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If you are writing a book, there are some things you need to keep in mind. First of all, not every book gets published, and those who get published may not make it that big. With the rise of the publishing industry, there are many authors who are striving to get their work out there in front of readers.
Therefore, as you sit down to write your life story, make sure you write it both for readers and publishers. Writing your book is only half the battle. Getting it published and making it a success is a whole other challenge.
So, follow these tips below to increase the chances of getting your book published and make it a sure hit.
1. Identify a Target Audience
There’s no use to keep jotting down the chapters in your book if you don’t even know who you’re writing them for. Even if you have written a well-crafted draft that deserves appreciation, publishers are going to judge it on the basis of commercial needs.
So, before you start writing your book, identify your target audience and try to pique their interest. You can also use demographic data to identify potential readers. Look at factors like age, gender, location, and interests to find groups of people who might be interested in your book.
This will ultimately help you focus your marketing efforts and connect with readers who are most likely to be interested in your book.
2. Write on Trending Niches and Genres
The number of books published each year is on the rise, which is good news for aspiring authors out there. But with so many books being published, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. So, as an author, your best bet is to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and try to write on the most popular topics and genres.
This will not only make your book more appealing to publishers but will also help reach a wider audience. Of course, it’s not enough to just write on a popular topic – your book also needs to be well-written and engaging enough to hook the reader for a certain period.
3. Find a Literary Agent
Embrace the fact that you’re no one without your literary agent. The world of publishing doesn’t know you if you don’t have a literary agent by your side. The question is, what makes them so important? Let’s clue you in. Literary agents are professionals who represent authors and sell their books to publishers.
They have the required connections in the publishing industry and can help you find qualified editors and publishing houses to land you a publishing deal. However, before you go further, you will have to know how to find a literary agent.
There are a few different ways to go about it. You can search online databases, attend writers’ conferences, or contact agencies directly from their websites. Once you’ve found a few potential agents, you’ll need to write them a one-page query letter with a brief synopsis of your book.
If an agent is interested in your work, they will request a full manuscript and will review your work to see if they can get it published.
4. Write an Effective Query Letter
As mentioned above, you will have to write a query letter to land an agent. This is the most important aspect of getting yourself a publishing deal, so you better avail this opportunity to its full extent.
The key to writing a successful query letter is to make it clear why your book is worth reading. You need to grab the reader’s attention and convince them that your book is worth their time. Make sure to include a brief synopsis of your book without giving away too much.
Keep it all short to the maximum of one page but include all the key elements of your book. State what makes your book unique and why people would want to read it. Last but not least, be sure to read the submission guidelines of the literary agent before you write the letter. It will help you format your letter in a way that will be likely to get noticed.
5. Short Stories and Poetry Won’t Get You Anything
While short stories and poetry are amazing aspects of literacy, it’s a fact that they won’t sell a lot of print books. Also, major book publishers won’t be ready to give you any upfront money for a short story or poetry book.
Yes, you can polish your craft by starting with writing short stories and poetry but don’t hope they will get published. Of course, you can try sending them to publishers, and you will be lucky if they get published. But we will recommend focusing on writing something other than these if you want to make a living by writing books.
6. Invest Your Time in Non-Fiction
Almost every new author starts by writing a fiction book, and this has already increased the saturation of fiction books in the market. But if you focus on the recent bestsellers, you will get to know that the majority of them are works of nonfiction.
That’s why publishers are always on the lookout for nonfiction books that are interesting and come up with out-of-the-box ideas. You can write a nonfiction book by choosing from a number of genres, including biography, autobiography, history, self-help books, and everyday sciences.
It will increase your chances of getting published and will be likely to become a hit.
7. Create a Strong Network and Social Following
Networking with other professionals and your target audience will benefit you in getting your book published and making it a hit. If you have a large online presence and your work is popular, publishers will be more likely to take notice.
Additionally, if you have a strong network of connections in the publishing industry, you’ll be able to get your work in front of the right people more easily. So, connect with writers, editors, and publishers to get your work in front of the right people.
