Write your own book, Part 2

Since writing the last posting to this blog about writing your own book, I've had a number of questions posed to me about that post.  I will attempt to answer them the best I can.


The Questions

1. How do I write a book?
2. What do I write about?
3. What do I need for software?
4. How and where do I publish it?
5. What are my costs?
6. How can this help my business?

The Answers
How do you write a book?  You get organized...and write.  Everyone, I'm told, has at least one book in them waiting to come out.  What the topic is depends on what you know and what you love to talk about.  Basically, just talk through your hands...and edit it later.  Let me also add that any spell checking and grammar fixing should be done after you are done...or at least done with a chapter of a thought.  Don't break your flow by editing on the fly.  Like I tell my softball players about hitting...it's all about hand speed.  Let 'em fly.


One of the biggest ways to make sure you stay organized, is to start out with an outline...which after you edit that, will probably end up being your Table of Contents.   That's the way I do it.  Also, everything I've ever read tells me to write like you talk and keep it light.  Unless you are writing a technical manual, it's best if you can keep the feeling comfortable for the reader.


Don't think you have anything to write about?  I doubt it.  Everyone has some kind of background either in their careers or even their hobbies.  Sometimes, your hobby actually makes a better book since it is usually more fun to write, and that comes across to the reader.


As far as software, any word processor, even notepad, will do.  You can write in .html if you like too.  Mostly, you need to go to the sites where you will be publishing and find out what they need in the way of formating for publication. Each software language has a different set of rules to follow, so find out what they are before you start writing.  It makes editing and the actual book setup for upload much easier.  If you will be adding graphics, keep them small as far as file size.  Remember, not everyone reading this will be using the latest and greatest hardware, so don't bog them down waiting for a graphic to load.  This also means you will need some type of graphic editing program too.  Make sure it can edit all the main graphic formats, like .jpg, .gif, and you can download a free .pdf editing program as well.

Where you publish is kind of up to you, but with the popularity of Nook, Kindle and the other hand held readers, I would strongly recommend you start, and maybe even end, there.  It's really easy to publish to them.  Signing up is free, and there is usually no charge to put your work of art on their site to sell.  They do all the selling and handle the transactions for you.  They take a percentage of what you sell it for, but you don't pay them anything upfront, so there's no startup money to recover before profits.  All your costs happen after you sell.  Sell 1 or 100 books, unlike hard publishing, there is no quota of sales needed to break even and, there is no one to tell you your book won't be published.


Like I said earlier, the costs are non-existent.  You pay for the hardware to run the software, but after that the rest is yours...minus the publishers cut.  If you want to self sell, you will need a merchant account, an auto-responder, a website or blog, a marketing package,...get the picture?  It is much cheaper, and easier, to just let the online bookstores do it all for you.  Just write it, and they will sell it for you.  All that's left is to market it.

Now, one of the great reasons to write this book might be for business reasons.  One of the most important aspects of attraction marketing is the ability to prove your expertise to the reader...and in the case of business, your client.  Writing a book, even if nobody buys it, can go a long way to accomplishing this.  How many times have you been impressed by someone that says they are published?  Now can be the one saying it, instead of hearing it from someone else.  Once written, you need for people to read it.  When you are participating in online discussion groups, refer them to your book for more information.  Actually, just refer them to your blog where you will have a link to your book found in the Nook or Kindle library.  At this time I want to remind you that you don't have to have the Nook or Kindle hardware in order to read one of their books.  You can download a reader for free for each that goes on your PC or even your phone.  Whenever you market your book make sure you mention that or you will lose a potential sales from people that might want to read your book but don't have the hardware.  They don't need it.


Want to know how easy it can be?  My 11 year old daughter will be writing a series of children's stories during the summer. Kind of makes you want to start your own now, doesn't it?  What's stopping you?

Write your own book

Now I'm sure some of you might be thinking, "...what me, write a book"?  I did, then I remembered I heard how everyone has a book inside of them just waiting to come out.  Well, I found out I had more than one. Here is an example of one for the NOOK.   I also found out how easy, and inexpensive it was to get published.  Really.
Why you should Get Published
So how easy is it?  First, let me say that I've written a couple of books as eBooks.  Mostly for use as marketing material for my businesses.  This is a great way to promote your business.  You are using the concept of Social & Attraction Marketing perfectly.  Once the NOOK/Kindle platform came out, I knew there was a goldmine waiting to happen...if you could just tap into it.  I tapped into it.  Keep in mind though, when you are publishing on this platform, you are supposed to be writing educational material...not marketing.  That shouldn't stop you from marketing though.  You can't put links in to market other products or services of yours, but you can put in a resource page at the end...with links to sites (your blogs) that you used as source material.  Once the visitor is there, the rest is history.  Now onto the "how".
It Really is Easy
First, go to Barnes and Noble website and go to their Pubit! page and sign up as a publisher for free.  That's right, free.  Make sure you follow the directions on formatting your work.  You can use many different software programs to write your book, but I found the best is Word.  There are certain steps and rules you have to follow in laying out your book, but as long as you do it goes really smooth.  After you write the book you run it through their "converter" by uploading it as part of the publishing process, so you don't need to know any special language in order to make it NOOK compliant.
Make sure you have a separate cover (make it cool) since that is a separate step in the publishing process.  You will also need to have a list of contributors...if you aren't the only one.  If yo are using someone else's graphics or stories, you need their permission.  You don't need to prove it, but they will ask you to sign that you have full permissions for all material used.
The publishing steps are fast and easy.  Fill out a form and upload your cover and manuscript.  Check the finished product...how it looks on the hand held unit, edit and upload the new versions if needed, set the price, and publish.  It takes about 24 hours for the book to be "on the shelf" for sale so to speak.  I sold my first unit on the first day, so you can see results pretty fast.
Amazon's Kindle works the same way, but they require you to pre-convert the book before uploading it.  Here is a tip.  publish to NOOK first, then use the converted book for the NOOK for the Kindle.  Works great...and is easier...and cheaper.
How to Use this as a Marketing Tool
This can be a great marketing tool following the concept of Attraction Marketing.  Remember, one of the most important aspects of Attraction Marketing is the ability to prove your expertise.  I would say writing a book on your topic and getting yourself published is a pretty creditable way to prove your expertise...wouldn't you?  Just refer to this book in your postings on blogs and discussion groups.  Set up links to this (notice the ones I set up?) in your posts and comments.  Make sure you have a link to your blog in your signature, and you will be building roads to your book...and credibility as well.  Once you have them on your blog, you have them in your house and ready to be sold to...and if you sell a few books along the way, all the better.