The Author's Business Plan | Writing and Publishing News

In order to determine the potential for a product, you develop a business plan. When that product is a book, you write a book proposal.

Even before writing a book, there are certain things that you need to know. And this is true whether you?re writing a memoir, novel, children?s storybook, chapbook, historical, how-to, self-help or coffee table book. If you are seeking some measure of success with your book project, you must find out:

? Is there a market for this book?
? What titles compete with yours?
? How does your book differ from others on this topic?
? Will your novel appeal to the same audiences as other top selling books?
? Who is your target audience and how can you reach them?
? What are your publishing options?
? What are the possible consequences of your publishing choices?
? What are your responsibilities as a published author?
? How will you promote your book once it is published?

A well designed book proposal will answer these important questions. It will also help you to determine:

? How realistic is your vision for this book?
? What is the best way to organize or present your book?
? How can you make it more salable?

I?m one of many professionals who recommend writing a book proposal even before writing the book. You might argue (and believe me, many new authors do), ?But, I?m in creative mode?I need to write this book now.? Sure, go ahead and write a book on a whim. I?ve done it. It?s great fun?an enjoyable exercise. But should you decide that this book must be published, be aware that you might need to do some rewriting in order to snag a traditional publisher or to address a measurable segment of readers to make your book worthwhile.

Memoir authors seem especially reluctant to let anything outside of them influence their book. I was told recently, ?This is my memoir and it must be told my way.? Okay, but if you write a book proposal first, you might discover even subtle ways to make your memoir more desirable to a publisher and, even more important, your audience.

But even an excellent book will fail if there?s nobody promoting it. And promotion is the author?s job. So, while you are planning your book, you should also be building your platform.

Establish Your Platform Before Writing the Book
Your platform is your reach, your way of attracting readers, your connections to your audience. It includes your mailing lists and your promotional skills, for example. If your platform is lacking, here are some steps to take.

? Become a better public speaker. Join a Toastmasters club. Seek opportunities to practice your speaking skills. Go out and speak on your topic, if applicable. If you?re writing a historical novel, establish a connection with local, regional and state historical societies, clubs and associations where you might give talks, etc.

? Prepare to give readings. This is a popular method of promoting fiction books or memoirs. Do you have a good reading voice? If you need voice work, get help. And then go out and practice.

? Write articles for national magazines on your topic or in your genre.

? Become columnist or regular contributor to a Web site, newsletter or magazine related to your topic.

? Seek an endorsement for your book or support for your project from a well-known national organization.

? Establish and nurture connections with high profile people in your field or genre.

? Build a massive mailing list and keep adding to it.

? Build a Web site and start a blog related to your book. Offer something of value and promote, promote, promote.

? Take a class or read several good books about promotion in general and book promotion in particular.

? Become familiar with appropriate talk TV and radio shows nationwide and how to land interviews.

? Do something newsworthy.

The book proposal is so important that there have been whole books written on the topic. For complete information on writing your book proposal, reference my latest book, Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author. This is an all-inclusive book on the publishing industry and how you can more successfully navigate it. It?s available at Amazon.com and most other online and downtown bookstores.

The Author?s Series continues tomorrow with a lesson on the importance of and how to keep your audience in mind while you?re writing your book.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 22nd, 2012 at 5:00 am and is filed under Authorship, Book Proposals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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