Is it hard to get your work published? It depends on what your goals are, so it pays to know the “why” behind wanting to leap onto the journey of writing and publishing your book! Let’s start by understanding three really important steps.
These steps will help in publishing a book:
- Know your why
- Know your ideal reader
- Know your goals for publishing
When I first self-published, the process was confusing, and my why wasn’t clear. I made so many mistakes with that first book. I didn’t access the right support, coaching, or expertise. I didn’t know how to publish a book. I relied on a hybrid book publishing company I thought would be the answer to everything. It wasn’t. It was a bummer. I had to learn the hard way. The blessing was the lessons I gained and the knowledge I can now share with you all about this journey.
When I figured out my why—to wake the world up to what’s possible for healing—things got way more interesting, and I honed in on my ideal reader in a way I never did with book number one. The why was more than just to write and say I did it. It was filled with a passion to serve others and a much bigger vision other people wanted to be a part of. My why gave my writing much bigger energy. My why fueled the book, the launch, and the community I was writing for.
When I became clear on my ideal reader, my community, including my writer’s community, grew and expanded in ways I never dreamed of. Publishing started to become more exciting as that feedback came in. I was on the right track, hearing from readers (and writers) who loved the content and wanted more. For any book author, realize that when you publish a book, you now have a business, whether or not you had a formal business before that. And knowing who your ideal reader (or client) is is a key to success. Without it you’re writing may not be focused in a way that brings you the results you hoped for.
Having a book coach helped me so much. After self-publishing the first time and realizing what was missing, I sought out professionals to take things up a notch. I’m so happy I did that and made an investment to get me on track. That has paid off so many times over since then. They helped me understand my why, my ideal reader, and my goals.
I found one of my first book coaches through a writing retreat. The days I spent with her and that group were transformational and steered me on a course with writing that would change my life and my business. The retreat was validation. I went thinking I was a writer, and I left knowing I was. What I love about the result is that I knew I wanted to provide these kinds of retreat experiences going in, and signed up with the goal of learning everything I could about it so that I could develop my own unique version later on. Which I eventually did. Read about our Brave Healer Writer’s Retreat
In my first writer’s retreats, I learned so much about writing, about making my writing come alive for the reader, and about common mistakes authors make when trying to get published.
I knew I’d made some of them with my first book, but I also knew I could improve with the next one. And that’s exactly what I did. My second book, Brave Healing, a Guide for Your Journey, became a signature business-building book for me and I was able to begin building my community with it.
When I publish now, I have big goals that are aligned with my mission and purpose. I love feeling into that big vision for my writing and my company every day, and feel the fire of that alignment behind everything I do. Today I would say that it’s not challenging to get your work published. It’s more challenging to find a publisher who understands your work, your mission, and your vision and to get the support you need to not only publish your work but for the marketing, promotion, and community-building activities you need to make that book launch a success well into the future. It’s worth taking time to talk to people, interview them, and get a feel for what you’re getting into. It’s important to answer those three questions above before you start that process. Know your why, your ideal reader, and your goals and then go out and find the perfect partner to help you leave your legacy in the world in a bigger way.
