The Top 8 Mistakes New Authors Make
Due
to the fact that I have managed an author for over 30 years and am now
an author in my own right, people have a habit of sending me their book
ideas or an actual book they’ve published.
It’s
always a HUGE honor when someone shares something that means so much to
them with me. I’ve had the privilege to read some amazing,
life-changing things over the years because of all of these
opportunities.
However, it’s also given me the chance to see just how WRONG many people who want to be authors are getting it.
In
an effort to keep you from making these same mistakes I keep seeing
over and over again, I went ahead and listed them out below. Take all
you are doing into consideration as you read these. You do NOT want to
be guilty of any of them.
1. The book is all about THEM…without mentioning what’s in it for readers.
I
keep seeing books from people that are all about their lives, their
trauma, their testimony, with no regard to mentioning WHY their story
has anything to do with the reader!
If
you want to write something for the purpose of publishing and selling
it, my first piece of advice would be to NOT write any kind of personal
memoir. If you want to write something like that for the purpose of
simply writing it or printing a few to give to family and friends,
that’s fine. But if you want to write something for the masses, you have
to realize that there are already millions of memoirs out there, most
of which are written by people who already have a following or audience
of some type.
However,
if you are convinced your story truly has the power to help those who
are hurting, at least acknowledge that fact! Let readers know HOW your
story applies to their life. Let them know HOW it will help them. It’s a
harsh reality, but if people have never heard of you, they simply won’t
care about your story…unless you explain what’s in it for them
2. The material hasn’t been tested.
Do
singers release albums without ever performing in front of people? Do
speakers get in front of an audience of thousands without ever
practicing alone? No! So why are you wanting to publish a book when
you’ve never shown your writing to anyone?
Especially
in the beginning, testing your material is a must. Start a blog and
learn how to drive traffic to it. See if you can capture a single
person’s attention. Then another. And then another. Test your material
and skill as a writer. Put in your 10,000 hours.
3. They don’t realize how many people it will take to get the project done.
There’s
much more to launching a book than just writing it. You’re going to
need a graphic artist for the cover, an editor to make it readable, a
printer, a typesetter. Those are all givens. And if you try to do it all
yourself, I’m just warning you now—it’s going to be crappy. Which
brings us to number four.
4. Their book looks like crap.
This
mostly applies to people who are self-publishing since most publishers
will take care of cover design for you. But I’m continually shocked by
the amount of people whose stuff still looks “self-published” in a time
where there are plenty of self-publishing options available that don’t
look so “self-published” anymore.
Most
of the time, you could say there is no proof that these people have
ever even seen a book! Or even been to a bookstore! They’ve never
appreciated the feel, quality, and look of successful books. They don’t
understand what a cover is supposed to do.
I
hate to tell you this, but people WILL judge your book by its cover.
Don’t make it easy for them to tell its crappy. Do some research. Go
look in the bestseller section in a bookstore. Pick up the books. Feel
them. Observe them. Then find a professional who can help you duplicate
that quality.
5. They have no idea what a good headshot is.
Yes,
I’m talking about that picture of you on the back or the flap of your
book. A headshot is not from the waist up. It does not include an
elaborate background. I don’t want a portrait. I want your…HEAD. That’s
it!
Don’t wear a hat. We want to see your eyes. Don’t crop your hair off. Even if you don’t have any—show your full head. And I don’t want to see your family or dog. This is a photo of YOU. Only. And
make sure the lighting is correct. Shadows that blacken out half your
face don’t tell me the whole story and make me wonder what else you are
trying to hide.
A selfie you took with your iPhone will not do. This is NOT just some photo of you from Facebook or Twitter. Do you hear me?
6. They don’t realize that you have to do more than just show up.
Just
because your book is out doesn’t mean it’s going to sell. Just because
it’s on Amazon doesn’t mean people will buy it. It’s critical that you
have a platform, an audience you’ve built that will be there to buy your
book and help spread the word.
The
average U.S. nonfiction book sells less than 250 copies per year, and
less than 3,000 over the course of its lifetime, according to the
Huffington Post. According to the New York Times, only 62 of 1,000
business books released in 2009 sold more than 5,000 copies.
A
platform is as critical as the book itself if you hope to do better
than those numbers. If you haven’t read Michael Hyatt’s book on the
subject, Platform, go get it right now.
This
material is battle-tested. Mike has been everything from the CEO of a
major publisher to an author and speaker himself. He has been on all
sides of the spectrum. He tells the truth—what he says works. Get the
book and sign up for his blogs. My team and I read them all. You should
too if you are serious about making something of yourself in the
publishing industry.
7. They don’t ask themselves the three questions that matter most.
Will this book help people who are hurting?
Is it enlightening in an area in which an audience is interested?
Is it unique?
8. They don’t write a book proposal.
Even
if you’re self-publishing, the process of writing a proposal is a
cathartic experience that will give you a clearer direction on your book
than you could possibly imagine. Before you write or finish your book,
doing the proposal is a MUST.
If
you want a template that will show you exactly how a proposal is done,
you need Michael Hyatt’s eBook, How to Write a Winning Book Proposal.
Look, I really didn’t mean to turn this into a Michael Hyatt lovefest,
but there’s just no way to get around it. I’ve followed his stuff for
over 10 years. His counsel has helped me every step of the way. Plus
he’s a great guy with a great wife. :-) We often celebrate with “dessert” first. I like that a lot.
The
bottom line is that if you want to release a book and become an author
the right way, you’re going to have to insanely focus on three things:
Value for the reader
Quality of the book (on both the inside AND the outside)
Finding the people to whom you can sell the book
If you make an effort to focus on these every day, none of these eight mistakes will be a problem for you.
What mistakes do YOU notice wannabe authors making?
Get Robert D. Smith’s free eBook, Battle-Tested Branding, at TheRobertD.com.
Robert
D. Smith is the author of 20,000 Days and Counting, a crash course in
living each day with maximum purpose and intensity. He also writes about
entrepreneurship, personal growth, and more at www.TheRobertD.com.
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About THE Robert D.
Robert D. Smith,
known affectionately to those around him as THE Robert D, is a leader
in providing life-changing entertainment resources, a global customer
service rep, and a favorite uncle.
For
more than three decades, he has managed and overseen the career of Andy
Andrews, a three-time New York Times best-selling author and in-demand
speaker. He has served as a private consultant to numerous best-selling
authors, speakers, entertainers, and cutting-edge organizations,
educating them on the unique methods he has employed to sustain massive
success and growth across multiple industries for the past 30+ years.
Characterized
by his never-say-die attitude, Robert has made a habit of powering
through adversity and closed doors at every turn. He was rejected 51
times while pitching Andrews' first manuscript, "The Traveler's Gift."
While most would have quit, Robert persisted through "no" after "no."
"No's don't scare me...I eat no's for breakfast," he says. "All a 'no' means is that you're one step closer to a 'yes.'"
The
Traveler's Gift, of course, went on to become a New York Times
bestseller and a featured selection of ABC's Good Morning America. It is
now available around the world in over 25 languages, another volume in a
catalog that continues to sell at an impressive rate. "They tell us
that a book by Andy Andrews sells every 60 seconds somewhere on the
planet," he says with a grin.
His
unique lifestyle, magnetic personality, and uncanny ability to get the
best out of those with whom he works shine through in his debut book
"20,000 Days and Counting," which he describes as a crash course for
anyone wishing to get the most out of each and every day, hour, and
minute they spend on Earth.
"20,000
Days and Counting" shows you how to maximize every moment and live
purposely with tremendous certainty of who you are and what you are here
to do.
Robert
spends his spare time mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs
and creative thinkers, teaching them lessons in business, finances, and
living lives of meaning. He enjoys creating lasting memories with those
around him by seizing opportunities for magic moments in seemingly
ordinary settings. If you find yourself out to dinner with him, he will
insist that everyone order dessert first.
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