{"id":4952,"date":"2013-09-24T17:35:02","date_gmt":"2013-09-24T17:35:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/buildbookbuzz.com\/?p=4952"},"modified":"2023-12-07T21:38:18","modified_gmt":"2023-12-07T21:38:18","slug":"invest-in-your-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sandra.oddjar.com\/invest-in-your-book\/","title":{"rendered":"Invest in your book"},"content":{"rendered":"

Not too long ago, books were written by professional writers who signed traditional publishing contracts and were paid advances against royalties for their work. The publishers did their best to market those books so everyone made money.<\/p>\n

Authors wrote and publishers did the rest.<\/p>\n

My, how things have changed.<\/p>\n

Today, authors need to be good at everything involved in getting books to readers:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Book writing<\/li>\n
  2. Book publishing<\/li>\n
  3. Book promotion<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    It can be overwhelming if you don’t get help.<\/p>\n

    1. Book writing<\/h3>\n

    The reality today is that because there are so many ways to self-publish now, authors aren’t necessarily “writers” anymore. Even so, while you might have a good story to tell, you have to learn how to tell it in an engaging way and without spelling, grammar, and structure errors. Nobody has the time to read anything that isn’t well-written.<\/p>\n

    If you’re not a professional writer, invest in your book by taking a writing course online or in-person at a community college. As a writer, you always need feedback that helps you see your strengths and weaknesses \u00a0and improve how you communicate.<\/p>\n

    2. Book publishing<\/h3>\n

    Many authors are also self-publishing now in one form or another. You’re either paying a company to “manufacture” your book or you’re \u00a0partnering with a publisher that isn’t paying you an advance, but isn’t charging you publishing fees, either. With\u00a0so many publishing options<\/a> available, you want to investigate all models before selecting one.<\/p>\n

    Research the publishing companies you’re considering before signing a contract. Pay an attorney to review and explain the contract to you. The inter-web is littered with sad stories from authors who didn’t understand what they were getting when they signed their contracts.<\/p>\n

    3. Book promotion<\/h3>\n

    Understand that regardless of the publishing model you use, you have to be your own book promoter. This applies to authors with advances from traditional book publishers, too. All publishers expect and need their authors to publicize and promote their books.<\/p>\n

    This is where I can help. I’m teaching three “Book Publicity 101” courses online during four weeks in October. The three options are specialized for:<\/p>\n