Planning: Creating a Book Project Plan - article

When first attempting to make it as an author, you might find yourself with a lot of questions about logistics. How will your book be published? How much money can you expect to make? Maybe you haven't identified your target audience or decided what formats you'll publish in. At this point, a “project plan” can help authors dot the i's and cross the t's.

What's included in an authors project plan? First, you need to decide how you intend to publish your work. Do you plan to submit query letters and excerpts of your book to traditional publishers? Perhaps, you'd like to investigate the self-publishing industry for a quicker turn around and product launch. If you choose self-publishing, you'll need to decide if you will use a guided print-on-demand service, like Author House, or a completely do-it-yourself platform, like WordClay.

For your plan to succeed, you need to identify your target audience. Think about who is most likely to read your book. You can define your audience by age group, lifestyle, and genre, but you need to consider what makes your book unique. For instance, if it’s a gardening book, ask yourself if it speaks to the southwest region of the U.S. or just to Texas. Is it focused on fruits and vegetables or does it include gardening with flowers, trees, and non-food plants? As you answer these questions you’ll be able to narrow your audience. This uniqueness is going to drive your writing and your marketing. No one can market to “everyone”. Targeted marketing works best. You’ll get more buyers if you market that Gardening book based on fruit that grows well in Texas if you reach out to Texans, southern gardeners, and related gardening associations than if you market it at a farmer’s market in Seattle.

Determine what your revenue goal is. Think about how much money you'd like to make per sale and develop a realistic sense as to what you can earn. To figure out these numbers, you need to know how much your book will cost to produce, and you need to set a realistic selling price. It might be hard to pinpoint exactly how high your costs will be, but you can begin to determine your retail price by researching similar books already on the market.

Your particular format, as well as your marketing plan, will determine your costs. Whether it's an eBook, print hard cover, print paperback, or any combination, your formats will determine your distribution plan. For example, if you choose only to publish online with an eBook, you don't need to be as concerned with brick and mortar stores as you will need to be with mega-sites, like Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Finally, button up your project plan by deciding what outside resources, if any, you will use for editing, cover design, marketing, distribution, and sales. If you're a first time author, you might want to consider a freelance editor and cover designer. The investment can pay for itself especially when it comes to making ever-so-important first impressions.