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Many authors have liberated themselves from the need to have a major publishing company publish their book. They have turned to self-publishing as a way to release their creative genius into the world. Many authors have been successful and yet other self-published authors have only been able to give their books away as Christmas gifts to friends and family.
It is important to know that if you decide to self-publish, you should think of self-publishing as starting a small business. When you “self” publish, you are responsible for every aspect of creating your product and in this case, your product is your book.
You are the CFO and you raise capital for your business. You are the writer. You are the project manager who interviews and hires the graphic design artist, editors, typesetter and other book professionals to bring your book to life.
You are the marketing and sales team. You have to determine where your customers are and the best places to reach them. You have to make sure that your product is in the appropriate channels so that people will know about it. More importantly, you have to find your customers and you have to retain your customers.
You are the product innovator, who creates additional products for your business. The book is what got you started. But could you create other products to compliment your book and add additional revenue for your business. Consider how adding other products such as webinars, workbooks, podcasts, video instruction and membership sites can help increase your business revenue.
The problem is, most authors don’t enter the doors of “self-publishing” considering the above information. It’s not really what people understand when they hear self-publishing and that is why many of them aren’t actually successful.
So many authors think that after writing the book, their work is done. Uh…not even close. Look at companies you respect and admire. I mean really think about. Right now!
What do you know about the companies you admire? Did they create a product and say, “Forget marketing, the customers will come?” Did they only create one single product or service and pray to the heavens that they will be able to stay in business and pay all of their bills with their one…single…solitary product or service? Chances are, they didn’t…and neither should you.
So I want you to understand if you don’t leave here with any information, I want you to understand that self-publishing is a business, you’re starting a small business. So act like it.
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