Is Your First Book Getting Published?

If you think you can sit back and relax now that your precious book has been sent off to the publishers, you are in for a major surprise. The more difficult part of selling the book kicks in right now. There is so much that you need to do as the author. If you are an author waiting for your first book to be published, have a look at Terry Cordingley’s post ” Five Things You Should Do Before Your Book Is Released.” It contains some basic yet crucial steps which you cannot afford to ignore.

To Terry’s points, I would add a few more:

• Anticipate questions you would get about your book and about you as a person. Prepare convincing answers. These come in handy in subsequent interactions.
• Identify people who could review your books, get their contact details and send them your book. Some may review your book, others may not. Some may write well about your book, others may trash it, but reviews are an important aspect of selling your work. The more positive the reviews, the higher the chances of a sale.
• Learn from others: A simple point but one we often ignore. Have you thought of a book contest, a world wide launch on the internet, using social media to it’s greatest advantage? There are so many ideas out there. You need to find them and use those that work for you.
• Make your self accessible . Let your readers see the real you. If they identify with you as a person, they are likely to identify with your work too.

So, life isn’t a bed of roses once the book is sent off to the publisher. The long wait between the time you sent off the final manuscript and the actual release of the book seems so long to the impatient author. use that time profitably. Learn as much as you can about the publishing business. How does it work? Who are the stars in your genre? What do they do that you can emulate?

All the best as you head into what can be one of the most exciting experiences of your life.