While completing the process of self-publishing my husband’s third book, Thrive in Overdrive, we’ve been doing a lot of research on pricing. What we’ve found is that pricing a book depends more on its category or genre rather than on its production costs. For example, business books and professional books tend to command a higher price than regular how-to books.
In the USA alone more than 200,000 titles are published each year. Making it into the top ten percent requires a book that reflects both quality and value. If you price your book too high, it may not sell. If you price it too low, the readers will see it as a low quality book. The trick is to price your book according to its content and the value to the reader.
Here are a few guidelines to help you in pricing your book.
Go to a large bookstore that sells the same genre or category as your book. Look at the expensive ones, the cheap ones, and those in between. Look for the similarities and differences. Are the expensive books those with hard covers? Were they written by famous authors? Are they thick and have a lot of pictures? Are the cheaper ones the opposite of the expensive ones? Do they lack content? How about those in between?
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How to Price Your Book for Maximum Profit
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I think we can all agree that writing is a fulfilling endeavor. The great news for writers is that you not only have the chance to share an integral part of yourself with the world, but you can also earn a living doing it.
Earning a living by writing, however, is not as easy as it may seem, especially if your goal is to publish a book. In fact, the process of convincing companies to publish your book and then negotiating agreements on how to market your book can be more taxing than writing.
And so, this is where the important role of a literary agent comes in. If you don’t want to waste all your creative effort on doing the business work yourself, a literary agent is a must.
What Is A Literary Agent?
A literary agent is someone who represents writers and their written works to publishers, producers, and other companies. These agents assist you in selling your book and in dealing with contract negotiations. They do not get paid up front, but they do get a percentage of your royalties for the works they help you get published.
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Do You Need A Literary Agent?
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Most beginning writers submit a complete manuscript to a publisher and cross their fingers while waiting for the publisher to read it. Well, here’s a news flash: publishers don’t like reading manuscripts. Publishers receive tons of manuscripts from aspiring writers and all that hard work usually ends up in the trash or the slush pile.
Publishers are sellers. They are only interested in books they can sell. Writing a great book proposal is your best chance at convincing agents and publishers that your book will sell better than most.
A book proposal should contain the description of your book and its selling points. Write a good proposal that says your book is a must-have and a must-read, and leave no doubt in the mind of your prospective publisher that your book is a seller. For non-fiction you can submit proposals before you’ve even completed your manuscript. This could save you time if the publisher likes your book idea but has some revisions in mind. Publishers and editors like to be involved in the writing process; after all, they have experience and know what sells and what doesn’t. So, as an author who wants to make it big, you should interact creatively with your publisher and/or editor for a better work collaboration.
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How to Write a Book Proposal
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The Internet has made the life of a writer is so much easier. With the advent of technology and the World Wide Web, writing jobs have proliferated. More and more writers are getting the chance to earn from their writing skills, and it doesn’t seem to matter whether you write for business or creatively. Also, through the web, you can now publish and market your book by yourself. A major publisher can now be optional, so today’s writers are spared the agony of having to prove themselves to a publisher. And the best part of doing it on your own is having full control over your book and keeping 100% of your profit.
So, how does one market online? The Internet is a virtual wonderland of opportunity that can take you to greater heights, and reach a wider audience, than ever before. To get started you only need a functional website for advertising your book where you will use effective website copy as promotion. Your web copy should contain keywords that would lead search engines to your site when people are looking for something that interests them. However, do not make the mistake of overloading your copy with keywords and neglecting the quality of content. Content quality is also crucial since it represents your writing skill level. You don’t want people turned off about your book because they assume it’s as bad as your web copy.
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Online Book Marketing
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So the election is over and now we can get back to our lives. If you’ve known for a long time that you have a book in you, but haven’t been able to get it out, now is the time.
That reality is, many of us are great storytellers. Our friends love being around us for the funny or emotionally charged stories we tell. What they love about our stories is the way we deliver them because we can turn a funny story into a laugh-out-loud hilarious story, or we can turn a sad story into a bittersweet, tearjerker moment.
Do you have the talent of storytelling? Why not earn money from that talent? Some people who have the knack of storytelling capitalize on their talent through standup comedy. They make money by making people laugh. Not all of us have the courage and grace to stand up on stage in front of a large audience and deliver a punch line. But that’s okay, because the publishing industry has changed. Today you can put your story in writing, publish it, and sell it in a myriad of ways!
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Income Potential of Writing a Book
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Having just finished ghostwriting my hubbies new book, Thrive in Overdrive, I started thinking about what makes for good non-fiction. My husband’s first book, which was awarded best how-to book of the year by the North American Bookdealers Exchange, sold over 100,000 copies and his second sold 50,000. What was the secret to his success?
I think he made himself into a complete package. He’s an authority on his subject, creative, articulate, a natural entrepreneur, and a great marketer. He also understood his limitations, and turned over all his great material to a ghostwriter (me) to make it into a book people love to read.
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How to be a Great Non-Fiction Book Writer
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My husband just completed his third self-help book, which he has titled Thrive in Overdrive. Like his last two books, we’re opting for self-publishing. Since we’re doing all the marketing anyway, why not make all the money, right? Anyway, we’re now working on designing the cover and I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve learned with you.
In a survey cited by The Wall Street Journal a person surfing the bookstore shelves actually spends a lot of time looking at front covers before taking a glimpse at the inside or the back cover. Should designing your book cover be given careful thought and take advantage of the best design techniques available? In the words of Sarah Palin, “You betcha!”
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Book Cover Design Tips
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Is writing a book difficult? Yes. Is finding a publisher and marketing the book hard work? Yes. But what is the the hardest part of being an author? I think it’s avoiding being taken advantage of by your publisher. Unfortunately, publishers have developed a nasty reputation when it comes to contracting book deals, especially first time authors. They entice eager, unsuspecting newbie authors with a huge advance payment but take advantage with the rest of the payment system and the royalties. Advance payment is only the icing on the cake. The real money is made in royalties. It is the most profitable part of books sales, especially if your book hits as a bestseller and becomes a popular icon with which pens, mugs, and other products are decorated. So how do new authors protect themselves and their intellectual rights?
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Negotiating for Book Royalty
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Do you remember how you felt the last time you read a great work of fiction? Do you know how authors weave those great stories? Are you aware of what an author goes through to bring you a plot that keeps you reading from cover to cover? If you want to write a novel your readers can’t put down, here are some great tips that you can apply to your fiction writing today.
1. In all cases of fiction writing, it is important to write original plots. Your storyline should not be lifted from another book. It is important to be unpredictable in every part of your novel.
2. Begin with a rough story outline. Even if it’s only in your head, it’s always a good idea to have some sort of chronology laid out. You may begin by writing down one sentence describing the opening scene. Next write another sentence that describes the very last scene of your book. A big space in between would serve as the space where you write down the major plot points of your story from beginning to end. These sentences will serve as guides as you write the whole novel.
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7 Tips for Great Fiction Book Writing
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- March 2009 (5)
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- November 2008 (10)
- October 2008 (9)
- September 2008 (2)