leading bookseller, your book has to be noticeable as a thumbnail image online since that's how a good number of people are going to come across it. If you're mainly selling through Amazon, think small and work your way up.
6. Learn to negotiate.
Self publishing firms frequently offer special deals on their various packages and services. It doesn't harm to ask for free copies of your book and don't hesitate to inquire about deals that have officially expired. Don't forget these companies have quotas and they are more likely to give in to your wishes. In sales, everything is negotiable.
7. Ask questions.
You can get through to your sales or customer service representative with the company you choose so make use of it. Don't be afraid to ask anything.
8. Getting your book in bookstores.
Your best option as a new writer is to ask local, independent book sellers to sell your book. List down independent bookstores around your area, and give them a visit. Even then, don't have high expectation that bookstores will automatically want to promote your book purely because it has been published. The initial contact is important, dress nice to make an impression, and at all times be modest as a self promoter.
9. Marketing and publicity.
Your success as an author who is self publishing a book depends on your commitment to and involvement in publicity and marketing efforts. Try to secure to as many book signings in your local bookstores and book fairs as possible. Using professionally designed posters, postcards and bookmarks can help make for a very successful event. They can draw people's attention effectively at these events.
10. Self publishing firms are established.
Self publishing companies has been in business for quite sometime now and are continually changing for the better offering high-quality services for new authors like you.
© 2010 Bookpal Australia Pty Ltd - All Rights Reserved Worldwide
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 find out more about how the Bookpal team can help you get your ideas into print, click here for your obligation 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.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Print On Demand Publishing Is It For You?
Print On Demand publishing is a technology by which copies of a book can be printed on an as-needed basis. This avoids the need to mass-produce books, leaving crates of surplus copies in storage. Print On Demand publishing was made possible with the development of digital printing.
The largest advantage to Print On Demand publishing is that items such as books and magazines can be printed at a fixed cost per copy, no matter how many copies are being printed. With smaller print runs, this makes Print On Demand much more economical than traditional offset printing. For larger jobs, offset printing can still be the money-saving method, but for many new writers there is not the demand for the number of copies that will make offset printing the wiser choice.
In addition, Print On Demand publishing has a quicker technical setup time, making it more convenient. Since the print run can be as small as a single copy, there is also little or no waste from copies that are not sold or used, and there is little to no need to store a large inventory of printed copies. This reduces storage and accounting costs, and eases the strain of tracking large amounts of stock.
Print On Demand is an excellent resource for new authors. They will print and ship copies directly to an author, with small fees for the service, as well as for managing royalties and, in many cases, listings in online bookstores. Some companies will even offer proofreading and editing services.
Though many authors crave the "big publisher's" stamp of approval on his book, and the credibility that comes with having a professional publishing relationship, there is more than one road to success. There also many success stories with Print On Demand companies.
David Lee Thompson is a 65 year old man living in West Virginia. He was tired of fighting to get his book published, and he felt he was too old to weather the storm of rejection letters that would come his way from the huge publishing houses. He chose to self-publish using a Print On Demand publisher, and he has massively overreached his expectations in selling his book. He was so encouraged that he's now writing a second book.
An ex-police officer in Boston, Frank DeSario, wanted to tell the story of his time in the police force. He had seen some of the most famous and infamous events in Boston's long history, and saw a story worth telling. Because of the specific market he was targeting, he chose to self-publish his book using Print On Demand. His book has not just been successful among his friends and police colleagues. He has sold copies of his book online, to people who saw it and took an interest based on his cover art and synopsis. He continues to draw royalties from his book. Mr. DeSario is a true Print On Demand success story.
Print On Demand publishing is an ideal resource for an author just getting started in the publishing world. A number of authors consider it a great cost-effective way to have their book published without having to invest major cash that can better be utilized on marketing ideas.
It is really up to you to decide whether a print on demand option will work for you and your book. Before making up your mind, it is necessary to educate yourself on all options and make an informed decision based on what you've learned. Also remember that all print on demand companies aren't created equal, so if you decide this is the best option for you, research the companies and choose one which best suits your needs.
© 2010 Bookpal Australia Pty Ltd - All Rights Reserved Worldwide
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 find out more about how the Bookpal team can help you get your ideas into print, click here for your obligation 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.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Self Publishing: Truths & Lies
Being anxious to see your work bound and printed is a feeling that all authors have experienced at some point or another, but being too anxious may result in poor decisions that you’ll regret later. So before you join the bandwagon in self publishing your book, let us consider the truths and lies about self publishing.
Lie: Self publishing is expensive. Some writers and authors say that starting with your own cost too much financially.
Truth: Self publishing is easy and affordable. Contrary to the popular belief among new authors, self publishing isn’t hard to break in to and cost little too. Since self-publishing is an evolving industry with lots of competitors, publishers are continually upgrading their facilities, offering higher quality services, and affordable pricing at your convenience.
Here's how it works. You select a size for your book, format your Word manuscript to fit that size, turn your Word doc into a PDF, create some cover art in Photoshop, turn that into a PDF, and upload it all to the self-publisher of your choosing. Depending on the level of service you choose, it can be as easy as uploaded an unformatted word document to the self-publishing service provider, and voila! They produce a completed book for you!
Lie: Self publishing companies offer low-quality services.
Truth: Self publishing firms are here to stay. They have been in business for quite sometime now and are continually changing for the better offering high-quality services for new authors like you. The standard of many self publishing companies are quite solid. The sole giveaway that you are offering a self-published book would be if the cover were poorly designed so you have to make sure the company you work with has a great track record to back them up such as testimonials/ feedbacks from their clients.
Lie: All self-publishing companies don't care whether you believe they're your ticket to instant fame and fortune. They will make you believe how easy it is to make it to Oprah’s book club.
Truth: A reputable, honest self-publishing company will tactfully attempt to manage your expectations. They will inform you that it's nearly impossible to make Oprah's book club even if you're traditionally published. They'll explain how much sweat and toil it would take to sell any copies of your book at all once it's published but will assure you of their support and assistance in marketing your book.
Lie: Your book will sell right away as soon as it’s off from the printing press.
Truth: Even if your book is great, there's a great chance it will not sell. Book sales will be slow at first which is very common among new authors. This is where your marketing plan comes into effect. Don’t give up, persistence is the key to sales when you self publish a book.
Lie: Only use services of big publishing companies.
Truth: Should you elect to self-publish, you're encouraged to shop around. The big guys aren't always your best bet. Many smaller publishers offer excellent service at affordable prices. It all depends on your needs and how much assistance you are looking for.
Self publishing is easier to learn than you may think if you take the time and do your research and take things one step at a time.
To continue reading click here...
© 2010 Bookpal Australia Pty Ltd - All Rights Reserved Worldwide
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.
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.
Monday, March 1, 2010
How you can actually become a published author in just a matter of weeks!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Book Publishing on the Internet
The immediate response to this suggestion may be, "Why use online book publishing? Isn't that giving my work away for free?" The answer is yes, of course, but no more or less free than writing a public blog. The reason to publish your book online is simple: It gets people reading it.
Publishing online is a wise chose if you are new to the book publishing world, getting people to read and respond to your work is the most challenging aspect of your quest to publish your book. You can make your book very easy to find, and save a great deal of money on postage stamps, by publishing your book online and inviting people to view it on the Internet.
There are several authors that give 'lite edition' or 'teasers' through online publishing, you are able to put a fraction of your work online just enough to get the audience hooked, leading them to buying the full version!
Online publishing can be simple, with any word processor, it's easy to save your book as an HTML file that is uploadable to the Internet. Once you've done that, it is a small matter to get web hosting and publish your book online.
The best way to publish your book online is to host your own website, which you can do for very reasonable pricing, and link to your book from there. Once you publish your book on your website, you enable two of the big benefits of online publishing.
First, if you promote your book, you will increase traffic to your website. Traffic will increase to your web site if your book appears in search engine results.
Secondly, some publishers and editors actually search the Internet periodically for books published online. As an result of online publishing, you could be the next writer that publisher are interested to approach.
Online publishing is an extremely inexpensive and easy way to promote your book, it can be an excellent jump start to your publishing career!
(c) 2010 Bookpal Australia Pty Ltd - All Rights Reserved Worldwide
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 find out more about how the Bookpal team can help you get your ideas into print, click here now for your obligation f.r.e.e. self-publishing consultation.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Four Essential Tips That Should Help You in Book Printing
• Ensure that the book is in the proper format:
There is a format that should be followed before submitting the book to be published. Appropriate editing procedures, including correction of sentence structures and eliminating grammatical mistakes, must be done before the book is published.
Bear in mind that the printing company does not verify these before subjecting the book to printing.You will have to submit the completed book in the format specified by the publisher, usually in PDF format. It is best to get a professional typesetter to finalize your book before submitting, or some of the book printing services will also offer this service.
• Decide on the type of book printing service you will use.
Offset printers print longer run books: 500+ and digital printers print short run books of 1-500 normally. Consider using a POD (print on demand) service if it is available. This means you can have as little as one single book printed at a time. No inventory, no massive capital outlays and garages of unsold books. The per unit cost will be higher but your risk drops dramatically.
• Find the best publishing service that suits your needs.
A few companies have started this business of accepting work online and printing them in offline (real world) machinery. Make sure to look into the payment options accepted by the publisher. Also decide whether you want to engage a simple book printer, or a full service self publishing firm.
A book printer will only have book printing services but you may save money on the print component. However, that often means you will need to run around and spend a lot of time getting the other services of your book done separately, which in the end, may cost you more. The ancillary services include typesetting, editing, book cover design, book marketing services, and illustration services.
• Check out their book quality
Some agencies will pack and ship the printed books shabbily. Furthermore printers that do not normally specialize in book printing will often make mistakes since they are not experienced in book printing techniques.
So make sure you find a specialist book printing service. A testimonial section listing the feedback of the previous clients should be present on the website. This should give you an idea of the credibility of the company.
Being able to ask for a sample copy is useful.Some printers are in the habit of printing a test copy and mailing the client for approval. If the company you are looking at provides this service, it is a good sign that the company takes business seriously. Sometimes you may have to pay for the samples but it is better to do that than be caught with a bunch of low quality books.
Hopefully this article gives you some good basic insight into book printing. Good luck!
(c)2010 Bookpal Australia Pty Ltd - All Rights Reserved Worldwide
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 ==> Click Here to Register Now!