Four Cornerstones of Professionally Published Book

My first goal when publishing a book is not to sell a million copies (that's my second goal). My first goal when publishing a book is to publish it such that it is indistinguishable from traditional publishing. Those folks in New York, Chicago, and LA hold a high bar for books--and theirs is a standard I strive to meet and exceed.

In order to run with the big guys, a book has to have the same feel and read they do. Here are the boxes your book must check in order to fit in (and stand out) amongst its peers:

1. The cover has to be awesome. Yes, I know awesome is nebulous, so here are some pointers:

It must look like the other books in your genre, and when possible, just a tiny bit better. Think: so compelling that someone wants to pick it up, flip it over to read the back cover, and buy it and read it (preferably all in the same day). You'll want to hire someone who specializes in book cover design, who understands the difference between RBG and CMYK, and can produce a clean, clear cover design (not muddy or "self-published looking" (I know you know what I mean!). Study the other books in your category. What are the themes, colors, images?

The back cover needs excellent copy (more on that below, in #4), a professional photo of you with a short bio, the main category of your book, the price, a barcode, and maybe a testimonial or three. Fire up Amazon and check out the covers of books that are selling well after at least a year (check publication date and sales rank...anything under 30,000 in the Amazon store is a great place to start).

A quality cover will cost around $1000, a custom cover in all formats will run you between $1500-2000. Before you balk, consider how much clients pay to work with you. One terrific cover can bring new clients en masse, making investing in a quality cover a sound investment. I have only one recommendation: Dino Marino. You can see two examples of his work on covers and interior formatting in the Book Spotlight, below.

You'll want a next-to-flawless read. This means hiring a professional editor and a professional proofreader (you'll know they are a pro because they were trained in traditional publishing and put "editor" or "proofreader" on their tax return).

A carefully edited book that follows a manual of style, followed by a proofread, will produce a quality book without typos and misspelled, extra, or missing words. These two passes of your book by professionals will also point out other deficiencies, ensure you give credit where credit is due, and put a true polish on your manuscript, thus allowing it to do the heavy lifting it is meant to do (new clients and higher fees, anyone?). While no book is perfect, and no matter how many eyes you have on a book, something is bound to slip through, having an editor and proofreader will serve to create an enjoyable read for the reader, allowing them to get to know you through your expertise, perhaps turning a prospect into a client. Quality editors and proofreaders are in high demand, and you should seek to engage them about three months before your manuscript is finished.

Editors will run 3-5 cents per word, proofreaders 2-4 cents per word. There are fantastic folks available who used to work in trade and are now freelance. You can find some in my Facebook group, the Prosperous Writer Mastermind, or through a personal recommendation.

Interior formatting for your e-book and print are mega-important. Clean formatting in an easy-to-read font is a must. You can do a basic format of your book by using a free tool Draft2Digital provides. If your budget allows, engage a custom formatter to add in special effects (such as beginning of chapter graphics, icons to drive home your point in certain sections, or even space to do exercises or a summary of your chapter).

Front and back matter...these are additional important elements, almost as important as the main content of your book. In the front of your book, be sure to include your table of contents, introduction, and an invitation for folks to join your email list. In the back of your book, share some author's notes about why, where, and when you wrote the book, a bio including a list of your other publications, and any other offerings you have (such as courses, keynote presentations, or even annual live events). If the goal of your book is to develop new business, I highly suggest investing in quality, custom formatting to enhance the knowledge and expertise you share in your book. Dino Marino is once again my recommendation here, or you can try Vellum, a software you can buy and use for pseudo-custom formatting.

Your book description (a.k.a. sales copy / back cover copy) converts prospective buyers to readers. Your book's description lets a prospective reader understand what the book is about--and you'll want to for sure engage a pro to write it for you! Great copy converts at a higher rate than even an awesome cover, so fork over the few hundred bucks it takes to have an expert sell your book.

To write your copy, they will need some or all of the following: your book's title & subtitle with a 2-sentence "in your own words" overview about your book, the Table of Contents (with 1-2 sentences about each chapter), and your long bio.

Note: your book, written in your voice, should sound like you (right?). Your book description will not sound like you, and it shouldn't. The job of sales copy is to sell. Please don't make the mistake of taking the sales copy you pay for and "making it sound like you." That is a mistake I see authors making. Let the copy do it's job, okay? Okay. :)

These four cornerstones: cover, editing & proofreading, interior design, and book description will allow your book to compete with others in your genre--and win! Prospective readers (and clients) won't know it's self-published, and they'll be not only impressed you're an author, but also that your book is so well done!

Happy writing! Honoree Corder |

Learn more about my strategic book coaching and publishing services at HonoreeCorder.com

Book Spotlight:

For the past 14 months, I've been working with Medicare expert Matt Feret to produce his first (and second) books, Prepare for Medicare and the Prepare for Medicare Workbook. He wrote a wonderful article about his publishing experience and talks about his books (you can read it here). If you or someone you love is age 64 and above and lives in the U.S., you must buy these books, because they take a complex, overwhelming subject and make it understandable.

Upcoming Event:

I’m looking forward to leading a Deep Dive session at the upcoming WriterFest 2021 conference in November. WriterFest Nashville is a creative gathering for aspiring writers, published authors, screenwriters, poets, and songwriters. And just announced are WriterFest Deep Dives. These intimate, specially designed, intensive classes are available as an add-on to your WriterFest Nashville ticket. I’m teaching Make (More) Money as a Writer! Go to WriterFestNashville.com for more info, and use the code FRIEND25 for $25 off your registration! I can’t wait to see you there!

P.S. Want to go back and review the previous emails in this series? Click here to view my newsletter feed!