Tips to Have Your Next Book Ready for Success

If you are a first-time writer, chances are you are determined to write a successful novel. Success for many authors is about influencing others through the gift of writing, though it could mean something entirely different for you. However you define it, facing challenges is guaranteed, recognising your talent is important, and pushing yourself in the right direction to reach your desired end goal is essential.  

If you want to get your book ready for success, it is time to implement effective ideas and habits. Use these tips below to guide you to the success you deserve. 

• Find Your Inspiration! 

As a new author, find your end goal before starting to write your book. Once you have identified this, it will be easier to find inspiration and lead to better writing flow. If you need to jumpstart your creative engine, you can find a variety of creative ideas through guided writing processes. These retreats and workshops, like the Guided Novel Writing Retreat, are great places to explore various writing styles and build writing relationships. You can also find inspiration through observation—whether in your favourite coffee shop or Cardiff’s local bookshops. 

• Stay Organised  

Keep your work in neat files and sections around your desk and computer. OneNote 2016 is a great app to use for dividing and recording all the details of your written chapters. You could also use specialised tags in apps like Evernote to navigate easily through your notes. Once you’ve tagged everything in, you can search for content--for example, ‘novel plots’ to bring up all your plot lists. Lastly, track other books and ideas which give you inspiration. Use Kindle Cloud Reader to highlight annotations from other inspiring sources, and they will be stored for future referencing.  

• Reviews 

Good reviews are essential to selling your book. Beta readers can provide informative feedback after you have completed the editing stage of the self-publishing process, before your book is officially published. Look up reviewers on Amazon, Goodreads and Audible and take time to reach out to these individuals. Find confidence to network with published authors and ask them to review your work, as their reviews will be invaluable. Check out some of our own author reviews here.  
Want to know more about beta readers? See our other article here. 
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• Sell More Copies 

As soon as the manuscript is published, it is now time for you to sell as many copies as possible. This is where digital marketing techniques are required to market your book. It’s a good idea to take some time to learn these skills. Your first step could be to create your own outstanding author website, which will lead to numerous publisher and reader visits. A great website attracts more readers, who will, in turn, purchase a copy of your book. Because of this, it is important to get it right (no pressure!). 
 
If you’d like help with any of this, our Marketing Advisors here at Rowanvale Books can assist you with creating marketing strategies, promoting your book to the right people and transforming yourself into a brand. View our Marketing Advisor services here.