As a coach, having a book that introduces your basic philosophy, or expands upon what you've learned in your practice can add authority and expertise to your practice. By 'writing the book', your practice is always open to current and potential clients. Books, and other similar products, are a great marketing tool and source of income and help keep you in demand.
The good news is that getting published has never been easier! The bad news is that, with all the options available out there, it can get overwhelming just in figuring out what to do first! Coaches who choose to self-publish generally do so to earn the most income from their book, want to get published quickly, and to want to retain control over it's copyright.
Whatever your reason for choosing to self-publish, be aware that you will have to oversee all the details yourself - from establishing an imprint, getting ISBNs, editing, bookblock and cover design, and marketing. That said, you don't have to actually DO all these things yourself. You will simply need to know that they need to be done.
Many self-publishers make the mistake of trying to do too much themselves, attempting to save money. It very often shows. As a designer, I can usually spot a DIY'd book. Obvious formatting mistakes in the text, misspelled words and grammar errors are the usual culprits. Poorly designed covers are the biggest give away that it was DIY.
Given that a cover's appeal is often what draws people in, especially through online booksellers, it needs to stand up to the competition. This book is an extension of your practice. Do you really want your professional image to be represented by your own or your niece's artwork? That is, unless either of you is also a graphic designer skilled in cover design! Take a look at books offered by coaches and authors you admire. That is the standard to shoot for.
A successful book not only has good content, it is well edited, well designed, and well marketed. Ideally, your book will be copy- and content-edited (copy editing vs. content editing), professionally typeset to enhance the content along with a professionally designed cover, and have a fully developed marketing plan identifying sales outlets and promotional strategies. The reality is that many new authors often don't have the budget to pay for all of these things at once.
Rather than doing it yourself to save a buck or two, consider crowdsourcing to fund your project. There are many sites that specialize in creative projects, such as kickstarter.com and similar. or, break the project into phases and fund portions as you go. Hire professionals to do as much as you can afford, as it will pay off in the final quality of your book. Prioritize your budget to fund a final, thorough edit, your book's cover, and marketing, at a bare minimum. You will also need funds to cover incidentals such as ISBNs, proof copies, and associated print or marketing costs. If you need help with the pre-publishing details (ISBNs, imprints, etc), consider hiring a book publishing consultant to assist and advise you.
Creating your own well edited, well designed and well marketed book doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg, but it does cost. As you weigh the costs of hiring professionals to help you self-publish, consider how much of your time may be diverted from paying clients or speaking engagements to things you neither enjoy or are proficient in.
What is your time worth?
Cheers!
Toni
Toni@livinginbloom.com
Great advice Toni! It's important to remember that producing a book goes WAY beyond having a great story to share. It takes all kinds of skills and talents that are rarely found in any one single person. Hiring a team of people to help is the best way to shorten the learning curve and quicken results. Nice article.
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