"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island." - Walt Disney

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Four Keys to Publishing Success

Whether you write poetry, magazine articles, or fiction novels you need to follow four basic rules in order to achieve success when publishing.
  1.      Know Your Market – Consider your potential customers needs, desires, and their financial status. What do you have to offer them, and what is it worth to the reader? The average Joe is not going to want to spend $20 on your book unless he knows you personally, or has previously loved your work. Also, think about your competition. There are billions of products out there. How can you make YOURS more appealing in the marketplace?
2.      Quality Counts – This seems obvious, but there are so many books (especially self published) that are not formatted or edited properly. Opinion and reviews can make or break future sales. Make sure your product is the very best you can make it.
3.      Give Them What They Want - Ask yourself how you can not only meet, but exceed the expectations of your customers. Are you adding to their knowledge, solving a problem, offering entertainment, or addressing something in a unique fashion?
4.      Make Your Product Live – A writer can’t help putting a piece of themselves in their work. Fiction and nonfiction alike carries a piece of the author when it is something they care about. By sharing your own insights, your reader will achieve a greater connection with and understanding of your topic.
     What do you do to ensure success?

4 comments:

shelly said...

Right now, I'm going to focus on finish a few projects before I do anything else. I get overwhelmed easily.

Hugs and chocolate!
Shelly

Nicole said...

Great reminders! Knowing the market is so key. I also think carving out time to support your projects is a big factor as well.

Unknown said...

Every time I write, I'm conscious that someone will read this with a "what's in it for me" viewpoint. After all, that's how I read- fiction or nonfiction. For me, this is also the toughest part of writing.

Jo said...

Dropping in from A to Z.

The more I read, the more I am pleased I don't write books.

JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE