This is an online course for aspiring authors—a clear, practical six-step process for taking your book from planning to promotion. Here's what you learn: Do you have a viable concept? What parts of a book will you have to write in addition to the chapters? Why should you get organized before you even begin to write? How do you set realistic deadlines and stick to them? Where do you find the right experts to help you? What does it take to get your manuscript ready for the printer? What are your publishing options, and which one is best for you? If you self-publish, what is this going to cost? If you want a traditional publisher, what should you know about literary agents? How do you let the world know about your book and where to buy it? What are the best ways to establish a presence on the World Wide Web? Why is Amazon so important? Why should you blog? And most important, how do you apply all that you have learned to your book?

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Learning Objectives for Module 1
• At the conclusion of
this module, you will
be able to:
– Describe how the course
is structured
– Explain the six steps
involved in
writing, publishing, and
promoting a nonfiction
book
– Prepare to actively
participate in the course
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4. 4
An Overview of the Six Steps
• What follows are the six essential steps
covered in this course, presented in order:
1. Planning
2.Writing
3.Professional Partners
4.Production
5.Publishing
6.Promotion
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Planning
• What it is
– Planning is the first and most important step in the process. It
forces you to ask yourself many tough questions, including
“What is my book about?”
• Why it matters
– A plan or proposal
– is your thinking document
– a work in progress
– organizes your thoughts
– helps you plan every element of your book
– tells you if you have a viable book idea
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The 10 Questions:
Why They Are Important, What They Tell You
• Force you to think through
every aspect of your book
• Help you determine whether
you have a viable book concept
• Form the basis of a formal book
proposal
• Are all you need, if you self-
publish
• Become the beginning of your
marketing plan
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Writing
• What it is
– The heart of the matter
– The content
– Most time-consuming step
• Why it matters
– Your subject is important to you.
– You want to share it with others.
– You want your readers to
respond.
– You will also write the other
parts of your book: front and
back covers and front and back
matter.
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Parts of a Book:
Why Each Part is Important
• There are four main sections
in any nonfiction book, and
each section has a specific
function.
• Covers must be well
designed, eye-catching, and
informative.
• Front matter includes the
information you want to
share with your readers.
• Chapters contain your
subject matter—your
message.
• Back matter provides
another chance to share

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Get Organized
As important as planning is before you begin
writing, it is equally important to organize
every step of the writing process. There are
four steps:
1. Set up your book files.
2. Organize your files.
3. Save your files.
4. Create a writing plan.
5. Fill in your deadlines

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Fill in Your Deadlines
• Today’s date________________________________________
• Deadline for first draft of all chapters____________________
• Deadline for second draft of all chapters__________________
• Deadline for third draft of all chapters____________________
• Deadline for preface__________________________________
• Deadline for introduction______________________________
• Deadline for acknowledgments________________________
• Deadline for second draft of front matter_________________
• Deadline for references_______________________________
• Deadline for bibliography_____________________________
• Deadline for appendices______________________________
• Deadline for index___________________________________
• Deadline for any other back matter______________________
• Deadline for second draft of back matter_________________
• Deadline for copy-edited manuscript____________________
• Deadline for revisions of copy-editing____________________
• Deadline for final draft of book_________________________
• Deadline for graphic designer__________________________
• Deadline for proofreading layout_______________________
• Drop-dead deadline for printer__________________________
•How much time do you
have?
• How are you going to
allocate it?
• What do you have to write?
• What is today’s date?
• What is the “drop-dead”
date for the printer?
The time between today’s date
and the “drop-dead” date isall
the time you have!

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Professional Partners
• What it is
– All the people who will play a role
in your book.
– Whom you choose depends on
many factors.
– Think about what you need and
what you can’t do on your own.
• Why it matters
– Very few people can or would even
want to do everything that must
be done to take a book from
concept to completion
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Each member of your “team”
is an expert who is focused on
making your book a success.

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What Are Professional Partners?
• No one is an expert in all aspects
of publishing.
• You are going to need some help.
• Professional partners are
experts.
• Make a list of
– Experts you might need
– Referral sources
– Experts’ websites
– Experts on LinkedIn
– Experts in Facebook groups

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Production
• What it is
– Between the completed manuscript and the published book is a
series of activities handled by the publisher.
– If you self-publish, you make production decisions.
– Production details may seem confusing at first, but many of
them are just a matter of preference or fact.
• Why it matters
– There are many factors that attract you or leave you
unimpressed. Someone made decisions on every one of those
factors.
– No matter how you publish, you will play a role in those
decisions.
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Before You Publish
• Manuscript is
written, edited, and
copyedited.
• One more step:Production
• Depends on the publishing
method
• If you self-publish, you must
understand production.
• If you publish
traditionally, much of the
production will be handled
for you.
• Become an informed author.

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Module 5
Publishing

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Publishing
• What it is
– Converts digital files into e-books or
printed, bound pages or e-books
• Why it matters
– Your book exists to convey a message.
– Your book must be in a form readers can
access.
– There are more publishing options for
authors than ever before.
– The more you know about those options,
the better equipped you are to choose.
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Why it’s Important to Understand
Your Publishing Options
• The publishing world is
changing every day.
• The biggest change is in
emerging technology.
• The more you understand
about this world, the
better your choices will
be.
• There are five main
publishing options.

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Publishing Options
1. Conventional publishing
2. Independent (“Indie”)
publishing
3. Self-publishing
4. Print on demand (POD)
5. Electronic (E) publishing

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Costs of Self-Publishing
Professional Partners Estimated Fee
Administrative Asst $25-$60/hour
Attorney $150-$350/hour
Book Coach $75-$300/ hour
Copy Editor $4-$10/pg, or $18-$35
/hour
Development Editor $10-$12/page or $75-
125/hour
Designer (cover) $450-$650
Designer (interior) $5-$15/page
Distributer Nominal registration
fee + 55% of profit
Ghostwriter $20,000-$50,000
Professional Partners Estimated Fee
Illustrator A well-kept secret
Photographer $500-$10,000
Proofreader $2-$3.75/typeset page
or $15-$25/hr
Printer 500: $3.65-5.25 each
1,000: $2.36-3.50 each
Proposal Development $3,000-$5,000
Publicist $75-$350+ per hour
Reviewers Free book; no charge
Website Designer $1,500-$5,000
Total $30,900-$82,579

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What You Should Know About
Literary Agents
Your agent is a partner who will …
– Critique your book proposal before it is submitted
– Make suggestions or edits to help you improve proposal
– Submit your proposal to interested publishers
– Secure advances, settle contract disputes
– Review royalty statements
– Ensure that publishers meet their contractual obligations
– Become your support system, guide, and cheerleader
– Bring a new editor up to date on you and your book
– Earn money only when he or she sells your book proposal

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Module 6
Promotion

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Promotion
• What it is
– Your book has been published.
– Now, you must get it into the hands
of readers.
• Why it matters
– Many books are vying for readers’
attention. In nonfiction, there are
thousands upon thousands.
– Letting people know is called
promotion.
– Promotion is your responsibility.
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Fill in the Boxes of
Your Marketing Plan
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Harnessing the Power of the
World Wide Web—1
• You must have a presence on
the Web. Here are some of the
most effective ways to promote
your book:
• Website
– Doesn’t have to be elaborate or
expensive, but provides a place to
make your book easy to order
• Social networking
– Connects people and encourages
conversation
• Amazon
– Offers numerous opportunities to
sell books and develop an “author
presence”

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Why Should You Blog?
• To provide value to your
readers
Most successful bloggers are generous. They give
away lots of information, and it’s all free.
• To
inform, teach, guide, entertain,
or all of these
Content should relate to the mission of your blog.
• To develop a following of loyal
readers
One visit to your blog is not enough. You want
readers to return, again and again.
• To sell ideas, services, or
products
Content counts. You have to have something to
say, something worth reading.
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Amazon: Where Readers Will Look
for Your Book
• If you have a book, potential
readers expect it to be on
Amazon.
• Amazon is much more than a
huge, virtual bookstore.
• Its greatest value may be in the
• ways it can sell YOU.
• Marketing your book on
Amazon should be the heart of
your promotional plan.
• There are so many benefits for
authors, it is worth the trouble
to learn your way around.
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Congratulations!
• You have done what
you set out to do.
• It took real
motivation, especiall
y if this is your first
online course.
• In this module, we
are going to revisit
your goals and map
out where you go
from here.
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32. 32
Assessing Your Own Progress
• You have learned:
• The basics of online learning
• How your own efforts
determine how far you
progress in your book
• What you need to know
about each of the steps in the
process
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• How to apply what you know
to your own book
• It is time to review what you
have accomplished so far and
what you still need to do to
finish your book.

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Assessing Your Experience
1. Online courses are dynamic; they grow and change
based on feedback from participants like you.
2. Your feedback will help me improve this learning
experience for those who will follow you.
3. Please take a few minutes to fill out a very brief survey
by clicking the link below.
4. Your response is completely anonymous.
5. Rate each statement from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5
(strongly agree).
6. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/S7SGYQZ
7. Thank you for your participation!
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Next Steps
• A private, one-on-one
consultation to discuss your
book, answer your
questions, and help you
determine where you go from
here
• A 25 percent discount on my
services; offer good for one
year
• Please contact me to set up a
time to meet by
phone, Skype, or FaceTime.
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Call 314-968-8661 or email me at
Bobbi@writeanonfictionbook.com