Ashante Thomas's Blog

I’ve given advice on everything from preorder incentives to finding a press. But what about the journey itself?

To stay on track, I’m sharing the following six tips to for your toolkit:

1. Clarify your publishing goals: Before signing that contract, get crystal clear on your goals. Is your book a lead magnet, a tool to get on top podcasts, or a legacy piece? Don’t be afraid to ask your press exactly how they plan to help you achieve them. For instance, most publishers do not send nonfiction trade authors on book tours. However, we do have an in-house publicist who focuses on the book at high level, a marketing team that can get you galleys if your PR firm needs it, it’ll handle endorsements and gift each blurber a comp, and so on.
2. Determine roles: If you are co-authoring a book, first align on your vision, voice, and royalty split. Will you write as a single voice or communicate that there are two parties? Decide who will take lead on responding to your publisher’s emails and who is responsible for submitting edits and page proofs. If you disagree, how will you resolve the conflict to stay on schedule?
3. Create a writing schedule: Consistency is key. Whether you vow to hit a monthly word count or dedicate every Saturday morning to the draft, schedule it and stick to it.
4. Get a support system: Don’t do it alone. Invest early by securing the right support team, whether that’s a book marketing firm or a freelance social media manager. If a professional contact or friend wants to throw you a launch party, let them.
5. Respect each editorial stage: When copyedits and page proofs arrive, block out time to read the full manuscript. But remember: proofreading is for catching errors, not rewriting. You can double check page numbers, the accuracy of captions and running heads, and ensure photos and illustrations are clear and match their titles. Late-stage overhauls are costly, potentially require new indexing and delay the schedule, and usually rejected (or potentially charged back to you).
6. Have a long-term book promo plan: Promotion shouldn’t stop at the launch party. Have a plan to market and use your book months past publication. Consider baking a copy into your consulting, workshops, or online services. Include a call to action in your newsletter and podcast. Remember that readers move on when authors do.

Stay committed, keep organized!