There’s a part of me that cringes when I look at the first book baby I birthed into the world. Oh my, if I only knew then what I know now.
Living, Healing, and Taekwondo was a milestone for me, the beginning of a journey into books and publishing that would eventually get me to living my true purpose. It was a big deal.
You’ll find two versions of that book out there. The first one, with all the mistakes. And then the second one, with a much more beautiful cover, and done in a way that helped me leverage my message, community, and business.
That is the book I want you to publish the first time.
“Laura, you’re so generous!”
That’s what a recent networking partner said when I blasted them with the “You should think about this stuff before you start this journey” talk.
It might be generous to share all those tips and tricks to help you have a much more successful book launch, but honestly, it’s what every publisher should be doing, whether they’re getting paid or not. It’s the right thing to do, to help people leave their legacy in a way that helps them feel brave and proud—the first time!
Books are a legacy business. Yours is mine. Yours matters to me. You’re welcome to grab a spot in our Brave Healer Power Hour, a free 5-person private networking event to help you get the answers to your book publishing questions and build your business. Do that HERE.
In the meantime, I’m laying out the 10 things you should know before you start writing that book of yours.
10 Things to Do Before you Start Writing the Book
1. Know your ideal reader at the next level
You’ll find the Ideal Client Masterclass in The Brave Healer Resources Vault. I could spend the 5000 words telling you how important this is, but a better idea is inviting you to grab that free resource to help you with everything you’re creating for your business, not just your books! Get it HERE.
2. Build your email list now
Without a platform there’s nobody to sell or share your book to. I resisted this in the beginning and so wish I hadn’t. It’s your email list that’ll help you come launch day. Start now. I have a resource for you in the vault for that, too. Go get it!
3. Get clear on your book idea
The book idea that is the right one for you to write and share is the one that will help people get to know, love, and trust you, and that brands you moving forward. Both the title and the book are important. Work with someone who knows how to ask you the right questions about this. You will be so glad you did!
4. Start with an outline
You may be tempted to just start writing, but a thorough outline will not only inspire the writing, it will help you get unstuck in the writing process later. Outline your table of contents thinking about that journey you’re taking the reader on from A to Z. Bullet list the scenes and tools you’ll share. There’s a free mini-book-writing course in the vault for you. Go grab it!
5. Calendar your writing time
If it’s not calendared, it’s not real. If you want to finish this book, you need to protect the time on your calendar. I recommend no less than three-hour chunks of time blocked off on a 3-4 days-a-week basis.
6. Start working with a designer for your front cover
You can do this before the book is finished, or even before you start writing. When you have a cover you love, you’ll be much more likely to follow through with your writing and get this done. Also, building buzz for your book with the cover will help you build your email list!
7. Get your networking game on now
Like building your email list, building your community of potential business referral and introduction partners is so helpful ahead of time. The relationships you build will come in handy during your launch when you’re building your book launch team! You might check out the entire book I wrote about this topic: Networking for Healers. Grab that on Amazon HERE.
8. Build your community around your book topic
To have an engaged community thriving before your book is done means a successful launch later on. What’s the topic you’re helping people with? Start a Facebook group or other free offering to bring ideal readers in and begin serving them. Then when it’s time to launch, you’ll already have super fans who want to buy the book.
9. Blog about your topic
Blogs and journal entries can become huge parts of your book. They’re shorter and sometimes less stressful than thinking about writing the entire book. Later, you can begin compiling the entries and organizing them into your book. Blogs are also incredible opportunities to build your platform and test the topics you want to write about in your book to see if people are engaging with the topic!
10. Remember, your book is your legacy
The last thing I want you to know is that your brave words matter. Don’t skimp on your book. It’s not just a book, it’s a world-changing masterpiece that is leaving your legacy. Hire professionals to make sure it’s the best it can be! Talk to people before you start writing and get the information you need to make this the best it can be! You can join one of our free Brave Healer Power Hours to do just that. Schedule that HERE.
For information about our events and expert collaborative book projects, please visit
https://BraveHealer.com
We can’t wait to talk with you about your book idea! We publish for holistic health, wellness and business professionals through three imprints: Brave Healer Productions, Brave Business Books, and Brave Kids Books.
