Do you dream of your book flying off the shelves?

Every week I get dozens of questions from readers and social networking friends. I thought today I’d share this one with you, because it is something I am asked almost on a daily basis.

Question: I want to get started in self-publishing, but don’t know what my first move would be. Is it best to get some kind of agent? If I have little money, is it best to raise the money first?

Answer: You can find agents in books like Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook 2010 (Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook), or 2009 Guide To Literary Agents, but you do NOT need an agent for self-publishing. You only would approach an agent if and when you are looking for a publisher. My suggestion is don’t even think of seeking out an agent until you have built your promotional platform and already have a strong following. If you don’t know what I mean by that, please read on

I get dozens of emails every week asking me this same question of “how do I get started?” I have stopped sending out emails and giving free consultations of the topic of self-publishing because it was taking up all my time, and it was not helping people get anywhere. A one-off call or an email explanation is of little use without working together to develop a really structured strategic plan that starts with a strong, targeted promotional platform.

Unfortunately, most new authors haven’t a clue what “a strong targeted promotional platform” means, nor do they know how to do it. And building your promotional platform is THE first step to self-publishing. In fact, building your promotional platform is something you should start at least 6 months before your book is due to come out. I started mine over a year in advance, and I made bestseller lists the day my book came out. Since then, I’ve learned a LOT more, and now I help authors to achieve even better results than I did.

As far as saving up your money, yes, it is very important to decide just how much money you are willing to invest in the production AND promotion of your book over the coming year. But most importantly, you need to decide where that money is going to be spent, and what would make the  biggest impact– not only on your sales but also on your overall happiness.

To hire me (or someone else) as a 1-to-1 coach and project manager to help you build your platform and design your book campaign is certainly an alternative (and I work VERY hard for my clients), but hiring a private coach might not be financially possible for some, especially brand new authors.

And from my end, working with one author at a time is great, but simply does not allow me to reach the sheer quantity of people who ask me for help on a weekly basis.

Finding a publisher or hiring someone, whether an agent, a coach or a PR and imagining they will magically take all the “burden” of marketing your book away from you is not only a delusion, but it will also disempower you and disconnect you from your project in the long term. Understanding, reaching and connecting regularly and authentically with your audience is THE key to your long term satisfaction in your career as a mind-body-spirit author.

And for all those reasons, and many more,  I started Spirit Authors at www.spiritauthors.com.

I call Spirit Authors a “Virtual Coaching and Learning Experience” for mind-body-spirit authors.

I am utilising my combined skills and professional experience as a teacher, trainer, coach and online promotional expert to design 5 modular courses intended to train both new authors, as well as those who might have published before but may not have gotten the results they wanted.

Module 1 is all about starting and writing your book, and developing your personal style, and understanding what “blocks” you. Of course, if you have already written your book, you don’t have to start here. You can start right in at Module 2.

Module 2 is all about building your online promotional platform. This is something you really should initiate many months before your book is ready to go to print, as it involves establishing a following long before your book is released, using social networking and other means. I really believe this Module is going to be the big cornerstone “eye opener” for many authors.

Module 3 is about getting ready to publish, including understanding about royalties, getting endorsements, finding and working with a copy editor, etc.

Module 4 is about creating a book launch campaign, which is a complex art in itself, and it can be executed properly only when the things I teach in Modules 2 and 3 are in place.

Module 5 is on how to take your book further, after a (hopefully) successful self-publishing launch, so you can expand your visibility and build a business around your profile as an author.

The Spirit Authors site will also include an online professional environment via a Forum, so people can establish connections for joint venture partnering, which is really the foundation of self-publishing success (or any internet-based businesses today).

In addition, I am currently compiling a list of very valuable resources for authors, which I am making available only to members.

We will also have monthly “Master Mind” calls. I have a HUGE list of people who want to come and share their wisdom with my Spirit Authors. On these calls, you will highly specialised experts in the field, and be able to ask them your questions, and discover their secrets.

And remember: all of these elements are custom designed specifically with the mind-body-spirit author in mind. I am a lifelong artist and spiritual questor (if that’s a word?). I speak YOUR language, and not the language of other cookie-cutter book marketing programmes.

To sum up, the hope and dream I have in creating Spirit Authors is to provide mind-body-spirit authors with all the answers they need to be successful in their writing projects.

The site will be a membership site, and is opening the week of 22-26 February 2010. I have a “Grand Opening Webinar Week” (free of course) with 18 successful authors, publishers, editors, book marketers and others, all with a mind-body-spirit focus, who will be talking on various topics. I am sure you would enjoy it and find the information useful.

Click HERE to read more about our GRAND OPENING
and to REGISTER for FREE.

I hope that helps, and I look forward to getting to know more about your work.

Warm wishes,
Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC
Coach, bestselling author, teacher, radio host
Founder, Spirit Authors

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If YOU have a comment OR a question about anything to do with self-publishing or the mind-body-spirit market, please do drop it in the comments box below. If I think your question would be of interest to my readers, I will answer it in a future blog post. Please let me know whether or not you wish me to state your name and/or book in the post.