Successful Publishing Requires Serious Intent

Goals and Determination are Absolutely Essential for Success

Feb 16, 2009

To be successful as a publisher, one must treat publishing as a serious business, not a hobby. That means prevailing with determination and purpose.

Many self-published authors quickly fall by the wayside with boxes of unsold books languishing in their garages. This is because too many of these aspiring authors enter into the publishing world not knowing what they are doing, not having done adequate homework regarding the publishing business, and not seriously committed to success.

Books, unfortunately, do not sell themselves. Authors, without exception, are the best sales people for their own books. No matter how brilliant a work may be, no one can sell a book as effectively as the author can.

Be Clear About Goals

Before one commits money to self-publishing, it is vital to decide exactly what one’s real goals are. Basically, why is this book being published? Is the goal to just get into print? There’s nothing wrong with an author just wanting to see his/her book actually in print and to hold it in his/her hand. But be clear about this from the beginning.

Is this book being published as a contribution to society or to a specific cause? Are you writing for monetary gain? For fame? What exactly is your real purpose for committing so much time and money to this project?

Sales Criteria for Success

Realistically, do you want to sell a hundred books? A thousand? A million? What number do you need to reach before you will feel successful? Do you even want to sell books at all, or are the books just going to be gifts to family and friends? Nothing is wrong with this.

Is your goal couched in terms of money? Do you want to make $1,000, $5,000? More? Be specific, and don’t just say “millions.”

Successful Self-Publishing

People who are truly successful as publishers treat their venture as a business, not a hobby or a part-time job. Run this business in a legitimate way:

Basic Business Requirements

Selling books takes time, commitment and attention. Authors who skimp on basic business requirements, like a business license, keep themselves from becoming as big as they can become. Skimping on basic business practices prevents one from taking advantage of many sales opportunities, like many signing events and book fairs. Don’t cheat the government by not declaring income, because in the long run you are only cheating yourself and robbing your creation of the opportunity to be truly successful.

Whether you are taking your book to a private printer, using a subsidy press or a vanity press, or using online sources, be clear about your expectations. This is not a business to enter starry-eyed and hopeful. Remember that the vast majority of published books sell less than one hundred copies, largely because the authors did not approach this project as a business. The purpose of a business is to make money. To make money you need a plan, a goal and determination.

The copyright of the article Successful Publishing Requires Serious Intent in Book Publishing is owned by R.L. Coffield. Permission to republish Successful Publishing Requires Serious Intent in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.