Publishing a Children’s Book is Fun and Profitable!
Children’s books are always a big selling product. Children are entering into schools and libraries with big eyes and imaginations into the world of reading every year. So the need to stock up on new children’s books every year is always growing.
If you are wondering about the actual over-all facts and numbers on how much you can earn by publishing a children’s book Please go to Hannah Holt’s Website, where she did the research and published it on her page which will include graphs and tables, as she broke down the various types of publishing. In her research, she also included data for self-published Authors and the level of marketing they did for their book. The bottom line of her report shows that publishing children’s books are profitable, no matter how you decide to publish (either self-publishing or traditional publishing), and oddly enough, in the end, the Authors of both categories ended up making the same amount of money. This is good news for those trying to decide which is the better way to go. Because the only thing that may make a difference, in the long run, is “time” because for every day you are not selling books, you are not making a profit. In this case, the option to self publish is a plus, because you can be self-published in a few weeks if you already have a manuscript and your illustrations all ready to go. Where waiting on a traditional publisher to accept your manuscript can sometimes take years. Then, once they accept your manuscript, it could be another 6 months before you ever see your book on the market. In my calculations, using the data provided by Hannah Holt, that would earn the average self-published author, approximately $25,000.00 more in profits from their book.
Now, let’s talk about the steps to get you started if you are a first time Author.
Obviously, writing the story has to be the very first thing you do. Creating a lovable character, that children can relate to. And hopefully, even a lesson in the Golden Rule is somewhere in the story. (Books that have a good moral message for children tend to sell more).
The next step is finding a good illustrator that can bring your characters to life. This is not as easy as it sounds. There are thousands of illustrators you can choose from. They all charge different prices and they all work at a different pace. Some will want 2% of the Royalties and others to just be paid for their work. Whichever you choose, it is always a good idea to offer to put the Illustrators name on the cover, (either front or back) because they will sometimes be so grateful for the gesture they will go an extra mile for you,
When doing Self-Publishing, it is recommended to pay an illustrator rather than to offer Royalties. Because doing the monthly break down, or even if you do a quarterly breakdown, can be time-consuming. And you will always have them breathing down your neck for spreadsheets of book sales data.
If you are in the process of looking for an illustrator, you can search Facebook by typing in the search bar “Children’s Books Illustrator” a long list of options will come up and you will be able to review their portfolios that they have posted on their page. This is helpful because you will be able to tell by the illustrator’s style if it “fits” with your story, and has the look of what desire. Another way is to contact your local Children’s book publisher and ask if they have a list of illustrators.
*PLEASE TAKE NOTE: Many illustrators have a preference to draw either vertical or horizontal. You want to make sure and be clear to the illustrator the trim size of your book and if your book is vertical, horizontal or square. Because of how this will have to be formatted in the book may cause the picture to be cropped, and that is not always desirable.
After you have your completed manuscript with illustrations and a cover illustration, make sure you have written your Bio. It needs to be very short and sweet. This can be included in the very back of the book or even on the back cover under the synopsis. Oh! And yes, you must have the synopsis for the back cover ready to go as well.
Once you have all the above finished and ready to go, you are ready to be published!
You can contact your Author Representative for more questions.
If you do not have a personal Author Representative please contact AuthorRep on Facebook or call 702-292-4638
Get out of your own way and do your book a favor!
Today I am addressing the topic of Manuscript editing.
After being in the book publishing business for many years now, I see one mistake made by authors over and over. And that is not getting their book edited by a professional. Often times, they think that having a friend or two read it is sufficient. However, unless those friends are professional proofreaders or book editors, this will not improve the quality of your writing.
In many cases, authors have submitted manuscripts that have a great storyline, but they fail to hit the mark in quality structure and this can hurt their reviews. It also makes it difficult for the publisher to market the book for professional reviews.
Your manuscript must be as close to perfection as possible. If not, the overly abusive critics on Amazon, the largest book distributor, will rip your book apart in reviews, and this will dramatically decrease sales. The reviews are so brutal on Amazon that authors are warned not to take them to heart. However, you need to avoid getting bad reviews in any way you can.
If you want to publish a high-quality book, whether it is self-published or you are planning to go the old school route of attempting to secure an agent that might land you a contract with one of the large publishing houses, you must have your manuscript professionally edited.
1) COPY EDITING:
A basic word-by-word edit that addresses grammar, usage, and consistency issues.
- Check for typographical errors, spelling errors, and consistency aspects, correction of grammatical and linguistic errors, attention to punctuations.
- A brief review to ensure accurate and consistent usage.
- Editing time: 8 to 10 business days
*Note: This is included in our publishing packages of Gold or higher.
2) LINE EDITING:
A more intensive structural edit that focuses on the finer aspects of language—the flow of ideas, transition elements, tone, and style. May require rewriting a sentence or an entire paragraph to make sure the whole thought is portrayed properly.
- Correction of awkward constructions and suggestions to make sentences crisper and tighter by fixing redundancy.
- Review of key aspects of the manuscript—the narrative, vocabulary, structure, characterization, style, and development.
- Editor’s notes and overall comments.
- Editing time: 2 to 4 weeks depending on the word count
*Note: This is not included in any of the packages except the Diamond Package.
Empire Publishing performs two rigorous rounds of editing. The first is mechanical using academic software and then personally by editors with a Degree in English/Literature.
Our editors will not change your original manuscript but will make recommendations for suggested corrections. The author receives these suggested edits via “track changes” in an edited version Microsoft Word file. We recommend submitting your manuscript as a Word 2007 for best results. It is your responsibility to accept or reject the editor’s recommendations and make those changes to your manuscript. Our goal is not to alter your story or voice, but to enhance it for the better.
The estimated time frame for most manuscripts on an average is approximately a week to two weeks depending on length and complexity.
Empire Publishing is here to help your book be as successful as possible. So please, do your book a favor and have it professionally edited.
~Sentiments from The Team at Empire Publishing
To purchase the service of editing click here: EDIT MY BOOK
6 Vital Investments for the Self-published Author
The 6 Most Important Investments for the Self-published Author…
Where should new authors put their money?
Everything good comes at a price, either through time or money. When you invest your time to write a book, then you also must invest money to ensure it’s a success. Here the 6 places a new author should invest in their book.
- Editing. No matter what, professional editing is the best investment for any book. Every single successful self-published book has been worked over by an editing pro, without exception.
- Cover design. Give your idea to the pro’s who do professional cover design. Empire Publishing has in house professional graphic artists who specialize in cover design. You can write the greatest book since Don Quixote, but if it doesn’t have an eye-catching cover, nobody will ever discover the contents of your book.
- Book formatting. A close second to cover design, when it comes to important investments of your book. This is when it is better for a self-published author to hire the services of a professional literary service who specializes in formatting books for print and digital books. All of Empire Publishing’s packages include appropriate formatting for their books genre.
- Producing printed books and eBooks. Printed books remain the dominant format, and it’s too easy and inexpensive not to invest in eBooks as well. All of Empire Publishing’s packages come with an eBook!
- Maximizing distribution. Having your book available on Amazon isn’t good enough for most self-published authors. Using an aggregator like Empire Publishing can put your book and/or book link in dozens of the leading bookstores and book-selling websites around the world. Such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, etc…
- Marketing. This is the part of the publishing process that most writers hate, so investing in it is doubly important. For writers who are not marketing-inclined, spending money on consultations or hiring someone to market your book can make a huge difference in sales.
Side Note: Audiobooks are a great innovation, and with the rise in ownership of smart speakers like Amazon’s Echo or Google Home, they’ll continue to increase in prominence. Still, they remain a poor investment for new and independent authors. Until you garner a major following, you’re better off focusing on the more foundational aspects of publishing and promotion that will bring a higher return on your investment. Your book is your business, treat it like you would treat a storefront business. Polish it, promote it, advertise it, be proud of it.
90 Days and 7 Steps to Launch Your New Book!
Congratulations – you’ve recently put the finishing touches on your first book and now it published on Amazon and hopefully Barnes & Noble! Yay! Believe it or not, that is a rare accomplishment that not many people can claim. If you thought writing your book was hard work, brace yourself for the next necessary phase: marketing your book.
The tremendous recent changes to the publishing industry have been a double-edged sword: they offer greater opportunities for self-published authors but they bring a lot more competition. No matter how great your cover is and no matter how great the content is – a book will never sell itself. You and you alone are going to have to be creative if you want to boost your sales. One way to do it is through effective use of social media. So how do you use social media to promote your book?
Here are seven social media marketing “musts” for first-time authors.
1. Create great Social Media Posts with Quality Content
You put in a lot of time and energy to ensure your book is of the best it can be, and you’must match that quality and make your social media content stellar. Your audience wants/needs distilled information presented clearly and directly. Since you are now an author, you can claim a degree of expertise in your chosen subject. Use that expertise to make every Facebook post, Instagram Post, LinkedIn article, and Tweet a highly engaging experience. Provide tips and information your readers won’t find anywhere else, and do it in a concise fashion. If you have written a Romance Novel, instead of providing tips you provide a juicy piece from your book… get people slobbering on themselves and wanting to know more. Ask questions about what readers are looking for in your genre.
2. Investigate new media
Facebook and Twitter are among the top social media platforms, but that’s not to say you should focus on them to the exclusion of all else. Pinterest, Instagram, and Vine are all good options too. Tumblr can also be a great place for Authors to get engagement with readers. You should make a “page” on Facebook just for your book. Name the page the Title of your book. That way you are easy to find. And you can use that as your fan page. Do not try and do them all – all at once, though. Engage one at a time, with a clear strategy for each, and you can effectively increase your reach. Consider writing short blog posts with links to your book. Posting your blog posts on Social Media is a way to say a lot more to your audience. One place I always direct new authors to is Good Reads. Go on there and claim your book and develop your Author Profile. Invite friends to Good Reads and connect your Good Reads account to your Facebook page. This is a form of cross-marketing that works really good. Yes initially it takes some time to do all of this, but you can accomplish all of this in just 4 hours a week. And your book deserves 4 hours a week of dedication to getting it seen. In only 90 days you will see your ranking get higher on Amazon and your book sales will elevate.
3. Respond to each comment
The last thing a writer has time to do is sit on their social media pages waiting to instantly jump to reply to every comment. So if you have created a “Book Page” on Facebook, you can have a couple of admins to help respond to comments or messages. Always remember the “social” element of social media. Respond to each and every comment, whether positive or negative. Your goal is to develop a conversation and an ongoing relationship with your followers. Even if you’re simply expressing gratitude for someone taking the time to comment, you’re doing yourself, and your book, a big favor.
4. Connect with other authors
Be sure to connect with authors in the realm or genre of your book. Respond to some of their posts and start to develop a relationship. You can gain exposure this way, and you never know what a fellow author might be able to assist you with. You can also exchange reviews with other authors. Getting reviews is very important, and sometimes you need some to get started. Offer a free Kindle download to your readers and other authors and politely ask for a review.
5. Offer an inside look at your book
Consider providing a link to your website (if you do not have one refer to number 6 below) from your social media accounts where a follower can download an inside look at your actual book – the first chapter, for example. It’s a great move that can ultimately improve your sales. You just need to put a chapter in a PDF format so they can download it. Social media is an interactive format, meaning you should be trying to get your readers involved.
Social media marketing for writers is serious business, and there’s a good bit of work involved if you’re going to get it right. If you start to develop a solid audience and then make a misstep, you’ve just wasted valuable time and energy. Manage your schedule as best you can, giving 4 hours a week of your time to devote to your social media marketing and improve your book sales. You can break that into 1 hour 4 times a week or 2 hours twice a week. The first 90 days is critical to stay consistent. After that, you can reduce to 3 hours a week. Now you need to consider writing book two. (See number 7 below).
6. Develop your Author Central Page on KDP
If you are a self-published author, then you have a KDP account. In your KDP go search and type in “Author Central” sign up and develop that page. Even if you have a website, you can use this Author Central link on all your social media posts. This is a great way to tell readers more about yourself, add pictures and videos and you can also attach your blogs RSS feed to your Author Central page. At Author Central, you can share the most up-to-date information about yourself and your works with millions of readers. Learn more See timely sales data for free, including sales trends over time and a map that shows where in the US your books are selling.
7. Start thinking about writing your second book
Now that you have established some fans from book 1, this is a great time to get them involved with your second book before it is even published. You can ask questions like “What is a good name for my 19th Century European Princess in my upcoming book?” Or, “should I make my next book a little sexier?” Start giving little exciting clues about the plot of your next book on Social Media. This will set you for increased sales when you do your next book launch and it will entice people to want to buy your first book so they can start a collection of your books. The second book says to people, “I am an established Author” and this gives you far more credibility as an author. Think of a songwriter, we make jokes about the one hit wonder, it hit the charts but they never got another song out there. Don’t be a “One Book Wonder” go for the whole package and become a well known respected author.
Good luck and happy bookselling!
If you want someone to help you get everything all set up, please contact us, we are here to help!
Francesca@empirebookpublishing.com
The Secret to Writing about Health, Wellness and Body
It goes without saying that unless you are Dr.Oz or a well-known doctor or speaker on the topic of health and natural healing, that if you write a book about this topic, it is a hard sell. However, there are ways to get your book the attention it deserves. And increase the sales of your book, and gain notoriety in the book selling world.
Man Authors have done extensive research on certain topics in regards to health and body, natural cures for disease or holistic health, and their books have a wealth of information that would be or could be life-saving information for thousands of people. But, how do you know which book to buy? How does an Author get in front of the right people at the right time?
I wrote a book called “A Mother’s Wisdom, Natural Healing Remedies, Faith, and Wellness” and I quickly learned that just having my book on Amazon, and Barnes & Noble was not enough. I did some Social Media posts and it helped a little tiny bit. I published a couple of chapters on my personal blog, and that helped a little tiny bit, and then I started looking into how to sell books of this genre. I learned from experience, that it takes some fine tuning, using the right keywords and doing the promotions in the right places.
There are some steps that an Author needs to take after they publish their book, depending on how many books they want to sell will depend on which strategies to use.
If you contact the book marketing people with Empire Publishing, you can get the ball rolling pretty fast. Expert advice and top notch customer service with the combination of seeing your book sales rise each month is a winning combo!
If you have a book in the Health and Body genre and want to know how to increase books sales, please do not hesitate to make the call. It will be the best choice you can make for your book.
Go here now: MARKETING ASSISTANT
The price is awesome, only $299.00 and you get so much more than you could imagine. Because you not only get the help you need but you get one on one personal training that you will be able to use every month.
Happy Book Selling!
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