So you want to publish a book and do not know where to start?

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So you want to publish a book and don’t know where to start?  The good news is this isn’t a problem but means you are completely normal and just like everyone else. How can you possibly know where to start if you are doing something you have never done before and therefore don’t know what you don’t know about it.

As such I decided to write some quick tips to help you out. The key thing you need to know is you must start with the end in mind. In other words line up why you want to publish a book with how you plan to distribute your book and the rest of the process can flow from there.

Why are you publishing a book

I want to fulfil a dream – you must distribute your book yourself as there is no greater way to get satisfaction from publishing books then to be meeting your target market on a regular basis and seeing the changes you book has made in their lives.

I want to earn a passive income – you must distribute your book online as this is the quickest way to get the highest  financial returns with the least amount of ongoing work involved.

I want to gain credibility – you must distribute your book via bookstores as this method only works if media attention is involved and if the media is talking about you and your book so is everyone else.

Where to start for each process

Self Distribution – this only involves your time and you can set it up for free. Organise to speak for free anywhere you target market will be in return for being allowed to sell copies of your book afterwards. You can design and print your own order form to be completed by customers on the day and if you promote your events via social media there will be no marketing costs involved either.

Online Distribution – this has the highest set up costs but the lowest ongoing costs. Start with what you can afford eg. a template (customed designed to match the branding of your book), a content managed website (so you can edit it yourself) and a shopping cart (to automate the selling process for you). You can grow the functionalities of your store from the profits it brings in.

Bookstore Distribution –  this has no set up costs as such but a low returns on investment so it’s a numbers game. You might only get $1-$2 profit per copy of your book sold but if you move 5,000 do you care? The trick to this choice is to take it slow supplying low volumes of your book to stores so they sell out encouraging them to re-order as re-orders have higher volumes then initial purchases and also have lower return rates.

If you would like more information on the other 6 stages of the publishing process and how to create your customised publishing plan to get your from where you are now to where you want to be click here.

HOW TO MAKE SELF DISTRIBUTION AS EASY AS 1, 2, 3!

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Well you have all heard me talk about how to make self publishing as easy as 1, 2, 3 but what about when it comes to distributing a book. The most popular ways to distribute a book at the moment are self, online and bookstore distribution but the easiest way to manage all 3 of these areas simultaniously (as the more areas of distribution you have the quicker you get returns) is via online distribution.

Traditionally online distribution involved having a customised template branded to match you and your book with multiple pages of content telling people everything they want to know about you, your book and how to buy it or contact you about it. Would you like to know how to run all 3 distribution methods from one web porthole and apply the appropriate marketing tools for all 3 methods to get each distribution method indirectly promoting the others for you?

The best way to combine the current top 5 online marketing techniques into a 7 page website:

PAGE 1 – HOMEPAGE
* VIDEO MARKETING (1 short 1 min video with you talking about your book) – PUTS YOU AT THE TOP OF GOOGLE – update never
* EMAIL MARKETING (Registration for your regular email updates in exchange for a sample chapter of your book) – BUILDS YOUR LIST TO MARKET TO – send an email out once a month with updates
* AFFILIATE MARKETING (Registration to become an affiliate in return for a percentage of the sales from anyone who purchases a book from you because your affiliate promoted your book to them. Tracked via a unique url sent to them at time of sign up for them to use to promote your book however they choose to.) – MAKES SELLING PASSIVE – update never

PAGE 2 – ABOUT THE BOOK
Content only – do not market eg. blurb, 3 testimonials, link to store to buy the book

PAGE 3 – ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Content only – do not market eg. about the author, link to events page to meet in person

PAGE 4 – BLOG
SEO MARKETING – INCREASES YOUR GOOGLE RATING EVERYTIME YOU POST – post a blog once a week commenting on anything relevant to your book

PAGE 5 – SPECIAL OFFER
SALES LETTER MARKETING (Create a package with your book eg. physical book & ebook so people who can’t decide which version they want or who want both can get them for a discounted package price.) - OPPORTUNITY TO UPSELL – update price once book releases from pre-order special to post-release special

PAGE 6 – STORE
Purchase only – no content or marketing (other than your terms of trade) this is simply a page people are directed to when they have already decided to make a purchase based on any other page or marketing technique used

PAGE 7 – CONTACT US
Content only – do not market eg. contact details, contact form, social media links etc.

The best way to bring self and bookstore distribution online to make it quicker and easier for you to manage each method:

PAGE 8 – MEDIA
This contains to sections for the media and from the media.
* FOR – include a downloadable photo of you, your book and you with your book along with a press release about the launch of your book and a follow up release every quarter
* FROM – include copies of press clipping for all magazines/newspapers coverage + audio/video files from all radio/tv coverage
This will allow you to manage the essential media coverage for successful bookstore distribution yourself.

PAGE 9 – EVENTS
This simply contains a calendar so people can see when and where they can go to meet you the author personally. Put every event you will be at whether it is your own or someone else’s, whether you are attending as a speaker or as an attendee so people know where they can find you.
This will allow you to manage both networking and speaking opportunities required for successful self distribution.

PAGE 10 – TESTIMONIALS
I recommend you include a testimonial in your template and several in your sales letter but this is the page where additional testimonials can be added (remember to use both written and video) so people can instantly see the ongoing popularity of your book.
This will give you both increased SEO and increased credibility.

If you would like more information on getting The Publishing Queen to create your complete self distribution and marketing solution as described above click here.