Self-Publishing Your Book: Counting the Cost (Part 1 of 4)

Self-Publishing Your Book: Counting the Cost (Part 1 of 4)

My prospective memoir book author client takes her seat across from me in the coffee shop, latte in hand. Ella Fitzgerald’s angelic tones accent the atmosphere, the track lighting casts its warm hue on the table top, and the setting sun paints the view outside the window. I take a sip of my mocha and look at the person across from me. As a ghostwriter I already know enough about the topic of her story to discern that I’m more than interested in helping her write and self-publish her book. But has she counted the cost of such an undertaking? I wonder.

“Have you reviewed the proposal I gave you?” I ask. I wanted to make sure she didn’t have any questions about my credentials, my services, or my rates. “I did read it,” she responds, scuffing her chair closer to the table, “and everything looks fine.”

For the next hour, she eagerly shares the details of her story with me. I pose the occasional leading question, but she hardly needs the prod because her passion for her story is evident. Through her laughter and more than one tear, she relates her tale. Her eyes widen and glow as I affirm that her story is engaging, compelling, and worthy to be told in a book.

Then I tell her the rest of the story.

“It will be my privilege to ghostwrite your book. The weekly interviews and review of the writing will be fulfilling and fun for both of us.” She nods in agreement. “But as we near the completion of the manuscript and get ready to go to print, you’ll need to start promotion through your website, blog, and social media, and promoting yourself to your potential readers through special events, speaking, and networking. You’ll be looking at about ten to fifteen hours a week dedicated solely to marketing yourself and your book, and it’s ongoing. It doesn’t just stop a few months after the book is published.”

The best word to describe the usual reaction I see next is “crestfallen.” The flame of passion is doused by the reality of promotion. Maybe I’m too direct, but I don’t know any other way to properly prep a book author for the work – the hard, consistent, never-ending work – required to build and maintain readers and sell books.

Hit with the news, some authors stay with me and we start the project. Others delay. I’ve even lost some clients who would have otherwise signed a contract. But those who understand in advance what will be required later are more likely to succeed, and they’re grateful that I didn’t hold back the true cost – in time and effort – of being a book author.

So what is required? It begins with the development of a top-notch website preferably created by a web designer who has built sites for other book authors. The cost for this will start at $500, and should include training on how to load content through your website administration dashboard (such as WordPress). Your home page will usually include promotional sliders at the top, an area where your latest blogs are prominent and easily accessible, links to your selected social media avenues, and other content such as reader testimonials, book endorsements, and a way to contact you.

Of course, your book page will be the place where readers can buy your book instantly at full price (versus through other distributors such as Amazon that will keep a portion of your sales and pay you royalties intermittently). If you are also going to be a public speaker in support of your book, you’ll dedicate a page to your speaking topics, schedule, and fees. Either you or your book ghostwriter will write the content for all of these pages, and the overall process should take no more than one month.

The main tool to draw readers to your website isn’t your book – it’s your blog, and it can’t be about your random musings on the weather. Your blog must be written with content that is connected to your book’s topic and has strong takeaway value for your reader. It must be a certain length, feature keywords, a title, and content that maximize Google’s search engine optimization (SEO) requirements, and be posted weekly and distributed via a subscription-based email provider. Your blog must be intentional and excellent, and training on how to write your blog – even if you are a seasoned writer – is highly recommended.

Next week in Part 2, I’ll share more about blog writing and social media promotion. Part 3 will take a deeper look at events, speaking, and networking. Then we’ll end the month with a visit from Jacquelyn D. Murray, one of my self-published clients, as she reveals her challenges and triumphs in printing and promoting her memoir Cancer With Grace.

I want to hear from you!
What is your initial reaction to my statement that book promotion will require ten to fifteen hours a week?