Module 3: Preparing for Publication

Week 8: What to consider before signing off your proof

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Module 3: Preparing for Publication

Week 7: Amazon: How it works and how you work it

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Module 3: Preparing for Publication

Week 6: Getting your media kit together

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Module 3: Preparing for Publication

Week 5: Aesthetics: fonts, layout, cover design and costs

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Module 3: Preparing for Publication

Week 4: Publishing costs, royalties, payments and publishers

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Module 3: Preparing for Publication

Week 3: Proofreading and copyediting: how, where and why

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Module 3: Preparing for Publication

Week 2: Early Feedback, getting endorsements, making edits

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Module 3: Preparing for Publication

Week 1: Creating and sticking to your publication timeline

Click to listen to an overview of this week’s lesson:

To REGISTER for this Module, click HERE.

LESSON SUMMARY

The majority of people who come to me for book coaching come at one of two places in their authoring journey: 1) just as they are getting ready to start writing a book or 2) just as they are finishing their manuscript and are getting ready to publish. Unfortunately, many of those who are finishing their manuscript are getting what I call “baby fever”. They feel similarly to how many women do when they are in their ninth month of pregnancy—they just can’t wait until this baby is OUT. While babies tend to be born when they are ready, all too many authors try to push their “babies” out before the necessary pre-natal care has been put into place. I meet authors who have paid for their book to be proofread before it has even been copy edited. Others have submitted it to a publishing company before they have had it read by suitable “beta” readers (i.e., people OTHER than your friends and family!). But equally detrimental, if not more, are the authors who are getting ready to push the button to get their books published before they have made a plan for how, and to whom, this book will be sold.

Pacing your publication in the final stages is just as important as taking good care of your health in the final stages of pregnancy. If you rush the process, you put the life of your “baby” at risk. And so is true for your book. This is the reason why I wrote this module, because getting the timing right at this key transitional stage is very important. Get it wrong, and you will end up spending a lot of money to find your project is not what you had hoped it would be.

So sit down, relax and BREATHE. If you work through this module with patience and trust, your end product will be just as you had always dreamed, and you will have a book you will be proud of for many years to come.

OBJECTIVES FOR THE WEEK:

In this week’s lesson you will:

1. Learn the elements needed to create your final product
2. Set a date for the launch of your book
3. Create a publication timeline
4. Create a rough initial budget for your publication
5. Understand the importance of announcing and sticking to your publication schedule.

NOTE: While we will not be talking about that much about promotion in this module, it is to be assumed that you will be continually working on your online promotion and expanding your audience, using the methods you have learned either in Module 2, or which you have done independently outside of this course. Paying as much attention to your online promotion as you can during this preparation process is essential if you are to move smoothly to the very exciting time of your book launch in Module 4.

Click “Read More” to begin your lesson for the week.

SUMMARY OF MODULE 3: PREPARING FOR PUBLICATION

In Module 1, you really got down to writing your book. In Module 2, we started developing your online promotional platform. Now, in Module 3, we are finally ready to turn your precious manuscript into a professionally presented self-published book, so you can be truly proud of your finished product.

The aim of this module is to give you the tools you need to prepare your final manuscript for publication. We’ll talk about how and why you need to create a publication timeline, how to find and work with a copy editor and proofreader, and how to get endorsements and feedback on your book. We’ll discuss what goes into the layout of a book, how to choose a publishing option and publisher, how to understand royalties, payments and Amazon rankings, and how to assemble an online media kit.

NOTE: You should take Module 3 when you are close to completing your final draft, even if it isn’t edited yet, and have already established a good online presence as discussed in Module 2. If you have not yet built your online platform, I highly recommend you take Module 2 either before or during Module 3, as you will need those elements in place while you are preparing your book for publication.

To REGISTER for this Module, click HERE.