March 11 - When publishing your book, figure in the costs of marketing for at least a year - two or three is even better. Leave some real money for marketing. This weekend, take a couple hours to write a plan for you and your book that includes all the regular elements of a business plan:
- Finance and cash flow
- Production and manufacturing
- Sales, order fulfillment and distribution strategy
- Publicity
- Marketing
- Visibility
Money being only one factor, evaluate if you can support your book and your projects for at least three years through your
energy,
creativity and
resources. You might find that if you consider your vast selection of publishing models, one may stick out as a more viable option for you personally. Ask yourself: Is this a hobby or a pet project, or does it have a good size niche market? If your book is just for you and your family, or just a hobby, make sure you plan accordingly for that, too. Planning will keep you from changing your mindset midstream, and that will help you control costs and start off on the right foot from the beginning.
When that beautiful book is handed to you for the first time, it's tempting to throw your plans out the window and change course right there. I've seen it happen many times! Stay on course and make sure your brain is segmented into two parts: One side that can celebrate the excitement of having your creative work in tangible, printed form and the other side that should be counting beans for everyday good business decisions.
Have fun! Plan AND share your story.
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Ask your questions here, or send your self publishing questions via email to lisa@conciergemarketing.com. Thanks!