Did you know it’s essential to understand how you want to publish before writing a book? No matter what type of book you’re writing, a business book, a self-help book, a memoir, or fiction, you need to know the big picture of what you want to accomplish before you start. You need to understand the end game.
There are several ways to publish your book: independent, hybrid, small press, or traditional. Each one requires you to have a book first. However, there are also industry standards and reader expectations. Some of these require you to have a particular word count, get your own editors, and hire a book cover designer. And some will do that for you. Traditional publishing does a lot of work for you because they invest in you. But that also means you have to be polished, have a story that stands out, that’s sellable, and that you’re willing to do the extra work it takes to go this route.
My programs for writing books are fast–30, 60, or 90 days. It’s writing in a season and getting the story done. Writing your book isn’t always the most challenging part of the process; it can also be the editing or publishing parts. If you’ve never written a book before, you probably don’t understand this.
There are several BIG reasons why you should know how you will publish.
The biggest is word count. A traditional publisher requires a certain number of words for a manuscript. For example, a memoir can be 70K to 90K words. But, if you publish yourself or with a small press, that number can be anywhere from 50K to 70K. See the difference here?
Then you have your audience. Is your audience going to a bookstore to find you? Or are they finding you online through your podcasts or social media? Are you a speaker and need a book to enhance your message?
Publishing matters. It's the ending of the process. Writing is one of the ingredients - and the most important. Learn about the ways to publish and what works best for you and your book, before you start. This will save you time and mental anguish. It will set you apart from the start from all the other writers.
Once you’ve determined your publishing choice and audience expectations, you know how many words your book needs. Notice I haven’t said pages? Now that you know that word count, you know your daily or weekly goals for writing in a season. You also have that end game, so you’re not writing blindly with no goal in sight.
Need help figuring out how you plan to publish? Talk to someone like me - a book expert. I have a free consultation. And, I have CONCIERGE COACHING packages too, where I help you through the process of discovery.