Having an idea for a book is easy, but writing a book to get that idea out into the world is daunting. Do you contact an agent or mail your submission to a traditional publishing company? Do you try to self-publish, and if so how does that work?
WestBow Press, a self-publishing division of Thomas Nelson, says the first step to getting your book published is to know your goals. They list 11 potential goals for you to consider for writing a book.
Determine Your Goals for Writing a Book
No author’s goal is to just publish a book: your goal is to change lives. The question is how do you want to go about that? Maybe you travel and speak regularly or have a church community you want to get your thoughts in front of. Or maybe you dream of your book breaking out of the thousands of self-published online books and becoming a bestseller. Maybe you have a thriving social media presence and need help leveraging it toward buying your book.
The truth is there are dozens of options worth considering about your book, including everything from “do I want color print” to “should I have a professional promotional video to promote it?” There are no wrong answers here, just different paths toward fulfilling your specific needs. So step 1 is for you to identify what you want your book to be.
What Is Your Goal for Writing a Book?
Consider these 11 possible goals as you consider why you are writing a book.
- Sharing your story with family and friends
- Writing to help others overcome a personal obstacle
- Writing about your hobby or personal passion
- Sharing information on a specialized topic
- Writing to build or enhance your professional career
- Expressing your deepest thoughts
- Writing because you love to write
- Seeing if you have what it takes for commercial success
- Writing to reach a wide circle of readers
- Writing poetry that you want to share with others
- Writing for fame
Once your goal is clear, WestBow cuts through the confusion of the publishing process, giving you a clear step-by-step guide, with professionals available to help you along the way. WestBow Press takes the mystery out of self-publishing and provides you with all the help you need to turn your dream into reality. So set up a free consultation today and discover how WestBow can help you!
You can set up a free consultation with one of WestBow’s self-publishing experts today either by filling out the form on their website, or contacting them at 1.866.928.1240.
