Writing a book is a challenging and daunting project to take on. Many of our clients often think that having the idea itself is the most important part – but actually writing, promoting, and launching the book is where the real work begins.
But where do you start? If that’s the question that is always at the front of your mind when you start thinking about your book project, this blog will help you get some clarity.
Part of the reason a project like this feels overwhelming is because you likely feel that there is no roadmap or guide to help you through the process of creating, publishing and launching your book. But that’s exactly what we have created at Write Business Results, in the form of our Content Creation ProcessTM and Best Seller Book Launch marketing campaign.
Here’s an overview of our roadmap – if you want to learn more about the stops along the way, make sure you speak to us at EMC 2022 this week in London, where we’ll be giving away some amazing insights into our processes and have some special offers on our services too!
1 – Start with a solid plan for your book’s content
So much of your book’s success depends on your plan. When you’re writing for an entrepreneurial audience, you need to make sure you’re ticking all the boxes your readers will be looking for – which is why having a plan is essential.
Our Business Book Brief™ will give you a comprehensive plan to help you gain clarity over your message and who you’re writing for. It also guides you through how to structure all of the incredible knowledge and expertise you have into chapters that will draw your readers in and keep them until the final page!
2 – Find an editor who has technical knowledge and EQ
Whether you’re writing the first draft of your book yourself or you’re planning to get support with this part of the process, you’ll still need an editor. The key to producing a successful book is finding an editor who combines strong technical knowledge with emotional intelligence.
The latter is more important than you might imagine – but trust me when I tell you that it can make all the difference to how captivating your content is. I’ll discuss this in my talk: “Emotions Over Logic: Creating and Promoting A Book That Sparks A Reaction”, which I’ll be delivering on Day 2 of EMC (December 1st at 3pm).
In that talk, I’ll also cover book launches and the content that supports them. Specifically how you use blogs, podcasts, and other organic content to keep your message going and get a return on your investment in your book.
If you can´t make it to EMC this year, you could also check out our blog post on the role of editor, written by our own Senior Editor, Kat.
3 – Choose your publishing route
There are various options when it comes to publishing your business book, whether that’s to self-publish on Amazon, get a deal with a traditional publisher, or work with a hybrid publisher.
If you have your heart set on getting a publishing deal, you’ll need to prepare a knock-out submissions document to make sure your book gets noticed by commissioning editors. The great news is that if you’ve planned your book well (and have a solid plan for your launch, which I’ll come to in a moment) then a lot of your publisher’s submission will write itself!
4 – Create a plan for your book launch
A book launch isn’t only about the day your book becomes available to the world – it includes weeks of promotional activity in the run-up to launch day, and then more weeks of marketing activity once your book is available to buy.
There are a lot of moving parts to a book launch campaign and you need all of them to work together, especially if you have ambitions of getting coveted Amazon Best Seller status.
All the authors whose books have been put through our Best Seller Book Launch marketing campaign in 2022 have achieved Amazon Best Seller status in at least one of their book’s categories (many of them achieve number one in multiple categories!).
The campaigns we run get results and we have refined them over the years to make sure you’re hitting all the right milestones along the way. What’s more, we help our authors put long-term content creation plans in place to ensure they really do get the most out of the messages they share in their books.
The result? Books that deliver time and again, helping our authors get their message in front of more of the right people.
If you want to learn more about what it takes to achieve publishing success, make sure you come and speak to us at EMC this week.
As well as speaking at this year’s conference, I’ll be there with our Head of Content, Ivan, to talk about all things book, book marketing, blog, and podcast.
We’ll also be offering some unique opportunities, giveaways, and discounts to EMC attendees – so make sure you stop by our stand.
Can’t make EMC this year? I’d still love to chat about your book and help you plan your route to publishing success. Book a clarity call if you’d like to get your book underway in time for the new year!