Magazine and Book Writing
29/04/09 11:52 Filed in: Writing
With the release of Allah’s Garden from Tales Press, Yale University thought that the title might make a beneficial edition to their summer seminar on Health and Conflict. Word started spreading and several libraries in Connecticut have invited me to present on my travels, time researching and writing this book, followed by a reading and signing. This is just one example of the difference between writing articles and a book; both are enjoyable and require focused effort. But, authoring longer prose means one has to make a dedicated effort to not only get the book done, but to promote the title after it becomes available.
Writing and selling a words are two different aspects of the world of being a professional writer. An inspiring travel writer whom I met at the Surrey International Book Conference (highly recommended) mentioned that writing is 75% business and 25% putting words on paper. If you want to sale your words, then this is mostly true, especially in the field of magazine writing, where cold querying and finding titles you can write for take the most time.
With a book, the business takes place at the beginning and the end. You first have to sell your book and then the job of getting people to buy copies (once it is published) begins. The middle part of writing a book takes up a lot of time, energy, effort, and requires fortitude and stamina. However, right when you believe you have some breathing room, the work of promoting begins. Publishers will want you to promote yourself and attempt various avenues to get word-of-mouth advertising to do its magic.
More on avenues of advertising, promoting, and selling books once Allah’s Garden is fully launched! I have lots to learn that I will relay soon enough : )
With a book, the business takes place at the beginning and the end. You first have to sell your book and then the job of getting people to buy copies (once it is published) begins. The middle part of writing a book takes up a lot of time, energy, effort, and requires fortitude and stamina. However, right when you believe you have some breathing room, the work of promoting begins. Publishers will want you to promote yourself and attempt various avenues to get word-of-mouth advertising to do its magic.
More on avenues of advertising, promoting, and selling books once Allah’s Garden is fully launched! I have lots to learn that I will relay soon enough : )