It was June 10, 2010. More than 170 guests were gathered. Media. Community. Mentors. Clients. Believers. I had published my first book.
I still feel the shivers go down my spine when I think of how I stood in front of the most wonderful crowd of people imaginable. Every single one of them was there for a reason. I stood up. I spoke as my eyes filled with tears of emotion. I thanked them. Then, the unexpected: a unanimous standing ovation. I could not believe it. Was this real? Were they standing up because a 27-yr old Latina had dared to become an author for the first time or because they believed that if I could do it, then they could achieve their dreams too? I tend to think it was the latter. This is what keeps me going, to follow my own heart and continue to publish books that elevate and inspire others.
Since then, book two, three, four, five, six, seven and eight have been published. Some more successful than others. Some making an impact more than others. At the end of the day, this mission of authorship and elevating others has found me and I take this awesome responsibility with great honor.
Since the publishing of my first book, “The Little Book of Business Secrets That Work!” in 2010, I have had the honor of helping 43 new authors. For me, it’s a labor of love. At my recent workshop entitled the “Big Book Summit”, I gathered a number of aspiring authors to share some of my wisdom with them. Basically, I told them that the process of publishing your first book breaks down into three major areas: writing, publishing and promoting.
Writing
If you have a story you want to get out on paper, there are primarily three ways to do it: write it yourself, transcribe it (basically speak the book into a recording for someone to write it later), or hire a ghostwriter. Each option has its own pros and cons in regard to logistics but especially in motivation. Writing on your own takes a lot of self-motivation while a ghostwriter can keep a project moving when you start to lose steam or just don’t have time to write.
Publishing
Turning a manuscript into a book requires professional design assistance and many decisions on the preparation of the book as well as printing and distribution. Depending on the content, your audience for the book, and the artistic look and feel you are going for, you’ll need to secure and/or decide upon the pre-production elements:
- ISBN numbers (necessary for book sales)
- Editing (Another eye can correct grammatical errors and ensure good flow for the reader)
- Book Title (and subtitle if appropriate)
- Book Cover (Design, image, colors, etc. )
- Interior Layout (Font, headings, margin measurements, images, illustrations, etc.)
- Additional Elements (Jacket copy, your biography, photo, etc.)
- Publishing in another language
Your printing schedule will depend upon your personal abilities and also the option in which you are publishing. Your choice will depend upon your budget and your exact needs and abilities. While a full-service publishing house will handle your book with white glove service that you will pay for, self publishing, or using author-focused publishing support, is faster and less expensive. The main ways to publish your book (from most to least expensive) are:
- Full Service Publishing House (Ex. Simon & Schuster)
- Vanity Publishing House (Offers fewer services than a full-service publishing house.)
- Hybrid Publishing House (Ex. Roundtree Publishing. Actively works with the author and offers some benefits of the full-service house.)
- Author-Focused Publishing Support (Ex. Creative Space. No need for approval.)
- Self Publishing (All production handled by author through local printer)
Your distribution channel for your book will most likely be tied to your method of publishing. Most books these days are sold online through such online retailers as Amazon.com, Booksamillion.com, Barnes and Noble, etc. However, as an author, you can gain additional traction offering bulk sales, selling your book at events or taking individual orders through your website or social media links.
Promoting
This is the part of the process that is often overlooked or neglected by authors, yet it is vital to the success of your book. Every book should have its own marketing plan and marketing calendar with target dates for each initiative. The plan should begin with a clear identification of the audience for the book, the overall message the book brings and how it will be distributed (the communication channels). The marketing budget should also leave room for:
- Media relations (Press releases, interviews and appearances)
- Speaking Engagements (and development of a speaker’s kit to promote the author)
- Book signings
- Bookmarks, postcards and other printed marketing materials
- Social Media launch and/or monitoring for the author or book landing page
- Possible best-selling author campaigns
- Targetted marketing campaigns
- Advertisements
Each initiative should be incorporated into a marketing plan with target dates for completion. Every special event, speaking engagement, and book signing also requires its own specific publicity effort.
If it sounds like a lot of work and planning, believe me, it is! But you will find it so satisfying and rewarding not only for yourself as an author, but when you see how many people your words can inspire.
My passion for publishing led to the establishment of my hybrid publishing company, Fig Factor Media. If you are an aspiring author, I encourage you to join my mailing list for upcoming book summits and keep your eye on this blog for more great information on how to publish your first book. And of course, if you’re ready to fly, contact me directly and let’s get you published! Feel free to reach out to me today at 630.441.6057 or jackie@jjrmarketing.com.
Jacqueline Camacho-Ruiz is the CEO of JJR Marketing (www.jjrmarketing.com) and Fig Factor Media LLC international book publishing company (www.figfactormedia.com), founder of The Fig Factor Foundation (www.thefigfactor.org), creator of Today’s Inspired Latina book series and international movement (http://www.todayslatina.com), author of thirteen books (www.jackiecamacho.com), international speaker, and pilot. Jacqueline speaks to hundreds of audiences about marketing, servant leadership, finding your passion, and achieving success in business. She has addressed the United States Army, BP International, United Airlines, Allstate, and Farmers Insurance among other corporations to share her inspiration.
If you or an organization you know needs as speaker, please get in touch with us at http://www.jackiecamacho.com/contact.