Every book has a starting point for its journey. Along the way, the author sharpens their ideas and gathers the tools to be successful. Start with:
#1 Be smart from the get-go!
Savvy authors learn quickly that books are a business. Creating cobwebs in your garage or basement shouldn’t be an option.
Knowing what your book cost (really cost, not an estimate—that means you crunch the numbers so you have a true unit/book cost); knowing who your reader and buyer is (it is not everybody—get off that soap box); knowing how to drill down in your market to become the whale in the pond (much better than the sardine in the ocean); and learning how to position yourself outside and beyond the traditional book sales path (the bookstore) assures that you will move books.
#2 Get the right people on your team … the sooner, the better.
Creating and selling a book is not a solo operation. Whether it’s assistance in the creation; the layout; the design; editing; the marketing; the electronic world; foreign rights; or any of the other publishing avenues you find yourself in, don’t go it alone. Learn from other’s mistakes.
Don’t be afraid to ask other authors—Who have you worked with and would you want to work with them again on another book? Did they create stress … or de-stress the process?
#3 Get the wrong people off your team immediately … today.
If a consultant, supplier vendor, representative, or seller isn’t working, dump them. Books usually don’t get second chances; neither do authors. If someone is the wrong fit, open the door and move them out. Don’t let loyalty to someone because you like them (or were referred) create a hazard. If it isn’t working, it isn’t working. Get off the bus.
