Who are you? A writer or a reader? Now, if you are an avid reader, there is a great chance for you to be a good writer as well.
If you are reading this article, there is a great probability that you are looking forward to becoming a best-selling author, in which case, you will want to go through the below-given list of tips that will help you on your writing journey.
Follow Rule Number One – Understand the Trends
The first rule you want to follow to become a prolific writer and best-seller are to research and see what is trending. You will want to give the people what they want by understanding your target readers.
Once you have found your answer to the question – who is your target audience – you will find it easier to write. Also, you will want to keep your purpose in mind. For instance, if you are writing a Christian book, you will want to hire one of the best Christian book editors and ensure that your book is of great quality.
Nonetheless, you will also be doing your research on the purpose of the book. For instance, if you are writing a Christian book, you will want to have full knowledge of any topic you choose. You will also want to identify the audience that would like to read a Christian book and the kind of message they are looking forward to.
You will want to understand that you will need to conduct loads of research even before you start the writing process. You will also want to research the subject that will resonate with your target audience.
You will want to analyze the potential need and how you will reach your ideal readers. You will also want to narrow down the list of main points that you will want to share with your ideal readers.
We recommend using a mind map to outline the key points of your book. This way, you will have a roadmap that you can look at while viewing things from the reader’s perspective and assessing its potential publicity angle when you are marketing your book.
You will want to keep in mind the key factors that will draw your ideal readers to the book. It is essential to mention here that your book is nothing without the cover. Simply put, you might have spent loads of time, effort, and dedication on completing your manuscript and finally having it ready to be released for publication.
Nonetheless, it is the cover of your book that will induce the first impression on potential readers. When it comes to books – all books are essentially judged by their covers, which is why you will want to pay special attention to the book’s cover.
We recommend hiring a professional cover designer for your book as the professional will know how to create a focal point, make the book stand out on the shelves, and eventually get the attention of your ideal readers.
So, researching your topic and your target audience is absolutely mandatory. Subsequently, you will want to focus on the first impression that your book will make on the potential readers. The cover of your book can either make or break the book.
Decide Your Path of Publication
If you want to become a best-seller author, you will want to decide on a publication path. There are two publication paths for authors – they can either opt for self-publication – or – they could opt for the traditional publication route.
Traditional publishing is time-consuming – it is typical for writers to wait for one or two years till they see their books on the bookshelves. Furthermore, if you opt for traditional publication, you must rely on a literary agent who will pique your book to traditional publishing houses.
The potential downside of traditional publishing is that you control nothing. In other words, you depend on nearly everything from the publication house, which will have its in-house team of proofreaders, editors, book designers, and marketers to publish and promote your book.
Conversely, with self-publication, you are essentially in control of nearly everything. However, you will have to invest initially to get your book through the publication process. For instance, it will be your job to hire a book editor, a proofreader, an illustrator, and a book cover designer.
After the publication, you will also have to invest a certain amount in marketing and promoting your book. Nonetheless, on the brighter side, you will be acting independently and in complete control of everything.
When it comes to royalties, most aspiring authors choose self-publication because they get to keep up to 90% of their royalties from subsequent sales. Also, you are in control of determining a suitable price for your book.
However, when it comes to choosing the price, you might want to seek expert advice from someone who has published their book with self-publication. This way, you will avoid overpricing or underpricing your book.
Seek Expert Assistance
You will want to hire experts to help you on your journey of becoming a best-selling author. You might get exhausted from your solo efforts of reaching your ideal readers via emails and attending book launching events.
You will want to hire experts who will then help you generate the much-needed buzz – we all know that traditional media and social media play a central role in promoting, marketing, selling, and generating revenue.
With that said, you must work closely with a branding team to help you land your book on the list of this year’s New York Times best-sellers. It is important to mention here that you shouldn’t be hiring the first team you encounter on the internet – but – again, you will want to do your research and choose to work with a team with a proven record of success with other books and authors.
The team will have your back and integrate a strategy for a marketing campaign that will help you reach the ultimate goal of becoming a best-selling author.