How to Publish Your Non-Fiction Book

There are three things that I look for to guide authors on taking a self publishing or a traditional book deal route:

1. Story
2. Platform
3. Timing

Story: Is it unique? Is it interesting? Is it trending? Importantly, is it something that you’ve already tested and that people have already shown an interest in? That says to me that there's something there.

This is usually the factor authors are most focused on, but, perhaps surprisingly, it’s the lowest hanging fruit of the three. The next one is the highest: 

Platform: Is your name already out there in the world in relation to the story you want to tell? Are you connected to people who can support you in promoting this book and establishing your credibility? Are you willing to do the ongoing work of building on that foundation?

You see, the way that it works with traditional publishing is that publishers aren’t really looking for people who want to use the book to build their name. They want people who already have a name so they can use it to sell the book. So either you need to have a platform in place or you need to be willing to do the work to build that platform before you get a book deal in order to attract the interest of a publisher. And, of course, you will have to do the ongoing work of growing your reach to promote and sell the book once you have a deal. 
And then timing, that's the last one. 

Timing: The unknown factor if you’re seeking a traditional book deal.

Let's say you had a a burning desire to get your book out in the next 12 months. I would tell you that the only way that you can guarantee that happening is if you self-publish. Because nobody can say for sure how long it's going to take to 1) get an agent and 2) for that agent to sell your book to a publisher. And then, once those two steps happen, with those big question marks as to how long they're gonna take, it's going to be generally 18 months to 2 years between signing a book contract and that book actually being published and put out into the world. So if you had a specific timeline you were looking for, that would be a reason for me to guide you towards self publishing.

Thoughts? Given those three factors, what do you think is the best publishing route for you?

When you're ready to take the next steps on whatever your publishing journey may be, I'm here to help. And if you're still not sure, contact me anyway! We can figure it out together! 

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