Different by Design starts with transparency.

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Like many in the self-publishing industry, we are happy to talk about the benefits of self-publishing.  But at What if? Publishing, we also challenge our authors who intend to self-publishing to consider the following:

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• The Tradeoff. Writing the book is the easiest part of the self-publishing process. Earning all of the royalties implies that you will be responsible for the social media and marketing of your book. Whether you do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you, are you prepared for that? 

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• Your Story Matters. There are many decisions to be made when self-publishing a book. To be effective, these decisions need to be solely based on your book. Reading the book provides the insights necessary to answer the inevitable questions. Do you know who’s reading your book? 

 

• Start With The End In Mind. So you have a story to tell or a manuscript already written. Congratulations. But have you given thought to what you want from the published work? To make sure that your published book gets you to where you want to be you need to clearly define your goal, then orient all publishing activities to that goal.​

 

• You Need To Do Your Homework. Increasingly, we are a consumer culture driven by reviews, testimonials, likes, tweets, and stars. To get a reader’s attention, you need to make it easy for them to understand who you are. Knowing who your direct competitors are, who they market to, what their marketing and social media strategy is and looks like, will make it easier for you to target similar readers.  

 

• Books Are Judged By Their Cover. It’s the first thing a potential reader will see. As such, the choice of a cover design is the most important decision you will make. The cover design needs to stand up to the competition and reflect the genre, tone and message of your work. The cover design is not an expense but an investment.  

 

• Sales Do Not Just Happen. There are currently over 48 million titles listed on Amazon. To stand out and be found, you need a plan to generate sales of your book. And the worst time to work on the plan is after the book is published.  Building your marketing plan should be done at the same time you are working on the design of the book. 

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• It’s Your Money. Self-publishing is an investment. Not only do you need to understand the costs involved, but you need to clearly understand the revenue potential. What is your break even? Do you understand the profit margin of your books on a direct sale, fulfillment consignment, and keystone basis? You need to because the profit margins are in the details.

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• Your Team Matters. Do you know who is working on your book? Are they totally vested in your success or are they offshore or contract talent? Do you have their phone number? Are they available to answer your questions or concerns?

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• One And Done Is A Hard Strategy. The best way to sell your first book is to write a second book. Have you thought about what comes next after your first book is published and selling?

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• The Choice Is Yours. Sometimes you don’t know what you need or want until you see it. You may not even know what your choices are. And you always have a choice. If you are not making the decisions for your book, who is?  

 

At What If? Publishing, we work through these types of issues with our clients as part of our publishing process. Different by design.

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Feel free to look at our Author testimonials, our portfolio of work or schedule a Free 1-Hour consultation.

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