5 Ways to Set Your Book Up for Success
I’m gonna get right into it. I believe it’s important - nay, CRUCIAL - to start setting your book up for success now.
Not when the last chapter is finished. Not when you get around to it.
Now.
There are many things you can do to start promoting your book lightyears before it’s finished. (Did I use that measurement correctly? ;)) But here are a few important ideas you should seriously consider considering.
Get clear on the outcomes you want for your book (Build excitement for YOU)
I learned the hard way that the very first step you should take when writing a book is to get clear on your goals and outcomes.
When I first started writing my book I did have a basic goal. I called it my criteria for success. You ready for it? Here it is:
Shirsten’s Goal for Success: Finish the Book.
And guess what? That’s a great goal. You should count that as a ginormous success.
However, a problem became clear when I realized just how much work I was putting into my book. I was planning on giving myself up to one year to complete it, and for what? Just so I could prove to myself that I could? Not good enough. (For me.)
If you want to complete a goal JUST for yourself, great. But if you want my two cents, that goal shouldn’t be to write and publish a full book. If you’re going through the painstaking work of creating a GOOD book, you want something more from it!
Through my process I realized that I wanted a few realistic goals - like simply finishing the book, sharing it with others, and connecting with other writers.
But I also wanted AMBITIOUS goals - like selling my first thousand copies, becoming a bestseller, and making writing my full-time career.
So do yourself a favor, get clear on your goals NOW. And don’t be too easy on yourself!
You want to feel good about your effort no matter what. That’s what your realistic goals are good for. But you also want to push yourself to achieve something great. Something you ache for. Your biggest, wildest dreams. Something that will move your life forward in a significant way. Those are your ambitious goals.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Just because you are coming up with goals, does not mean you have to know how you will accomplish them. Go back. Read that again.
Come up with the what now. Figure out the how later. All you need to worry about is taking it one step at a time.
2. Create your platform (Build excitement for your BOOK)
I’m assuming you want people to, you know, actually read your book. A crazy request, I know.
Well, that process doesn’t start after the book is finished. Oh no. If you want to set your book up for success you’ve gotta build excitement and anticipation from the beginning.
A popular YouTuber (who I happen to love) just came out with a supplement product. In her launch video, she shared that her product had been in the works for over a year. And guess what? The product’s launch was not a shock to her audience.
We weren’t just learning about her health goals or favorite foods for the first time. For weeks she had been sharing her morning “pink drink” via Instagram and her vlogs.
Loyal watchers knew she loves turmeric and beetroot juice, so it was exciting to discover she had put ingredients she believes in into her powder. There was context for the fact that her powder was created to improve skin and digestion (issues she had been openly sharing for YEARS on her channel.)
If you’re writing a book, share relevant information with your audience from the minute the idea climbs into your brain.
If you already have a blog, great! Share it there.
If not, use your social media, or start a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel to document your journey, share ideas, provide information, and give insights that are relevant to your book topic. (Hint: that’s what you’re reading right now!)
Here are a few ideas to share that’ll build excitement:
reasons you’re passionate about writing
lessons you’ve learned along the way and important steps you’re taking
books you’re reading
expertise you have around reading, writing, publishing, or marketing
things that are relevant to the topics in your book that will connect with YOUR target audience (think about the age group that will be reading your book)
For example, if you write historical fiction, you could share information about history. If you write fantasy, it might be relevant to share about mythological creatures, etc.
Bonus Tip: Find Your Voice.
What makes you YOU? Are you funny? Creative? Cheeky? Sweet?
For example, my voice is insightful (I try to go deep with my tips and story breakdowns), comfortable/inviting (I try to always make my readers feel comfortable here and with where they are at in their process), and fun (at least, I try!).
Use YOU to create your platform. It’s what will set you apart.
3. Find motivation and inspiration
I believe it’s CRUCIAL to have a few standing motivation-boosters.
But what is a motivation-booster? Allow me to explain.
A motivation-booster is something you can listen to, watch, look at, think about, take action on, etc. that fires you up like crazy. This is necessary because the truth is that you won’t always feel like writing. You’ll hit blocks and plateaus and self-doubt and bleh.
BUT, your motivation-boosters are your lifelines! They’re there to inspire you to keep you going when you just don’t feel like it.
Here are a few ideas:
Podcasts or YouTube channels - About writing, career, entrepreneurship, self-care, motivation, personal development, successful authors or people you look up to, etc.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Stacey Boehman (she talks about making money as a life coach, but her mindset info is TOP NOTCH)
Books - Biographies of people you admire, motivational books, books on becoming a better writer or on self-development, and, of course, great FICTION.
Vision Board - Find pictures that inspire you, make you smile, lift your spirit, or remind you of your goal. Then make a collage to hang somewhere in your home, set them as a background for your phone or computer, or create a Pinterest board you look at every morning.
BONUS: Make an aesthetic for your book.
4. Develop a support system
For the first 5 or 6 years I was an entrepreneur, I was too self-conscious to share my dreams with anyone, let alone to find people I could really brainstorm with and bounce ideas off of.
Now, my number one support is my husband. I make an effort to share with him what I’m doing and get his feedback on a daily basis (especially because he’s got fantastic ideas).
Bottom line? You need a support system. Don’t hide your dreams and your hard work in a folder on your computer. Share what you’re doing with someone, or someones you trust - and do it constantly.
I’m telling you, it’s a deal-breaker if you don’t. This may be a parent, a friend, a sibling, a mentor, a critique partner, a partner, or an online community. As long as they are actually SUPPORTIVE, and they keep you motivated, accountable, and on the right track.
It’s just a fact. Sometimes you think you’ve nailed down the most brilliant idea in the history of the universe. Then you share it with your best friend and she points out a that umbrellas with polka dots made of jello just wouldn’t keep the rain off.
4. Have a crystal clear audience for your book
This goes along with building your platform, but it deserves its own section.
Have you ever heard the phrase, if you’re selling to (or in this case, writing to) everyone, you’re selling to (WRITING to) no one?
Another lesson I’ve learned early on in this process is to have a clear audience in mind. WHO is my book for? WHY would they choose my book?
Take, for example, this blog. My audience is beginning and aspiring fiction authors. By writing to this audience, I’m hoping to attract awesome, ambitious people who have a passion for writing and a desire to uncover their storytelling magic (my specialty).
Why? Because I’m speaking directly to them.
I’m hoping they’ll see my content and think perhaps I have specific tips that will apply directly to their situation.
So what do you need to do? Define your crystal clear audience.
Make sure that if you told an individual that fits into your ideal audience who you’re writing for, they would recognize immediately it was meant for them. Their ears would perk up and their saliva glands would kick into high gear.
The fastest way to write a strong story is with an effective outline that plots your novel’s beating heart.
In Outline Your Novel, you’ll learn exactly what these beats are, why they matter, and how to outline them effectively to make your story sing.
