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| Category: Books |
Date published: September 4, 2005 |
Top 10 Questions to Ask Yourself before You Write another Book
by Judy Cullins
Many new authors start writing their second and third book when the ink is barely dry with their first one. As a bookcoach for 20 years, please understand that this is insane. Wait a year or two to create new print, ebooks, CD's or cassettes.
Why? Because you need to learn the best, proven offline and online promotion techniques, and apply them to one book at a time. Just because your first book isn't selling well doesn't mean you should write another one--that if it doesn't get promotion attention, will not sell well either.
Before you write another book, ask yourself these questions?
1. Why would I do that? Think of the time spent writing and editing. These activities make you no money. You will only make money when you market/promote your book. To me that means that just because I spend a lot of months getting book done and feel worn out and whipped, I shouldn't stop there. I need to promote it to get known before I write another book.
Your bookcoach says a good ratio is write 50% of the time and market 50% of the time. If you spend 5-15 hours a week writing your book, then you need to spend at least that much to promote it.
Your cost of book promotion comes back to your 10-fold. If your audience doesn't know about your book, they can't buy it, can they?
2. Will the next book or related product make me more money, make me more well-known?
Probably not. The very best # one product is either a print or eBook. Yes, you can self-publish it with a little help from professionals. It's worth the money to make your book more saleable and done right the first time because a book that isn't written with sales in mind, and doesn't sell well is a big $ and time loss for the authors.
3. Why do I feel I need to write another book now?
4. Will this new book sustain my business message for my target market?
To promote to your first book's audience first is a direct hit that takes less time and money. Once you know your audience and where they can be contacted (the internet, of course) then you can do an 8 month promotion plan that gets your first book noticed and selling. That's just a little time really when you think of the writing time you spent.
5. Will this new book directly connect to the last one so that my book is treated as a business to position my company well?
Maybe your niche is romance fiction. Then make sure you next book fits that category. For myself, my niche is bookcoaching, so every book and teleclass I give are connected to business people who want to brand their business with a book. That includes how to write a saleable book the first time. That includes how to promote online and off. It involves how to write a selling web site before a client calls a web master.
6. Will I write and publish s new book, will my audience still want my first book?
Think about your business. You already have a viable title. Then get it out to your targeted audience before you write its sequel or update. One thing I know for sure, only the top 3 titles of my ten books sell well.
7. Will I have the time to put 3-9 hours a week into promoting the first book and the second book? From my experience, I can only promote one book at a time. Ask yourself are you just replacing and older book with a new one?
You want to give your first book a two-three year run with active online promotion as well as traditional. Traditional marketing is so much slower and reaps fewer profits than the Online way. Need a little coaching? Check our your coach's web site for free articles or call your local high school to get some Online basics first.
8. Do I want to spend a lot more money and time on a project that may not be right at this time? It's a shame that authors get tired of their book before their public has a chance to know it. Your top to do is always to focus on what brings you business or book sales. Your book project is more than just writing, be sure to follow through well on your first book, then see if you should produce another one.
9. Does my target audience really want this second book title I'm thinking about now?
Do a market survey first to your present audience and other email lists. Ask them would they buy a new book with these benefits and features? Knowing each book's benefits and features (why should your audience buy) and sharing them in your back cover, web sales letter or emails is all important to give your prospective readers a reason to buy.
10. Will I have enough focus to first sell book number one before I add another? Am I willing to do 2-3 High Level Activities each day to get my book into the hands of its readers? Do I have a ready to go sound bite or tell and sell on my book to help people buy?
Make sure that when you write another book, you have time to market it and it serves your business purpose.
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Top 10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Write Another Book
Judy Cullins
©2005 All Rights Reserved
Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small business people who want to make a difference in people's lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Judy is author of 10 eBooks including Write your eBook or Other Short Book Fast, Ten Non-Techie Ways to Market Your Book Online, The Fast and Cheap Way to Explode Your Targeted Web Traffic, and Power Writing for Web Sites That Sell. She offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, "The BookCoach Says...," "Business Tip of the Month," and blog Q & A at www.bookcoaching.com and over 185 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com.
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