Defining Your Publishing Objectives

I think a lot of writers that write books, begin the writing process without really thinking about what their publishing objectives are. They don’t think about questions such as: Why am I writing in the first place? Why do I want a traditional publishing contract? For whom am I writing this book? Who is my target market?

These are questions that should be answered prior to writing your book. Here are a few things to consider:

What are your goals and objectives?

• Why do you want to publish a book? (What is your Big “Why”?)
• Is this a hobby or do you want to earn a living as a writer?
• Are you going to print just a few copies for friends and family or do you want worldwide distribution?
• Do you want to become a household name?
• Who is your target market?
• Are you passionate about your writing?

How do you envision your writing career?

• Hobby – A favorite leisure time activity or occupation
• Job – A paid or unpaid position of employment
• Career – A life’s work or journey

It doesn’t matter if you view your writing as a hobby or a career there are times when you need to treat it as a job. If your goal is to earn your living as a published author it is even more important to treat your writing as a job. Life happens and it’s easy to fill your time with things that will keep you busy. Don’t let that happen. When it’s time to write, write! When it times to market your book, get out there and market.

Treat your writing as a business

• As an author you are an entrepreneur.
• As an entrepreneur you need to treat your writing as a business.
• As a business, have you written your mission statement and vision statement?

In my opinion, there has never been a better time to be a writer. The internet makes it easy to connect with your fans anywhere in the world. The world of publishing is changing and this change has resulted in a tremendous opportunity for writers to take control of their careers.

I’m going to end with a quote about the future of publishing:

“Let’s be clear. Everybody who writes is going to publish what they write. This is not one of those things that is debatable anymore…And it doesn’t really matter whether you think this is a good thing or a bad thing for the world of books and publishing – it is going to happen regardless of what any of us thinks”

- The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing – p. 27
- quoting John Feldcamp, Pres. of Xlibris Corp.

Take control of your writing career today!

I wish you much success.

Have you defined your Publishing Objectives?

by Bill Walker: Publisher, The Indie Times; Owner, Prismatic Publishing

Posted by Michele Jennae on January 15, 2012. Filed under Bill Walker,Books. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry