The Pitfalls of a Poorly Planned Book Launch (and 6 Tips to Avoid Them)

It doesn't have to be this way.

So in a jolt of inspiration like never before, you decide you want to express your thoughts or expertise with the world – not just by blogging, but by producing a small book. (High five. Doing well so far.)

Over three to six months, you outline the content, start laying it out in your word processor, then dive into the writing, fueled by the excitement and motivation that you’re really going through with this.

Or, on the other hand, if writing isn’t your strong suit, you slog through it, hating the process (you may even hire a ghostwriter to pass off that task), but still motivated by the idea that the world will greatly benefit from your work.

You kid glove the content, proofread and edit it multiple times, making sure to bring in an outside editor or proofreader to catch the mistakes you don’t. (Still doing well.)

Then you design your own cover, and even pick a launch date. But you don’t stop there – you plan out a whole book tour. (Woo-hoo!)

Then reality sets in. Your launch date’s coming up really soon and you still have yet to print the thing. What’s worse, you don’t have the money to cover the printing costs.

This doesn’t look too promising, does it?

Well, here are six tips to avoid being that guy.

Why You Should Think Twice Before Making a Manifesto for Your Blog

Manifesto. That word sounds so mighty, doesn’t it? It summons romanticized images of pumped fists and feral, sweaty grimaces of perseverance, much like the Gatorade, Olympics, or U.S. Marines commercials.

I personally picture a low-angle shot of a towering man in pristine military uniform staring down at the camera in a ready stance with fists at his sides and a massive U.S. flag undulating behind him. Manifesto.

But as sexy as all of that looks, the word is dying, and quickly.

Here’s why. 

6 Things You Need to Know About CreateSpace Before Self-Publishing [Slideshow]

The New York Times reported that eighty-one percent of people believe they have a great book idea and that they should write and publish it. 

According to the Self-Publishing Resources blog, "...that represents over 200 million people in the U.S. who want to write a book in their lifetime!"

That's a lot of people. 

Fortunately, there are enough self-publishing options available out there for everyone to accomplish that goal. 

Today, the Geek does your work for you again (it's my pleasure, believe me) and explores the most ubiquitous self-publishing site of them all: Amazon.com's CreateSpace. 

Marketing Expert Danny Iny's Engagement Book Shows You 10 Effective Steps to Building Your Audience

Everyone’s looking to be heard, and almost the same amount of people offer a way to help you do it – through books/ebooks, free reports, blogs, webinars, videos, and so on.

Here’s the rub: most of them are saying the same thing. 

Marketing Consultant and super-blogger Danny Iny’s recent release Engagement From Scratch: How Super-Community Builders Create a Loyal Audience and How You Can Do the Same! patently proves this.

The book is a compendium of how-to articles and essays from all the top-tier bloggers and entrepreneurs on the Internet right now on how to build a loyal community around your brand, blog, or service, including:

·      Brian Clark (founder, Copyblogger.com)

·      Danny Brown (founder, For Bloggers By Bloggers)

·      Guy Kawasaki (founder, Alltop.com)

·     Mark Schaefer (marketing consultant and founder, BusinessesGrow.com)

·      Sean Platt (freelance writer, prolific author, ghostwriter, and founder, TheDigitalWriter.net)

·      Corbett Barr (founder, ExpertEnough.com and ThinkTraffic.net) 

·      Derek Halpern (founder, DIYThemes.com)

And though their individual experiences differ, their basic framework for success is the same.

Note: this book targets writers, but these laws apply to any business and marketing strategy, so don’t feel alienated if you’re not a writer.

It took me a couple days to read the 234-page guide (not counting the first four pages of praise), so before you bounce between sites and blogs, I’ll give you the pros’ basic framework for success right here…in half the time.