You Believe YOUR Book is the Best One Ever Written, Right?

I was out last night and met someone who said they were in the process of writing a book and believed his book was the "next best thing," and it made me think, do we all dream this about our own books? Now, his book might be the next "Eat, Pray, Love" and make millions of dollars and I hope my company is the one that he asks to "publish" it, but that's selfish on my part, right?  He mentioned that he had practiced his acceptance speech when receiving his Pulitzer Prize. I thought that was pretty ingenious and I like when people have big dreams, but when I asked him if he was going to self-publish or go through a publisher, he responded, "a publisher, for sure – I will make more money."

My recommendation is to dream big in anything you do! But keep expectations in check. Your book might be the greatest book ever written, but most likely to get to that point, you have a few steps to get there. First, you have to write it. This writer had been working on his book for a while and I think this is pretty typical of many people based on conversations I have had — most of us run our own business or work for an employer and have only so many hours in a day — so writing your book might take more time than you think. Just don't wait too long if you have a topic that is relevant for today, sit down and just write it. Don't feel it has to be perfect, because that leads me to step number two.

Second step, ask a professional Editor to help you. If you are writing a novel this is imperative. Again, what you write and think has been perfectly written, I guarantee an Editor will hash it out with red marks. Don't feel threatened or disappointed, many famous authors have gone through this same experience with their books and have written manuscripts over and over before it is the book we read. Good editors are there to make your written words sound amazing and make you look good too!

Thirdly, decide if you want to submit your final manuscript to a publishing house. You can do this anyway, but if it does get picked up, they will have control over the design of the cover, the layout and the distribution. Their goal is to make money, if they do well, you do well. If you try self-publishing, you get 100% control of the design, layout and marketing of your book, as well as receive 100% of the profits. Something to think about, right? And down the road a publisher might pick it up anyway. There are many companies both online and local where you can get help to make your book look professional. I do not suggest doing this on your own if you have no idea or have never sent a file to a professional printer. Spend the little bit of money that you will make back from the book with a professional, services range from a few hundred dollars to thousands, so do your homework.

And fourth step, think about the marketing of the book. Many novice authors forget about this step altogether. If you use a publisher or go on your own, you have to let people know about your book. The fastest way to do this is to speak about the topic, go on a book signing tour or use social media. If you are a quiet person, afraid of crowds, then your book might not do so well. Using social media to it's highest ability is key, including a specific website designed for your book that has been search engine optimized (if you don't know how or what this is, hire a professional).

My point is that we all have dreams to make millions of dollars off our books, get the movie deal and then be able to buy the big house on an island somewhere (ok this might be my dream, but you were thinking that too)....there are steps that must be taken before we get there. My advice is to just write the book, don't be afraid if you aren't an English major or that you might not know how to write well (I'm guilty of that), but just do it. By writing your story, your expertise or a made up one, there is someone out there willing to read or buy your book. Your book might not be the next big thing, but it could change someone's perception about a topic or give them a reason to change their life or inspire them to take the next step forward, which is worth so much more than dollars, a movie deal or a house, right? Have fun with the process and just finish writing it.

And I really liked the idea of practicing my acceptance speech for my award like my new friend did. Keeps me dreaming of what's to come, I suggest you do it too.

I'd love to hear what your big dreams are and tell me what you're in the process of writing about in the comment section below. Thanks for reading and following my blog.

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Diane's book, Demystifying Graphic Design – How to Successfully Work with Your Graphic Designer, co-authored with Gina O’Daniel is available for purchase at

http://www.vizcomdesign.com/Order_My_Book_.html

In 1995, Diane moved from the corporate graphic design field to start a graphic design company that provides government agencies, associations, speakers and authors with easy access to a wide variety of professionals, without the creative limitations and overhead of the typical design firm. Since then, she has combined her education in organizational communication and marketing with her experience in design to help clients make the best design choices for their marketing efforts.

She also owns speakerpublisher.com that helps speakers and authors create the informational products they need to increase sales in the back of the room. With over 20 years of experience in the design industry her mission is to help demystify working with graphic designers and help educate small businesses to get the most out of their budgets.

Diane can be reached at info@speakerpublisher.com.