Hello Reader,

As you go through the process of learning all the details behind writing, publishing, and selling a book, you may have come to the conclusion that this is going to take some SERIOUS investment of both your time and money to write, publish, and sell a good book!

You're not wrong. On average, you'll invest between 200-500 hours of time and $2500+. (Easily far more than that!) PER BOOK.

Becoming an author is a serious endeavor. It's starting a small business. It requires learning craft, publishing, and marketing tactics.

It's not EASY, which is why such a small percent of people who want to write books ever succeed, and even smaller make a ton of money doing it.

Wow, Alexa, thanks for the deflating words of discouragement! :-)

So, here's the good part.

Many people DO succeed. I know because I work with them every day. It requires some effort and a lot of will to get it done. I want you to succeed, because publishing your book (and actually getting sales of the book) feels wonderful and can have a massive positive impact on your life, business growth, and bank account.

Here are 5 Steps to Save Time, Resources, and Money When Publishing Your Book - so you don't give up!

1. Invest in your craft. ​
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   Whether you're writing a novel, a children's picture book, a memoir, or a nonfiction book, if you want it to sell, it's got to be high quality. Investing in your craft can mean a variety of things, from working with a writing craft, joining a writing group, taking courses, and practicing, all the way to hiring a ghostwriter to write it for you. There are no shortcuts around this one for beginners. Even seasoned writers still work on their craft. And if you decide to start writing in a second or third genre, you may have to start all over. Like when I made the jump from all nonfiction books to writing RomComs!
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   But, if you're called to write, this piece, while sometimes tedious, is also fun and rewarding. Use Beta Readers, and tools like ProWritingAid to help you improve your manuscript as much as possible before working with an editor. As your skill grows, you'll spend less time learning, more time writing, and you'll save time in revisions and money in editing!
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2. Work with professionals.​
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   Yes, it costs money to hire help. But, it may save you money in the long run. You can work with professionals throughout the entire process. There are excellent writing coaches and developmental editors; accountability coaches, etc. After writing, you'll want to work with an editor. If you're self-publishing, you might work with a self-publishing assist company, a publishing consultant or book coach. When it comes to marketing, there are unlimited amounts of ways to have people help you with social media, running ads, or using companies that provide direct book marketing services.
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   Yes, you can definitely save money by bootstrapping most of these initiatives, but if you're not careful, you can spend a lot more time and money fixing mistakes than if you'd just paid a professional. (And never, ever, skip the editing process or working with a professional book cover designer.) If you're only publishing one book, hiring someone to help you publish is probably one of the best investments you'll make to save you time. And if you've got many books, if you're able to make the investment in professional help the first time, you can learn the process with their help, to implement in future books.
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3. Become as knowledgeable as possible.​
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   This is my favorite! As a lover of learning, a coach, trainer, teacher, I will never undersell the value of learning everything you can. This can be both time consuming and expensive, depending on how you're learning, but it's an investment that is front loaded. IE, if you make the effort to learn about routes to publication, how to self-publish your book, how to find the right editor, etc. - you generally only have to learn this once. Yes, changes happen, but you don't have to start from scratch. Even changes in marketing and tools for marketing become less of a learning curve once you've learned the basics. This knowledge will help save you time and money with each book you write and publish.
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   (In fact, the Women in Publishing Summit is coming up soon, and we have SO many incredible workshops for all levels of authors PLUS a track for publishing industry professionals. Learn more here!)
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4. Start your marketing early! ​
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   The earlier you start growing your email list, teasing your audience, finding places to promote, etc, the less stressful this will be at launch. With just 15-30 minutes a day on marketing from as far before your launch as possible can result in some great returns. This will also save you from having to spend more money closer to launch as you try to grow your fan base. Start thinking about podcasts and other places you can promote your work, working on your social media, blogging, or other endeavors and create content slowly over time to grow your audience. (Yes, you CAN grow your audience before the book is even published!)
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5. Find your community and collaborate!​
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   I recommend attending conferences for training and community, no matter how educated you are. But the most important piece of attending these boils down to connections! Making friends and important connections can really help you when you need support - feedback, collaborations, group promos, tools you'll need, etc. When you're able to form relationships with other authors, you can really expand your reach. Leverage each other, through collaborative initiatives, sharing resources, cross promoting, etc - which can save you a ton of time and money!

I know it's a lot to learn when you're writing, publishing, and selling books, but if you want it badly enough, you will make it! I'm rooting for you!

Write on!

Alexa

Alexa Bigwarfe

Write|Publish|Sell

​The Women in Publishing Summit​

P.S. You are cordially invited to the 7th annual Women in Publishing Summit! Join us virtually March 6-9, 2024 for 4 days full of training, networking, and community building! All sessions are recorded and available until Dec. 31, 2024. If you're looking to grow as an author or publishing professional, this is the place for you! Use the coupon code ALEXA50 to save an additional $50. Learn more here.