RE Prague at Dusk copyright SAM VAKNIN - author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain; How the West Lost the East. He is a columnist for Central Europe Review, PopMatters, and eBookWeb, a United Press International (UPI) Senior Business Correspondent, and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101. Until recently, he served as the economic advisor to the government of Macedonia.
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7 Steps to Publishing from The Ink Tree Report 




The decision to publish a book is very exciting! It causes the creative juices 
to flow and the eyes to light up. But wait – before you begin the publishing 
process, know about the seven most important steps you need to know before
publishing your book. Make sure that you take every step into careful consider-
ation so that your road to success is an easy one: 



1. Know why you are writing a book.



Are you writing your memoirs for the family, are you writing a community cook-
book, are you writing a book of regional interest or are you writing a national 
bestseller? All of these goals are valid, but each goal has different implications 
for your business plan. Know why you are writing and know that you can 
create that bestseller if that is your goal. 



2. Treat publishing as a business.



You are passing beyond the realm of author into the exciting world of publishing.
You are not just a writer, you are about to become a publisher who wants to 
produce a profitable book, and you want to keep the profits for yourself.



3. Write a business plan.



Being aware of the business aspect of publishing is not an end in itself – you 
need to formally write your plan. It does not need to be a fifty page document 
with every accounting possibility recorded, but it should outline all of the costs
that you will encounter from obtaining the necessary funds to knowing the 
price of mailing a book. The business plan needs to account for future expenses 
as well as pre-publication expenses. 



4. Plan for publicity and marketing. 



You must plan for the publicity and marketing of your book. You can have the 
best book in the world, but if no one knows about it, no one will buy it. You 
don’t want to print books that sit in your garage. You want to print books that 
will sell, sell, sell! 



5. Write about a subject that you know well. 



Don’t write about something that you can’t talk about without effort. Write 
about a subject with which you are very familiar and that excites you. Writing 
the book will establish you as an expert in your field, so choose the topic that 
causes everyone you know to come to you for advice. The publicity will then 
be so easy that you will love being the “star”.



6. Know who will buy your book. 



So many authors think that “everyone” needs and should buy their books. 
Not so. Perhaps “everyone” needs their books, but not “everyone” will want 
to buy. Research and know WHO will actually WANT your book and market, 
market to them. They will buy! 



7. Look for non-bookstore markets
 and
   Do not be afraid of the large discounts. 



Bookstores are a hugely important market for most authors, but they are far
from being the only place to sell books. There are many non-traditional markets 
that buy books in large quantities with no returns. This is a great market – 
sales made are guaranteed sales not consignment sales. Do not be afraid of 
the larger discounts when you make those large volume sales. The books you 
sell are actually SOLD. 

Think how much more pleasant a journey is if you know which fork in the road 
will lead you to smooth driving and which fork in the road will lead you through 
potholes. Knowing the most effective publishing steps before you print will make
your publishing career fun and profitable.





© Copyright 2004 Ink Tree Ltd. Ink Tree Ltd. helps authors publish, market 
and sell books. From "101 Things You Need to Know About Publishing" to our 
Ultimate Book Marketing Kit, we will help you make your book a success. 
http://www.inktreemarketing.com 

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