The Biggest Author Misconception: "I Am A Published Author...It's Finished!"

One thing writers often misunderstand is thinking they are finished after a manuscript has been written and published. But that is really just the start. Yes, you have accomplished something by becoming a published author, but at this stage, you have not yet sold a single copy of your book. Now you have to switch hats from being a book writer to a book promoter.

In some ways, a book is like an iceberg. The writing is the visible part; the part you can see above the water. The part you cannot see is the big chunk below the surface…and arguably the most important part from now on…promoting your book.

Yes, it is you, the author, that is the most important factor in effectively promoting your book. There is no one, including your publisher, who can do what you can do. You have the subject matter in your heart and mind, you have the passion for this book, and the media wants to talk and listen to you, not your publisher. It is extremely important for you to realize that your commitment to promoting your book will determine its success.

A book goes through several stages. First, of course, was the stage of conceptualizing, researching, and writing the book. You as the author accomplished this. Then, in stage two, the publisher took your work, edited, designed and produced it into a book. In stage three, your publisher took that book through the marketing and distribution phase, making it readily available to the retail trade in places where the public could find it. The final stage is promoting what is now sitting on the shelves of stores and in the data base of bookstores and internet outlets everywhere.

Publishers do not promote books in a vacuum. Ask any author who has been published by a publisher and he or she will probably complain "they didn't do anything to sell my book!" Not exactly true. They published it and distributed it and now they are expecting you to talk about it, to promote it, to be an ambassador for it. Even the best known authors are expected to work hard at promoting their books. That's why you see them on TV talk shows all the time and why you hear them on radio or being accessed by the media as "experts" on a given subject.

Some experts say that you should devote at least 6 to 12 months to promoting your book to make sure that it gets a fair chance to take off. There are many sources (some listed below) that can help you get exposure.

Make no mistake about it, books are rarely just "discovered" sitting on a shelf, suddenly becomjng bestsellers. No, it is because of the hard work an author puts in promoting his or her work that the book finds its audience and has a chance for success.

As Dan Poynter said in an article written for RJ Communications Newsletter, "Writing the book is the easy part of the process. As the author (and the parent) of your book, you have an obligation to provide it with the best opportunity for growth. You must do more than just write the book. Look under the water."




Adapted from "Writing Your Book is Just the Beginning," by Dan Poynter, Publishing Basics, A Monthly Newsletter for the Small Press and Independent Publisher, June, 2004 Issue. http://www.publishingbasics.com/newsletter/june2004/ (Note: quote is from this article and the entire piece was a rewritten adaptation of this article.)