18 Questions Writers Must Ask

Writers love to write and if the goal is to be a successfully published author, you will need to ask—and answer—these 18 questions:

1.      What shall my book be about?

2.      Who is going to be my core reader?

3.      How can I write a book that is marketable?

4.      Who can help me edit and package my manuscript?

5.      Who can I reach out to so I have popular or well-credentialed people who will write testimonials?

6.      Who do I know that is qualified to write an introduction, foreword or prologue?

7.      How will I publish my book: self-publish or find a publisher?

8.      If I seek to find a publisher, have I created a query letter and book proposal?

9.      If I seek a publisher I’ll need a literary agent.  Who should I contact that represents books like mine?

10.  If I plan to self-publish, which formats will I publish in—paper (hardcover or trade paper), e-book, audio-book, vook (video and text)?

11.  If I self-publish and print books, have I priced out printing costs based on format, print run quantities, and various page counts and paper qualities from at least six reliable vendors?

12.  Have I set a timeline to accomplish each of the steps I’ll need to complete a book, from conception to publication?

13.  Have I created a business plan of how to market and promote this book?

14.  Who else do I need the help of—cover designer?  Book marketer?  Book publicist?

15.  If self-published, do I need a book distributor or some type of sales force?

16.  What can I do to secure bulk sales with companies, groups, associations, non-profits, schools, government agencies, and others?

17.  Am I ready to create a Web site for the book at least 5-6 months prior to the book’s scheduled release date?

18.  Am I active on social media way before the book is out, building my platform daily?

Knowing which questions to answer is the first step to actually addressing them.  You may have many more questions the further you advance into the publishing process.  If you chip away at the biggest questions, day by day, you’ll eventually overcome your fears, shortcomings, or concerns.  Good luck!

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Master Publishing PR Toolkit

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, Media Connect, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2013