The Author Training Manual by Nina Amir came out in 2014, but the material is still quite valuable to authors. Amir starts by describing the attitude an author needs to be successful in the marketplace. She says there is a difference between an author and a successful author. That difference: author attitude. An author who has come to terms with “the cold, hard facts about the publishing industry” is a person with the author attitude.
https://www.amazon.com/Author-Training-Manual-Comprehensive-Writing-ebook/dp/B00IPSCOQW
With so many books published these days, it has become increasingly difficult for readers to find the books they want to read. Amir says the dilemma many authors find themselves in, is usually because they haven’t learned to treat their writing and publications as a business. She then goes on to teach authors to change their attitude to one of a successful business person. She includes chapters to help you get a thorough understanding of what your book is about and who your audience will be. There is a chapter to help you figure out how many books you should expect to sell. She gives instructions on how to determine who your competitors are and who you are comparable to.
She teaches how to create a map and directions, which she calls the Author Training Process, which you can follow to complete a project. She takes no prisoners and sugar coats nothing. She understands that the business of publishing is a tough industry and gives practical advice to help aspiring authors become successful entrepreneurs.
She covers branding in one easy to understand chapter and encourages authors to think of themselves as more than just writers. She asks you to look at not only your book as a commodity but to consider additional products and services. Her principle of “Write More, Sell More” is something I’ve heard from virtually all publishing gurus I follow.
I’m not sure if she coined the phrase, but she asks the author to think of him/herself as an Authorpreneur. In other words, we should all take our blinders off and face the fact that writing is just one facet of our world if we want to become successful in this game. And I’m talking about success in the marketplace. The book will help you determine a business plan, develop your author bio, help you understand why you need to have a platform, and steps you through the process of preparing everything you need to pitch your book to a publisher.
Amir believes that even those who plan to self-publish should follow the steps an author would use to pitch to a traditional publisher. She says you will have clarification through the process and be able to determine if your idea is viable in the market.
I found her book to be an immense help when I was struggling with the idea of learning to advertise/market my books. I resisted the idea of being anything more than a writer. OK, so I learned to publish on Amazon, but that was all I wanted to do. Well, that was great if I only wanted my mom and sisters to read my books.
After reading Amir’s book, I decided to put on the Authorpreneur hat and stop whining. If you’re struggling with the idea of learning marketing, but you want to be a successful writer, I highly recommend reading “The Author Training Manual.” If you finish the book and still don’t want to be an Authorpreneur, at least you’ll know what it takes if and when you decide to bite that bullet.
If you have a comment or another book you’d like me to review, I’d love to hear from you. Send an email to me at splatt@thewriteromance.com
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As always,
Thank you! Happy Reading! Happy Writing!