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Think you have a good book idea in you? You’re not alone. In fact, it’s estimated that in 2022, between traditional publishing and self-publishing, over four million new books were released. That’s a lot more books than even the most avid reader could ever find time for.
It also means that if you want to publish your own book to strengthen your platform and your business, you can’t just release it on Amazon and hope for the best. You need to take actionable steps to help it stand out.
1. Give your writing the attention it deserves
No matter what you want to write about or how you hope to market your book, you have to put a lot of time and focus on the actual writing itself. This means ensuring that your book is well organized and that chapter ideas flow smoothly. It also means that you take the time to proofread your writing for grammar and spelling mistakes.
This may seem self-explanatory, but ensuring quality writing allows your ideas to shine through. Bad writing will stick out to readers, but not in the way you want. Consider working with a professional editor or using beta readers (or test readers) to get feedback on what is or isn’t working before you publish.
Related: Why Every Entrepreneur Should Write a Book
2. Consider working with a co-author
Depending on the connections you have in your industry, working with a co-author can become a powerful strategy for getting your book to stand out. The right co-author can strengthen your own insights with their personal expertise, making it easier to develop high-quality content for your book.
However, a co-author can be even more powerful after publication. The right co-author can lend your book instant credibility with their audience. It also provides someone else who can assist with marketing efforts. Especially in business writing, a co-author can help you achieve far greater reach and more potential sales than you would on your own.
3. Make sure you have an eye-catching cover
The cliche “a picture is worth a thousand words” is surprisingly accurate when it comes to books — much more so than “don’t judge a book by its cover.” In fact, a survey found that 52% of readers choose which book to buy based on its cover art.
While business books often opt for relatively simple designs, it’s worth paying a little extra to have this done by a professional who understands the nuances of typography, colors and imagery. An attractive, professional cover will help your book make a positive first impression and entice people to click to learn more.
A word of warning: Beware trying to go the cheap and easy route of AI cover generation. The use of AI is quite controversial in publishing and could get your book the wrong type of attention.
4. Work with a book marketing agency
Book marketing can be surprisingly challenging. Email lists, e-reader advertisements and getting advance reviews for your book before it launches can all play a critical role in achieving sales success — but getting relevant placements and reviews can be challenging for a first-time author.
Book marketing agencies can be incredibly useful in this regard. With resources like curated email lists that can be filtered for different book categories and connections with advanced readers, they can help build strong word of mouth for your launch.
Related: Here’s How Writing a Book Can Give Your Brand a Much-Needed Boost
5. Price effectively
Book pricing can vary significantly based on its length, whether the book is being published as a hardcover, paperback or ebook and other factors. Many self-publishing business non-fiction writers see the bulk of their sales come through ebooks, which they can use to their advantage with more flexible pricing arrangements.
For example, a common strategy is to price the ebook at a significantly discounted price (even as little as 99 cents) during its launch week to increase sales. This helps propel the book up the bestseller list right away, which in turn can generate more reader reviews, word of mouth and exposure through bestseller lists. Look at other successful books in your niche to determine the average pricing, as this will give you a good idea of market expectations.
Write your way to success
Getting a finished book out into the world is a big accomplishment. Sharing your unique knowledge and insights can be a powerful way to build your personal brand and even attract new clients to your business. But if you want those kinds of results, you need to make sure your book will stand out in its niche.
With strong writing and solid marketing to back it up, you can ensure a successful launch for your book that helps it achieve the kind of results you hope for.
