Authorship isn't as romantic and magical as some think. Here are some of the things I tell authors that really annoy them, but are true.<\/em><\/pre>\n
Sometimes people approach authorship optimistically\u2026and without much knowledge of what\u2019s really involved with writing, publishing, and marketing a quality book that people want to read.<\/p>\n
And for some, there is no better feeling than forgetting about the time as you craft a story or write a nonfiction book chapter that you know your audience will love reading.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s not all rainbows and unicorns. And, sad to say, I\u2019m often forced to point that out.<\/p>\n
My intention is never to dissuade or discourage. My goal is always to help you understand what’s involved and what’s likely to happen. It’s about helping you manage your expectations while maximizing success.<\/p>\n
5 things I tell authors that really annoy them<\/h2>\n
My reality checks can annoy people, though. In spite of that, I continue, because knowledge really is power.<\/p>\n
With that in mind, here are just five of the things I tell authors that really annoy them.<\/p>\n
Each is important for anyone hoping to bring to readers a book people truly want to read.\u00a0Understanding them will help you sell more books.<\/p>\n
Thing 1. You will probably have to self-publish your book.<\/h2>\n
This is the most annoying thing I tell authors. I hate saying it, but it’s true.<\/p>\n
This is the case even for professional writers who got book contracts years ago — including me.<\/p>\n
It used to be that if you were a good writer and had a marketable idea that you could show demand for, you had at least a shot at a traditional publishing contract<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Now, it’s often more about how many copies you can sell than it is about your ability to write a marketable manuscript.<\/strong> That’s what ghostwriters are for, after all.<\/p>\n
Most authors-to-be don’t have a platform<\/a> that will guarantee a significant number of book sales, so they have to abandon the traditional publishing approach and opt for an alternative. Whether you go with a hybrid, assisted, or do-it-yourself publishing model<\/a>, it’s still a form of self-publishing.<\/p>\n
Thing 2. You are responsible for marketing your book, regardless of your publishing model.<\/h2>\n
Authors often tell me they\u2019re pursuing a traditional publishing contract because they \u201cdon\u2019t like to do marketing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bwahahaha!<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t matter what publishing model you use. If you want to sell books, you have to actively and continually market your book<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n
On the traditional and small press side, your publisher will do as much as it can to support your book. But that\u2019s often limited to sending reviewing copies. Because resources are limited, they can\u2019t put a lot of time, energy, and money into anything but those books that are expected to be blockbusters.<\/p>\n
[novashare_tweet tweet=”It doesn\u2019t matter what publishing model you use. If you want to sell books, you have to actively and continually market your book.” hide_hashtags=”true”]<\/span><\/p>\n
Sometimes they can’t even provide a great deal of support for books they\u2019ve spent a lot to acquire.<\/p>\n
For example, because one of my book marketing coaching<\/a> clients got a six-figure advance for his nonfiction book on a popular topic with widespread appeal, we both expected his publisher to put some marketing muscle into it to recoup its investment. Surprisingly, the marketing was limited to sending review copies and creating a landing page with links to online retailers.<\/p>\n
My author had to do the rest. So do you.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s up to you to make your book a success.<\/strong><\/p>\n
Thing 3. “Everybody” isn’t going to buy your book.<\/h2>\n
Last month, an author in a LinkedIn book marketing group asked, \u201cDoes this site help you promote yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n
When I asked what she writes, she said fiction, adding, \u201cAnyone can read my novels.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s true.\u00a0But they won\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Most of us don\u2019t read anything and everything. We have favorite fiction genres.<\/strong><\/p>\n
I noted that she wanted to put her effort into getting her book in front of her target audience. Where she will find them<\/a> depends on the types of novels she writes and who enjoys reading them.<\/p>\n
Many of the book marketing group’s members might read novels, but they don’t log in to LinkedIn hoping to find novels to buy. LinkedIn is a business networking site that people use for professional, rather than personal reasons.<\/p>\n