Write Your First Book - 12 Tips to Help You

Hello Readers,
Have you considered writing a book, but don't know where to start? Well read the article below to get started. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to share them with us.

Ella Curry, EDC Creations



Write Your First Book - 12 Tips to Help You
By Karen Purves

Karen Purves is a leading marketing expert working with coaches to build the business that is inside them. She has a Masters Degree in Marketing. Many coaches dream of writing a book but only a few realise it. These tips are designed to provide the structure to make a hard job that bit easier. It may be a bit of shock to find the order of the activities, perhaps that is the most important tip!

Tip #1 - Start With A Table Of Contents This provides the scope of the book. Identify where you require further information and where that will come from. This may be a mix of existing material and interviews from people who have successfully achieved or who are still progressing towards their goal.


Tip #2 - Define A Goal For Your Book Define at the outset what you want from book sales, whether you want to self publish or approach a publisher. Is there a better month to launch your book? For example, if it will be read by those people who already have everything, then a November/December launch will appeal to those people who are searching to buy that elusive present. Have numbers for the following: - Number of books to publish in the first printing - Cost for the first run - Cost for subsequent printings - Cost for copywriting, proofreading and design


Tip #3 - How Does It Fit With Your Other Products And Services Make sure you book dovetails into your range of services so the reader can explore your offering in more detail. If you don't have any other programs, then take some time through the writing to plan follow on products.


Tip #4 - Add Content To Your Blog Use your blog to get into the rhythm of writing about your subject. What is great about blogging is that people can comment on your material and that can help with producing more. It can really motivate. If you consider the content of three to four posts making half a chapter, then writing in chunks becomes more manageable. You don't really want to have all your content on your blog.


Tip #5 - Have a Co-author This makes the job easier as you are only required to do certain jobs and perhaps a selection of the contents. Remember, this person is someone who you know, who you have a proven record for working successfully together and is totally trustworthy.


Tip #6 - The Writing Agreement Set out exactly what each is bringing to the book. This can be preparation of the content, managing the finances, defining and delivering the marketing. Agree how payments are to be made and the split. It is much better for all this to be explicit at the outset as it means everyone is clear about their roles, their gifts and what the reward is for successfully completing the project.


Tip #7 - Set And Follow Your Deadlines Create a plan for each chapter to be completed with deadlines. Also, do the same for the editing, designing, marketing and publishing. There is nothing better to focus attention than by knowing that activities have to be completed otherwise you may miss your slot for that year.


Tip #8 - Tell People You Are Writing a Book Tell your friends, colleagues and family about you writing a book. They will ask you about your progress and this is a great motivator. You can be honest about progress. Sometimes, when you are in the detail and looking at what needs to be done, you forget just how much progress has been made. It spurs you on completing the next chunk.


Tip #9 - Find a Good Review Team Honest friends make excellent reviewers. They will take the time to read, to consider what you are saying, how it meets your goals and offer feedback on how well the material achieves its goal. What you want in this feedback is pointers on how you can improve the material where it needs it. Ask your reviewers to inform you whether the material requires more interviews, more research or an adjustment to the flow.


Tip #10 - Hire a Good Editor This is probably one of the first activities to research. As you start writing and let people know about your project, you will find others who are doing the same or have recently published and here is where you can find an editor that will work for you.
Nearly there....


Tip #11 - Find Expert Reviewers Whilst you are researching and writing, be aware of who else is out there, who is being interviewed by journalists and make contact for them to be an expert reviewer. Give your reviewers a set time frame to review your book.


Tip #12 - Good is Good Enough Perhaps this should be tip #1! You want the book to be complete - so there is no place for perfection. You want to move onto the next phase and any errors, additional material can be incorporated into the nest version.

Copyright 2008 All Rights Reserved

Karen Purves is a leading marketing expert working with coaches to build the business that is inside them. She has a Masters Degree in Marketing specialising in small and micro businesses and 25 years experience. Her passion is marketing and making it work for others.

Karen's Marketing Programs are based upon her own practices, research and knowledge. She has successfully grown three businesses over the past few years. The most successful was where she changed the way professional qualifications were delivered to busy professionals. As a result, that approach is now used throughout the UK.

Now, Karen has created the Marketing Iceberg Business Builder Program where you are taken step by step to develop the business that runs without you having to trade your time for income. To get a free workbook on Ten questions to Increase your Sales, go to http://www.smallbizmarketing.co.uk