Your Little Binder of Joy

By Michael Drew - Apr 02 , 2008

I’ve been a book promoter for eleven years and a father for three, and I’m convinced that
publishing a book is a lot like having a baby.

Guess What, Honey——I’m Writing a Book!
Nothing compares to the shivering exhilaration of the day you first put font to document. Your mind skitters uncontrollably from one question to the next while your sweaty fingertips strike at the keyboard like a woodpecker on Ritalin. Is this really happening? Will I be a good author? What will I title it? How do I find a publisher I can trust? How fat am I going to get staring at this computer for months on end?

Realizing you’ve started down an excitingly irreversible path, you shove your anxieties to the side and let (human) nature take its course as your book begins to form inside your head.

Paging Doctor Goodcopy
The completion of your first draft prompts a visit to the editor. After months of anticipation, it’s finally time for a professional to give you some valuable feedback. You shift nervously about your seat as he draws out his red ink pen and begins poking and prodding at your manuscript. Down deep you know he has your book’s best interest at heart, but it’s still a bit uncomfortable to sit through. Unfortunately, successive visits will be required before your official release date to ensure the safety and health of your unpublished manuscript.

Establishing a Good Support Platform
As your manuscript grows closer to becoming an actual published work, you begin to realize that its success in this world is dependent on more than just you. So you start communicating more frequently, reaching out to any family, friends and acquaintances that have supported your work in the past. Your goal is to share your good news with as many of them as you can so you have an extensive platform of people ready and willing to open their wallets and support your little binder of joy.

The Final Push
Hang in there—it’s not over just yet. The first 90 days after the publication of your book is the make-or-break time. Somehow, you must find a way to rise above your exhaustion and frustration and give your infant book the tender, loving care it needs to mature into the bestseller you always dreamed it would be. It’s brand-building time, and you’ve got wardrobes to change, journalists to soothe, and customers to warm.

No wonder they call it the fourth trimester!

Questions about giving birth to healthy book sales may be directed to Michael R. Drew at the Austin, Texas, headquarters of Promote A Book: 512-858-0040. You can also contact Michael via email at michael@promoteabook.com.