How To Write & Publish Your Business Book 1-30: 5

5: The Title Is It.  If you want a serious publisher to support your book idea, then the submission must appear to be one to sell plenty of books. That's the bottom line. As one publisher once said to me: "I don't care whether they read them or not: I just want them to buy them". Your passion is essential and the start but it isn't enough. I strongly suggest that before pitching, you work on your title. Let's say your chosen book is on Time Management. Are there plenty of books on this subject? Yes. Can the world take a few more? Surprisingly, yes. Essentially we have an insatiable thirst for this topic. So your subject doesn't have to be obscure but you do need to help your potential readers feel this is a special book on time management, a fresh angle, something different.  Four Hour Working Week by Tim Ferriss was a very bold re-positioning of the whole time management field. A more traditional but great title was Do It Tomorrow by Mark Forster. More on this in future posts. For the moment you need to pin down the title. The Title Is It.

The Story So Far:

1: Do it. Simply do it. You have got some great ideas which could help an audience, perhaps create a whole new field and change the world. There's a book (or more) in you. But what is it? And how does it get done? We'll address those essential questions soon, but before that, (1)  the challenging news; it has never been tougher to get your book accepted. The landscape of publishing has clearly been changing for years but recessionary forces have made it a nightmare for most publishers to support 'new' books. (2) The good news: the combination of easy to use software, short digital runs and on-line marketing has brought unprecedented power to the finger-tips of you, the author. So for now: simply focus on what your book would be. Do It. Simply Do it.

2:  Understand why. And why not. You're going to create this business book. You're going to manifest your ideas. But first, may I suggest the following are not good motivators for your work. Firstly, the money. Especially in the business arena very, very few authors make enough money to give up their day job. So you probably shouldn't plan to do so either; long-term you'll be happier with that knowledge. It does help tremendously if your day-job aligns with your writing which is why theconsult/teach/write triangular model is so popular as it is self-feeding and reinforcing and funding. Secondly: ego. If uppermost in your thoughts is how you will be 'wined and dined' at the best restaurants by your agent/s, invited onto the best talk-shows and millions will be offered to turn your 'Strategic Marketing the Yoga Way' into a film script..... well, how can I put it: you will be distracted and not produce your best work.Write the damn book and see what happens after that. So what are the many great reasons for producing the book you ask? Patience. Tomorrow. Understand why. And why not.

3: Because It Is There. So you know you are not doing it for the money. Nor to massage your ego. So why? It will clarify your thinking. You can have taught leadership for a decade, but putting those wandering workshops, those 1h lectures into the structured written form can only improve the quality of your future work. It will help build your personal brand. What are you about? What are your passions? Your book can help define you to an audience many of whom will never get a chance to meet you in person. It's a great calling card. Forget all those brochures; just give them your book. It earns you money (not much, probably, as we have discussed) while you are sleeping and the more of those you can get the better. It will make it easier if you: want a job in the academic world; want to become a conference speaker or wish to impress people at parties. Because it is there. Like mountains for climbers: it's in you. It's simply got to be done. Because It Is There.

4: So, what do you write about? That shouldn't be a problem. It mustn't be a problem. You must want to write about something. Making it a marketable idea, driving out the words, getting a publisher, achieving decent sales so you can get a second book deal. Yes, those are reasonable problems. But. But: you must want to write about something. Books can (and clearly are) written on topics as varied a 'work-life balance' and 'hypnotic leadership' but they rarely gel with an audience and are very hard work for the author. No: you must have a passion about your subject.  It's not enough as we will see. But it is the essential start: what's yours? So, what do you want to write about? 

1: Do it. Simply do it. You have got some great ideas which could help an audience, perhaps create a whole new field and change the world. There's a book (or more) in you. But what is it? And how does it get done? We'll address those essential questions soon, but before that, (1)  the challenging news; it has never been tougher to get your book accepted. The landscape of publishing has clearly been changing for years but recessionary forces have made it a nightmare for most publishers to support 'new' books. (2) The good news: the combination of easy to use software, short digital runs and on-line marketing has brought unprecedented power to the finger-tips of you, the author. So for now: simply focus on what your book would be. Do It. Simply Do it.