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Book Goals. We, at Raven Crest Books, harp on about "book goals" all the time. Because how are you supposed to understand which publishing route is right for you if you don’t know what you want to achieve from publishing your book?
Below are some example book goals and how they might affect your decision to traditionally publish, self-publish, or to choose a company that offer publishing services (hybrid publishers).
Goal 1:
Make as much money as possible
Think about:
Big traditional publishers who will pump a lot of money in the PR and marketing for your book, have a history of best-sellers and good links with big media co-operations & newspapers (BBC, ITV, The Guardian etc)
But remember:
You might get a large initial payout, but your ongoing royalty payments from book sales will rarely exceed 25% per book.
Goal 2:
Publish your book quickly
Think about:
Hybrid or self-publishing (What Is Hybrid Publishing blog post). Traditional publishing can take up to 2 years from submission to publication! Whereas hybrid publishers will usually only take between 2-4 months to publish your book, depending on how busy they are and what resources they have available to them.
But remember:
Publishing quickly doesn’t mean you can slack on quality! Self-publishing is a great option, but don’t rush the process and don’t be afraid to invest money in the parts that need to be invested in.
Goal 3:
Scale your business
Think about:
Self-publishing or hybrid – especially if you can find a hybrid publisher who publish within your niche. (For example, Raven Crest Books publish Wellness books.) Traditional publishing would potentially be too slow if you’re using book writing to scale your company immediately.
But remember:
Scaling your business is a marketing investment. Don’t see writing a book as a free way to increase your business’s exposure and credibility, because it isn’t.
Goal 4:
To see your book on a bookstore shelf
Think about:
Traditional or hybrid publishers. Whilst it is possible to get self-published books into bricks and mortar stores, the bigger retailers (like Waterstones) will look for publisher submissions only.
But remember:
Manage your expectations - there is no guarantee that your book will end up on the shelf unless you publish traditionally and it is written into your contract. For example, if you publish with any of the Big 5 Publishers you can be fairly certain your book will appear in Waterstones!
Goal 5:
To share your story with the world
Think about:
This goal is possible with all three methods, but make sure you ensure marketing is included in the publishing contract. Also remember that even with contracts that include marketing and PR, a certain level of self-marketing will still be expected. Some traditional publishers have actually started asking whether you have a book marketing plan when you submit your manuscript – as well as delving into how many social media followers you have!
But remember:
If you’re self-publishing, get your marketing hat on fast and be ready to put a lot of work into your own author branding and PR if you truly want to reach a wide audience! Also consider your audience – if you want to reach different countries, ensure you are using a Print On Demand (POD) platform that allows international distribution. (See blog post. “Lightning Source, Ingram Spark or Amazon KDP: Which print-on-demand platform (POD) is right for you?)
Goal 6:
Publish for free
Think about:
Traditional publishing
But remember:
Contrary to popular opinion, self-publishing should never be considered “free”, so really traditional publishing is your only option if you have zero budget. But don't be put off, traditional publishing is possible; you'll need to be prepared to submit your manuscript to hundreds of publishers and remember to wear your thickest skin!
So, what are YOUR book goals? If you’re still unsure, feel free to book a discovery call with us and we can go over your goals together to work out the best route for you. Click here to book a call.
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