True confession: my first book went absolutely nowhere. Actually, my first two books went absolutely nowhere.
This was years ago, before I started ghostwriting and before I knew anything about the book business. All I knew was that anyone could publish their own book on Amazon, and that being a “published author” sounded impressive.
So, when the teaching blog my husband and I had been writing together had enough material, we decided to turn it into a couple of short books.
We wrote the manuscript, revised it, revised it again, and polished it squeaky clean. We came up with catchy titles, subtitles, and book descriptions. We designed covers and perfected the layout in both PDF and Kindle format. We spent hours and hours getting everything just right.
We hit “Publish,” and then…
Nothing. Crickets. Amazon rank #1,834,029,823,498,475,209,845.
We did a lot of things right, but like so many aspiring authors, we also did a few crucial things wrong. I’ve since helped authors write over a dozen books, and I know better now. Here are 7 common mistakes that will tank your book and how to avoid them.
1. Having a broad target audience
Think your book could benefit anybody? That’s a pretty idea, but it won’t help you write a good book or sell it. When you try to speak to everyone, you end up resonating with no one. Take some time early in your writing process to figure out who you’re actually writing to. Many people could benefit from your message, sure, but who is going to be OBSESSED with it? That’s your target audience.
2. Not designating sacred writing time
Book projects are always important and never urgent. If you live a life full of pressing demands (who doesn’t?), that means your book will be hanging out on the back burner forever unless you schedule regular time to work on it. Whether it’s first thing in the morning, before bed, or weekend afternoons, it has to be consistent, and it has to be sacrosanct. Otherwise, you’ll be “writing your book” your whole life.
3. Writing too much without a plan
It’s fine to start out by just getting random ideas on the page. You might even spend a few months doing that, without a clear idea of what your book is really about. At some point, though, you’ve got to figure out your basic structure. What’s your one core message? Who is it for, and why do they care? What stories or ideas support that message, and what order do they belong in? If you go too long without answers to these questions, you’ll end up writing in circles.
4. Trying to fit in too many ideas
This book does not have to be your only book. In fact, if you actually finish it, it probably won’t be. Books are like tattoos—once you have one, you’re much more likely to go for another. So, don’t try to cram in every possible thought. That just confuses the reader. Focus on what actually supports the specific message of this book. If something doesn’t quite fit, leave it out—you can always put it in your next book.
5. Letting too many people give input
Having some feedback is essential. Even career authors have editors and beta readers…but those are people who either have deep expertise in the craft of writing or represent the target audience of the book. Chances are, neither of those things is true of your mom, your best friend, or even your partner. Feedback from the wrong people will only throw you off—better not to let them in on the creation process in the first place.
6. Skimping on cover design
Unless you’re a graphic designer with book cover experience, don’t DIY this part. Seriously. No matter how hard you try, it will look amateur, and people definitely judge books by their covers. Get a professional cover designer, and think twice (or three or four times) before hiring anyone who charges less than four figures.
7. Launching without promoting
This was our fatal mistake. We just published our book when it was ready, with no fanfare except a few social media posts after the fact. This is NOT how the pros do it. Successful book launches involve months of steadily increasing hype with as many forms of public messaging as possible. They amass pre-orders so the sales figures are as high as possible on launch day, which is key to achieving Amazon bestseller status, which massively boosts long-term credibility and visibility.
Which of these mistakes have you made, or are you making right now? Have I missed anything? Let me know in the comments!
