Why You Need to Publish a Book

What was your New Year’s Resolution? Was it to finally write that book? Maybe it was to find a publisher for the book/manuscript you’ve already written. Or perhaps it was just to find someone who could tell your story. Have you kept it? Statistically speaking 25% of people abandon their New Year’s Resolutions in the first week and 60% of people abandon them in 6 months. So, if you haven't stayed true to your resolution, you are not alone.
However, publishing your book is a worthy goal; yes I said goal and not resolution. Goals are what you should set instead of resolutions. Michael Hyatt speaks to the differences between the two in a podcast with Michele Cushatt. Goals are things you can more easily work toward.

The truth is that if you have a platform, if you have a message to tell the world, if you are an expert who can solve a problem, then writing and publishing a book is something that you need to do. Nothing can grow your platform faster or give you more credibility than writing a book. But, many people don't understand the process or know where to start. We will be spending the next few weeks here discussing why you should publish your book, why Lucid Books is a great alternative to big house publishers, what you need to have in order to get your book published, and what the whole process will look like.

A big thing you need to know is that any publisher is looking to work with an author that not only has a good manuscript and a good message, but one that has a platform. In Rob Eagar’s book [amazon text=How to Sell Your Book Like Wildfire&asin=159963421X], he interviews several people who work in the publishing industry. They all have the same things to say about author platform. Publishers no longer do much, if any, of the marketing for an author or their books. It is simply not cost effective. Marketing is up to the author. If you already have an established platform, meaning a clear message and a social media presence along with an email list, then publishers will know that you have the ability already to promote your book.

If you don't have many, or any, of those things a big house publisher probably won't want to work with you. However, here at Lucid Books we have many resources to help you set up this kind of presence, and are willing to work with authors who are just beginning in their platform creation.

The most important thing to remember when considering getting your book published is that you have to be willing to do the work. Now, that might sound silly, after all you wrote the manuscript, or maybe even an entire book, but that is not all it takes. The beginning of the writing process is always fun because it is new. The end is always exciting because you are almost finished. It is the middle that always finds writers wondering why they started this project in the first place. You have to be willing to not only face the middle, but be willing to be just as enthusiastic in the middle as you were in the beginning.

Publishers want to work with an author who is not only innovative, but someone who editors will want to work with. You have to be the kind of person who can take notes from professionals and enact change from those notes. You also need to keep up your energy and show that you are not only willing to work when things get tough, but that you are still excited to be working on your book when things get tough.

Many people don't realize how challenging writing a book can be. It is absolutely worth the effort for what it can bring to your message, and to your spirit as a writer. Seeing your words in print is thrilling and fulfilling. Just remember that it will be more work, and in some ways, harder work than you have done so far in the creation process. Find a publisher that fits who you are as a writer and who offers you the kind of publishing experience you need. On Thursday we will be exploring how Lucid Books differs from other publishing companies, and why that might just be the right choice for you.

What is your book/story about. Share it with us in the comments section below.

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