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Articles by Gail Richards
Self-Published Authors: A New Market Niche For The Virtual Assistant
More and more people are publishing their own books as independent publishers rather than waiting and hoping to find a traditional publisher who will appreciate their work. The virtual assistant is becoming a key component in the success of these efforts.
Marketing Virtual Assistant Services To Authors
Although objectively I know there are far more authors in need of virtual 'author's assistant' services than there are trained virtual assistants to meet their needs, the first question I hear from someone considering adding to their virtual skills to work with authors is: "How do I know I can find clients if I invest in getting additional training to work with authors?"
The 4 Biggest Reasons Every Author Should Count On An Author's Assistant
Every big-time author has an author's assistant - someone the author can call on to do the amazing number of tasks that surround the successful completion, publishing and marketing of a book. But first-time authors are lucky - they can have author's assistants, too - virtually.
The 7 Biggest Opportunities For The Virtual Assistant As An Author's Assistant
The occupation of the author's assistant has been around for at least two hundred years, but it has taken on new meaning and relevance over the past few years with the increasing number of authors who are self publishing as a virtual process.
Getting The Media Attention Your Book Deserves
You should always be listening for news that might make your book an important resource to anyone suddenly concerned with an issue. Always have your media kit ready so that if the opportunity presents itself, you will be ready.
So You've Decided To Write A Book - The Good News And The Bad News About Sharing The News
The decision to write a book is: • Exciting and exhilarating • Overwhelming • Stress-inducing • One of those life experiences that kind of find you going from euphoria to total depression in three seconds flat
The Five Key Marketing Elements Critical To Publisher Interest In A Nonfiction Book
The author's platform is her established audience following and the way to reach readers through a large database, syndicated radio show, national television show, magazine column, large and well-known company—in other words, name recognition on a large scale.
If your book is published by a mainstream publisher, the publisher will have the responsibility to set a price for the book. But if you self-publish, that task is yours. To price a book correctly to maximize sales, you need to know how other similar types of books are priced, as well as the costs of the book, in order to maximize your profits.
Book Expo America For The Author Or Aspiring Author
Book Expo America is the book industry’s largest annual U. S. event where publishers exhibit their next season books to retail book buyers. The event rotates around Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C, and Los Angeles, and occasionally to other major cities. It is held in late May or early June, and attendance is usually more than 30,000 with over 2,000 exhibitors.
Bestsellers And Book Sales Expectations
Most new authors have no idea how book sales happen or what numbers to expect. A typical successful book from a major publisher sells between 20,000 and 40,000 copies. Healthy book sales from a smaller publisher may number at least 5,000 copies, whereas a self-published book may be considered promising if it sells as few as 1,000 copies to a wide audience.
Is Self Publishing The Right Choice For You And Your Book?
Self-publishing, although not a new phenomenon, is now a legitimate acceptable route to a published book for an author. In the self-publishing model, the author keeps the rights to his or her book but pays all the costs for producing, printing, and marketing the book and other ancillary products.
Women’s Writing: Ten Ways To Increase Your Power Through Language
It’s the thing we don’t talk about. We want to write successful books, but we’re not 110% sure of our ideas, or we’re afraid they will be judged. The bad news: That message is coming through loud and clear in your writing. Your readers can sense that insecurity reading between the lines. The good news: There are ten things women can do to increase the power of their writing and their influence.
Non-Fiction Book Marketing – And Art And A Science To Success
How you market your book depends on the subject matter, your ability to speak well on the message, your ability to attract attention for the book, current trends in the world market, and a variety of other factors. Regardless of how you specifically market your book, do not underestimate the time, energy, and tenacity it takes to do it well.
Why You Need To Listen To That Voice In Your Head That’s Telling You To Write A Book
It is really annoying, isn’t it? That voice in your head? You know the one. It keeps taunting you that you really ought to write a book. It keeps nagging you to pay attention to that book in you that is screaming to get out.
The Top Seven Reasons Publishers Reject Nonfiction Book Proposals
Publishers are deluged with manuscripts and book proposals, and must review thousands each year in hopes of finding the few that will become high-quality, best selling books. What authors don’t know is that publishers reject most of these after spending less than one minute reviewing them.
The New Financial Realities Of Book Publishing
Especially if you self-publish, you will want to set up a financial model. While no one can tell you with any certainty how many books you can expect to sell, you can be precise about what you will spend to get an idea of how many books you must sell to break even and then turn a profit.
Ten Things Rookie Authors Do To Mess Up Their Non-Fiction Book Success
First time authors just don’t know what they don’t know. Learn and be better prepared to maximize your potential for book sales and publishing success. Here are the top ten things we find that are most likely to sabotage that first book effort:
Book Proposals – Strategies To Get Yours To The Top Of The Stack
If you decide a traditional publisher is right for you, then you will need to create a world-class book proposal. The book proposal is a business plan for your book. You are attempting to convince a publisher of two things: that this is an idea on a topic that will sell and that you have the credibility and marketing connections to make the sales happen.
Return On Investment Of A Non-Fiction Book To The Author
A soft cover book, perhaps 6” x 9” or other industry standard size for a trade paperback would be priced retail anywhere from $12 to $30 for consumer distribution, up to $50 for a professional book, and even higher for a textbook. An add-on CD might be $20, and a book plus CD package might sell for $40 minimum.
The Essential Media Kit For The Nonfiction Author
One of the most vital items an author must have in hardcopy and online is a media kit. Keep it in PDF format, and you will have everything you need in one place.
Defining Your Audience And Positioning Your Book Is Critical For Success
The more clearly you can define your audience—and identify their precise needs—the better you are positioned to develop a book and create sales pieces that address those needs.
Book Marketing Plan – Don’t Write A Word Without It
Your marketing plan provides an opportunity for you to consider the strategy you will take to get your book to your audience. Regardless of who publishes your book, the primary responsibility for marketing it successfully falls to you as the author. Generating your marketing plan before you write your book will help ensure that your book content, cover, publishing, and distribution all work together and support your marketing efforts.
The Seven Deadly Sins For Non-Fiction Writing
Even the most compelling writing and subject can fail if you let the small irritations get in the way of that connection with your reader. Make your writing worth reading and take it from good to great by avoiding these seven pitfalls.
Ten Powerful Strategies To Write A Nonfiction Bestseller
Many people not only want to author a book, but they want the book to be commercially successful. If you want to write a book that is a best seller, there are things you need to do in the creation of the book.
Traditional Or Self Publishing – Which Is Right For Your Nonfiction Book?
Until a few years ago, authors considered self-publishing only after being turned down by traditional publishers. Times have changed. Because publishers now shift much of the business and promotional responsibilities to their authors, all of them must be active participants in order to succeed.
Do You Need Permission To Use That Quote In Your Book?
As you write your own book, you may find you want to use material that has been previously published. You might want to cite a research study, or use a quote from a famous person. In some situations, you are free to do that, but in many others you have to request permission from the organization that published the information or from the person who you want to quote.