Writing Is the Easy Part

Thoughts on moving from screen to sales.
Jun | 25 | 2014

It seems so daunting, especially staring that the blank screen. You want to write a book and your goal is 50,000 or 60,000 words. How will you get there?

Styles vary. Prolific author Steven Johnson religiously bangs out 500 words per day. Others, including yours truly, might hit 2,500 words in a day and then come back to the manuscript next week. Bottom line: there is no one right way to write a book.

But Then What?

Compared to breaking through, however, writing is downright easy. Getting people to notice and, even better, to buy your book is a herculean task. In 2007 (pre-social media as we know it), about one in four Americans read (ready this for this?) zero books. Zero. I would suspect that that number is considerably higher today.

There is no one right way to write a book.

Once you’ve finished the book, the real work begins. Marketing to a busy audience is no small feat. Sure, reality TV stars and Stephen King can do it, but make no mistake: these are the exceptions that prove the rule. Most first-timers cannot afford to buy themselves on the New York Times bestseller list.

Know going in what you’re in for. Take services that promises bestseller status with a 50-lb. bag of salt.

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