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 Choosing appropriate content To ensure that your book targets the appropriate audience, provides informa- tion of interest, and stays on target in terms of the content, ask yourself these questions: -  Specifically, what am I trying to teach the reader? -  Am I writing something that my target audience may be interested in? -  Do my readers find the information useful and/or entertaining? -  Am I taking into account the information or knowledge the reader already has and then building on it? -  How does my target audience use the information? -  Is the information informative, well written, and entertaining? -  Have I explained key concepts in a way my readers can understand? -  Do the examples, artwork, charts, or graphics I plan to incorporate into the book help convey the information? (See “What Meets the Eye: Adding Visual Interest to Your Manuscript,” later in this chapter for details on graphic elements.) -  If I’m writing fiction...

 Controlling your environment for maximum comfort and productivity After you’ve established where you want to write the most, take control of your environment and make it fit your personal taste and needs by making the space most conducive to your personal work habits. As you create your work environment, figure out exactly what work-related tasks you’re going to do and make sure that you have the tools, resources, and equipment you need at your disposal. For example, if you’re conducting phone interviews and doing research, having a telephone and recording equipment, along with access to the Internet and your reference books and paper-based files is critical. If you’re setting up your computer system and related peripherals, such as a printer, you need ample electrical outlets and desk space for this equipment and someplace to store your supplies. (See “Throw Away the Hammer: Assembling the Writer’s Toolbox” later in this chapter for more about writing tools.) The perfect work env...

 Catering to your audience with the right writing style Chances are you’ve decided to write a book because you have knowledge, experience, or an idea that you want to share with others. Like composing music or creating a sculpture or painting, writing is an art form. As an expert in your field, you need to be able to communicate your thoughts and ideas using the written word. No matter what type of book you’re writing, it’s vital that you thoroughly understand the book’s intended audience (see Chapter 4 for more about tar- geting certain readers). The vocabulary, sentence structure, and information within your book should all cater specifically to your book’s target audience. The words you use, your sentence structure, and your use of punctuation and grammar make your book easy or difficult to understand. For example, writing a children’s book that’s targeted to a 6-year-old and writ- ing a how-to book written for college educated professionals differ greatly. The vocabulary you u...

 Encountering specific distribution snags If you compare a self-published book with a trade paperback book published by a major publishing house, you may find many similarities in your book and any other book you’d see displayed on a bookstore’s shelf (that’s if you follow the advice offered in this book and create a professional looking book). In fact, you’d probably have a difficult time differentiating between the two products if you saw them side-by-side. Both a self-published book and a book published by a major publishing house follow the same basic format, includ- ing overall layout and design, front and back cover, how the title, price, bar- code, and other information is conveyed, and the publishing materials used, such as the cover and internal paper stock. But a difference does exist: The big difference between a self-published book and a book published by the major publishing house is the resources avail- able for distribution, marketing, advertising, and promotion. The...

 Maintain control over the entire process When you publish your own book, you wear both the author and the pub- lisher hats. You’re ultimately responsible for handling all the work that a major publishing house typically handles on behalf of authors: -  Getting the manuscript edited -  Creating page layouts and design -  Crafting a front and back cover -  Getting the book printed -  Distributing your the book -  Managing marketing, advertising, and promotion (What, you’re not an expert in all these areas? Well, you’re in luck once again. Every step is covered in this book!) Authors who work with a major publishing house must give up a lot of cre- ative control over their book project. It’s the author’s job to write the manu- script. The publisher typically handles everything else, often without consulting the author on creative decisions. Authors who have their book published by a major publishing house don’t typically get a say on cover design or how ...

 Achieve your career-related goals Some people write books because they want to pursue writing as a career. (Check out “Can Self-Publishing Be a Full-Time Gig?” later in this chapter for more about this career option.) Others, however, use their work to promote other aspects of their established career. After you become a published author, you instantly become a credible “expert” on whatever topic you wrote about. People respect authors and the knowledge they share. Therefore, being a published author can help you -  Land a new job in your area of expertise -  Earn a raise or promotion with your current employer -  Launch or expand your own business and earn the respect of customers -  Become a consultant or freelancer in your area of expertise -  Earn extra money lecturing or teaching seminars on your book’s topic -  Be the media’s go-to person whenever a news story breaks about your topic -  Pursue writing as a full-time career, assuming you’re ...