If you follow and implement these 35 ideas that make you an unbeatable author, you’ll be ahead of
99.99% of people dreaming to become authors.
You’ll become an authority.
AUTHOR = AUTHORITY
A book is one of the most prized assets one can create.
Why?
Because a book is a moving work of art.
The most respected economists, entrepreneurs, intellectuals write books.
- Bill Gates
- Ray Dalio
- Ben Ofungwu
- Tony Elumelu
- Satya Nadella
- Richard Branson
- Sheryl Sandberg
- Arian Huffington
- Stephen Schwarzman
- Dr. Eniayewun Ademuyiwa Benjamin
Writing a book is not complicated.
But writing a book worth reading and becomes an asset takes effort.
Here are 35 ideas that make you an author people reckon with and want to read from always.
- Catch the desire to write and hold it firm
⇨ A lot of folks remain in the desire phase forever
⇨ They are stopped by inferiority complex, imposter syndrome and self-doubt
⇨ Overcome gravity and start writing if you really want to become an author taken seriously
- Define who you want to write for
⇨ Have a target audience in mind and write for that one person
⇨ Write as if you’re sitting across a coffee table
⇨ Write as a human not as a machine
- Carry out ideas audit and pin point one topic to write on
⇨ Don’t be bogged down by so many ideas – pick one out of many and begin
⇨ Ideas audit enables you to do that – pick one idea you’re passionate about
⇨ All ideas are not created equal – pick an evergreen idea
- Choose a topic that will remain evergreen
⇨ Your evergreen idea becomes your evergreen topic
⇨ Ideas like excellence, character, heroism are always evergreen
⇨ The idea, topic you choose may end up the title of your book
- Research to know what others have written on the topic
⇨ You’re not likely to be the first person to write on this idea
⇨ Research helps you find gaps in what others wrote
⇨ Those gaps are what you’re going to fill
- Brainstorm to fill the gaps to make your book standout
⇨ Brainstorming is where rubber meets the road
⇨ Go both deep and wide
⇨ Look at angles that will make your book standout (7 Habits vs Atomic Habits)
- Write a minimum of one page per day – 365 pages in a year
⇨ Having chosen a topic (idea) start writing – if you really want to become an author
⇨ Write a minimum of 1 page per day
⇨ If you do you’ll have 365 pages of written manuscript in one year
- Rewrite, as the essence of writing is rewriting
⇨ Don’t write and edit at the same time
⇨ Write, revise, rewrite until there is nothing more to add or remove
⇨ Is your manuscript worth telling home about? If yes, stop
- Proofread the best you can before handing over to the experts to do the rest
⇨ Proofreading is the first stage in the editing process
⇨ Proofread your manuscript at least 3 times before handing over to the experts
⇨ You job stops at writing and the, handover the real editing to the experts
- Look for cover designer and publisher concurrently
⇨ Smart authors discuss their book project with experts
⇨ One of such experts is the cover designer
⇨ Your publisher is your best bet to get you a good cover designer
- Kick-start the editing process also using the right experts
⇨ Once proofreading stops editing starts
⇨ There are several levels of editing – but don’t be overwhelmed
⇨ As a first time author, focus on typos and grammar
- Commission interior formatting also using top experts
⇨ Editing and formatting are two separate things
⇨ Some editors also have formatting skills
⇨ In big publishing outfits, two people handle each (be mindful of cost)
- Negotiate to get a win-win-win with a publisher you’ve settled on
⇨ Excellent publishers put the interest of the author first
⇨ Ask the publisher to explain everything about the process to you
⇨ Don’t be shy to ask ‘stupid questions’ like how to get a Library of Congress number
- Track the publishing process – don’t surrender everything to the publisher
⇨ A good publisher will carry you along in the process
⇨ (Big publishers are not likely to do that so choose wisely)
⇨ Your publisher will review everything – crosscheck one last time before ‘publish’
- (Publishing is different from printing)
⇨ Printing converts your book in Word, PDF, E-Pub into a physical form
⇨ You can sell PDF or E-Pub but physical books still rule supreme
⇨ Choose your printer carefully – colour separation, layout, everything
- Scout for a good printer as printing can make or mar your effort
⇨ A poorly printed book is worse than no book – nobody will buy it
⇨ If you pinch on anything, don’t pinch on printing or printer
⇨ Monitor every stage of the printing process – lean on your publisher
- (Spy on great authors and their books to model – steal – their style)
⇨ Some books have sold millions of copies – don’t reinvent the wheel
⇨ Check their finishing, interior formatting, page style and layout
⇨ What can you model, copy or steal – you’re stealing a style (not a crime)
- Pick a suitable printing spec – 5.5 x 8.5 are great for most books (next is 6 x 9)
⇨ Books come in different sizes and forms – ask your printer to explain
⇨ The most popular specifications are 5.5” x 8.5” and 6” x 9”
⇨ The number of pages determines the spec – don’t print a notebook
- Think about marketing as all these are going on
⇨ Marketing (and selling) a book is far more difficult than writing one
⇨ It’s better to build an audience before you even start writing
⇨ Start thinking about marketing your book before even writing
- (Marketing has two planks – marketing the book and marketing the author)
⇨ Few people will buy your book if they don’t know you
⇨ Big publishers have marketing advantage but you’ll not attract a big publisher
⇨ Market yourself and market your book – enlist an expert in this regard
- Create ironclad sales strategy
⇨ Marketing and sales go hand in hand – both are processes
⇨ Marketing creates the awareness, sales executes
⇨ One of sales key functions is distribution – make you book available
- Realise that a key pillar of sales is distribution – seed your book in every channel
⇨ If people can’t find your book they can’t buy
⇨ Carry your book everywhere – including the booth of your car
⇨ If you don’t have a car, carry in your computer bag or any bag at all
- Move heaven and earth to get your book on top sales channels (Amazon, Ingram, B&N)
⇨ Having your book on Amazon gives you credibility – but it may not lead to sales
⇨ To sell you have to advertise, create your Amazon Author Central account and more
⇨ For more credibility get people to review you book on Amazon
- Embark on massive publicity to let the world know about your book
⇨ Don’t be misled by the word ‘massive’ – think of scale and your budget
⇨ Do simple flyers, call cards with your book’s images on them
⇨ Talk about your book on social media and on your website and at conferences
- Engineer media reviews as part of your publicity strategy
⇨ Get your book reviewed in local newspapers
⇨ Befriend journalists in top publications to review your book
⇨ Ask credible people to write about your book objectively
- Grab more attention by appearing on TV, radio, podcasts (also CNN, Channels, NTA)
⇨ Some TV and radio stations have book segments – know the editors
⇨ Ask to be invited on small podcasts while aiming for BIG ones
⇨ Learn platform mastery – join Toastmasters, Lions, Rotary
- Put up a website early to presell (Coming Soon – is a common strategy)
⇨ This is as simple as ABC – coming soon is a good way to announce your book to the world
⇨ For $100 to $150 you can get a simple website up and running
⇨ Don’t spare money on this because it’s the cheapest way to engineer publicity
- Selling a book is harder than you think (sell everywhere – from the booth of your car)
⇨ Don’t be shy to carry your book about and announcing to everyone you’re an author
⇨ Attend conferences, seminars and conventions – buy or rent a stand
⇨ Join Book Clubs, do everything to maintain the selling momentum
- Get your book into top sales outlets in your area (Paradise, Roving Heights, Selar – for Naija)
⇨ While Amazon reigns supreme globally, in Naija Selar.com is where to pitch your tent
⇨ Choose physical bookstores carefully (Paradise, Roving Heights, CIBN, Glendora are my pick)
⇨ Don’t give out your book more than 25 km from where you live
- Recover your investment by launching the book
⇨ The easiest way to recover the investment in your book is to launch it
⇨ Invite 250 to 350 people who know you
⇨ Prepare and execute properly – don’t invite strangers, mind your cost
- Embark on strategies to sell the book at scale
⇨ The end of one book should be the beginning of the next one
⇨ You need 5 books to move the needle in your favour
⇨ So, write more books like Chimamanda Adichie, Malcolm Gladwell, Seth Godin
- Move to expand your social media footprints
⇨ If you’re not big on social media, don’t beat yourself up
⇨ The masters build audience first before writing a book
⇨ The best time to have started was 20 years ago, now is the next best time
- Create a TPOV (Teachable Point of View) – to position your personal brand
⇨ For lack of TPOV authors perish – without a TPOV you’re soon forgotten
⇨ When you think of ‘Habits’ who comes to mind? (James Clear, right?)
⇨ A TPOV is what sets you apart from all other authors
- Adopt strategies to ensure your book remains evergreen
⇨ Books die fast when not nurtured and can remain evergreen if supported
⇨ Think and Grow Rich was first published in 1937 and people still buy it today
⇨ Different covers: 5, 10, 25, 50, etc. year anniversary editions, revised edition, etc.
- Tweak, optimize, adjust, research, form alliances, speak about your book – and pray.
⇨ Times change, trends come and go, and people come and go
⇨ Your book and strategies has to evolve with time
⇨ And last of all, PRAY constantly about your book until you win
Appears daunting but it’s not
How do you eat an elephant?
Anne Lamott lays it out in her book, Bird By Bird.
You needn’t master all ideas in one go.
Just take one at a time.
Once you start writing, half the battle is won.
I started with one 58-page flimsy book.
Now I have 8.
You too can start.
I’ve helped hundreds of my friends get started.
Some travel thousands of kilometers to attend Book Writing Clinic (BWC) in Lagos.
Today, and for the next 168 hours you can have BWC absolutely free.
(N75,000 value).
Below is the link. Follow the instructions. The fee is set to zero.
Book Writing Clinic (BWC) in Lagos.
Today, and for the next 168 hours you can have BWC absolutely free.
N75,000 value)
Below is the link. Follow the instructions. The fee is set to zero.
