What Are the Steps to Making a Book? – Part 1 of 4

By Michael Drew - Jan 28 , 2009

What are the steps to making a book?

It’s a straightforward question that warrants a straightforward answer.

Having been involved in the “making” of over 100 books and 50 national bestsellers since breaking in as a publicist and special sales coordinator for Executive Excellence Publishing in 1997, I can identify 12 major steps in the book-making process:

Step 1 – Prepare Yourself
Step 2 – Start Thinking ‘Platform’
Step 3 – Identify Your Target Market
Step 4 – Write the Book
Step 5 – Plan Your Marketing
Step 6 – Choose a Publishing Model
Step 7 – Market Your Plan
Step 8 – Engage in Pre-Publication Promotions
Step 9 – Release the Book
Step 10 – Engage in Post-Publication Promotions
Step 11 – Celebrate
Step 12 – Prepare Yourself

As the first in a four-part series on this process, this article’s focus is on Steps 1 – 3.

Step 1 – Prepare yourself. You are about to embark on one of the most challenging adventures of your life. Your creativity will be taxed. Your patience will be strained. Your sleep will be deprived. There will be moments when you question the worthiness, let alone sanity, of what you are doing.

“To write what is worth publishing, to find honest people to publish it, and get sensible people to read it, are the three great difficulties in being an author.”— Charles Caleb Colton, English sportsman and writer, 1780-1832

Does it even make sense to chase this dream? Of course it does – provided you go into it with the support of loved ones, an open mind and managed expectations. Start by covering the following bases-

Set your goals. Know what you want to accomplish going in. Are you hoping to write a bestseller? If so, I strongly encourage you to do these four things-

1. conduct a strategic brainstorm
2. create a master marketing plan
3. acquire promotion assistance
4. perform bestseller list reporting

Or maybe it’s not all about bestseller status for you. Maybe you see your book as more of a tool for building your business? I don’t know. My experience leads me to believe everyone wants to make money, a name or a difference, or some combination of the three. It all hinges on your measurement of success. Define it now. You have a big journey ahead of you, and if you don’t know where you’re headed, the smallest little turn-off can lead to a major detour.

What are the steps to making a book – part 1, page 2

Questions about taking the steps necessary to make a book 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.