Want to Publish a Book? 8 Tips from Published Authors

The Motherhood’s network is comprised of influencers with amazing capabilities, and this month, as part of our The Other-hoods of The Motherhood series, we’re celebrating a unique niche within our network: influencers who are also published authors! Influencers often do more than their fair share of writing to maintain their blogs and social media channels, so we’re always so impressed with those who take the time and talent to share their writing with us in even more ways!

Tips from Published Authors

We asked a few influencers in our network to share their advice, and here’s what they said:

1. Start with a Great Outline. “Your book’s outline can be like a road map to writing your book. For me, my outline becomes my table of contents, my book proposal, and finally, my to-do list. Of course, it changes along the way as the whole thing comes together, but that original scribbling of ideas helps keep me focused throughout the entire process of book-writing.” – Mary Helen with Mary Makes Good 
2. Team Up with a Great Agent. “My greatest source of support has come from my book agent, Sally Ekus of The Ekus Group. Sally and I have worked on three book proposals together, two of which have been made into real-life books! Having Sally by my side helps me feel confident while navigating the world of book deals and publishing – a world that I knew next to nothing about. She has been my negotiator, cheerleader, sounding board and ally from day one – and I can’t imagine having gotten this far without her. If you think you need to be a world-famous blogger or celebrity to work with an agent, you are wrong. I was (and still am) neither of those things, but I AM an author!” – Mary Helen with Mary Makes Good 
3. Set Realistic Goals and Stick to Them. “Since most book deals don’t offer large enough advances to quit your day job, most first-time authors have to figure out how they will balance book writing with the rest of their everyday life. Whether that’s childcare, a day job, a small business, a busy blog (or in my case, all of these things), cramming time for your book into your schedule can be a challenge. Go easy on yourself by setting goals that suit your lifestyle. If you start to fall behind, talk to your agent and your publisher about what’s happening BEFORE you miss a deadline or run out of steam. One big advantage to publishing your book with the help of an agent and a publisher is that you aren’t doing this alone. You are a team, so communication and mutual support is key.” – Mary Helen with Mary Makes Good 
4. Plan Ahead to Create a Following. “First, be sure you’ve set up all social media platforms and your website early. This is important, even if you don’t have a following or a book out, so you can start to gain an audience. I would definitely hire a PR company that can help with a cover reveal, blog tours and a release blitz.” – Anissa with Life, Books, & Loves 
5. Network with Other Authors in your Genre. “…that way they can share when your book is released. They can also help you out with any questions or concerns you may have. When it comes to promotions, relationships with others are key. Being prepared ahead of time with these aspects helps tremendously in getting the word out and launching your book.” – Anissa with Life, Books, & Loves    
6. Tease Your Launch. “In the weeks leading up to your book’s release, write articles, blog posts, and social media posts that support the messaging of your book to whet your audience’s appetite to hear more from you on that topic.” – Kayla Aimee with Kayla Aimee Writes 
7. Use Digital Word of Mouth. “Even in this digital age, book sales happen through word of mouth! People buy books because someone recommended the book to them. Reach out to your network and ask them to share information about your book with their friends and family, both in person and on their personal social media site(s).” – Kayla Aimee with Kayla Aimee Writes 
8. Make It Easy to Share. “Pre-write messages that are easy to share on social media, and that have lots of pre-made images for sharing, too. Giving your team a collection of messaging to share makes it easy on them. While it’s always best to get a personal endorsement, it can be really helpful for people to see your messaging ideas and use them as a jumping off point for what they’d like to write.” – Kayla Aimee with Kayla Aimee Writes 

Thank you for sharing these tips with us and our readers, Mary Helen, Anissa and Kayla Aimee!

Are you looking to execute a social media and blog influencer marketing campaign highlighting influencers who are also authors? Contact us! We can create strategic, scalable, unique and engaging influencer marketing campaigns that fit your needs and deliver quality content and meaningful results.