Not long ago, if you wanted to write a a course in miracles and get it published, you had to work with a traditional publisher. But in recent years, finding a publisher has become increasingly difficult, because traditional publishers have become very risk averse. In other words, if they don’t feel sure that they can at least earn back their investment in a book, they won’t publish it. First time authors have an especially tough time finding a publisher in this environment.
E books have changed the equation however. They’ve revolutionized the publishing world by giving everyday people just like you the power to create their own books.
If you are a business owner, e books can be extremely effective tools for promoting your services or products and showcasing your professional knowledge and expertise. And, if you simply have a great story to tell, e-books are a great way to do that too.
Here is a quick step-by-step overview of what it takes to turn your book ideas into real live e books:
1. Create your manuscript in Word, get it professionally edited so you can be sure that your text is problem-free, and then convert the edited document into a PDF file.
2. Get a cover designed.
3. Apply for an ISBN (short for International Standard Book Number, a 10-digit number that identifies your book) and a copyright.
4. Choose the platform/s you’ll use to sell your book. For example, you may want to create a special web site dedicated to your book and/or you can sell your book at your business’ existing web site. If you decide to create a site just for your book and don’t want to hire a professional web builder to do it for you, there are some excellent, easy-to-use and extremely affordable DIY options. You should also arrange to have online bookstores sell your book and make sure that your book will be available for the Kindle and the iPad.
5. Choose a shopping cart feature so that orders for your book can be processed from your web site.
6. Develop and implement a marketing plan for your e book. It’s not enough to write a great book. You’ve got to let potential buyers know about it and give them a reason to buy it. Book marketing, including traditional publicity and an aggressive online marketing effort, that may include a blog tour, blogging at your web site, the use of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, AdWords, online articles, webinars, message boards and more, is essential.
You can pursue the e book publishing process on your own or with the help of an e book consultant. Whatever route you take, I hope your book is a best seller!
For more than 23 years I’ve been helping business owners and individuals turn their dreams of getting published into reality. As the owner of MR•PR, a marketing and public relations firm, I can ghostwrite or co-author your book and guide you through the publishing process. (I’ve ghosted or co-authored 21 books, including books published by traditional publishers, print on demand publishers and e books.) I also have years of experience marketing books for large and small publishing houses, as well as for independent authors.
