Top Ten Costly Author Mistakes That Bookcoaching Can Help
Judy Cullins M.A. ©2006 All Rights Reserved.

Maybe you are thinking about coaching.. Maybe you don't know if it's worth it. Whatever form that coaching takes, it is worth it. A book coach can help you save time, frustration, and money down the drain because you will stop book writing, publishing, and promotion mistakes before they start.

Here's 10 Common Author Mistakes and How to Solve Them

One. Emerging authors don't know their book's purpose. Answer the question why are you are writing it? For fame, fortune? To answer a challenge? To brand your business and make money? To entertain?

Two. Emerging authors don't know what their preferred audience wants or where to reach them.. They have an idea and start writing in a kind of automatic voice. If fiction, who is your audience? Do they mainly want entertainment? If self-help, what benefits will your reader get after they read your book? Where is your audience so you can promote to them? Online?

It's always best to write the book your audience wants rather than write a book and hope others will buy.

Three. New authors think they need to write a print book of 200 plus pages, need an agent and a publisher. But today's audience is online and wants a short book with just the key points. They want their challenges solved. They want easy-to-read. They don't need so many stories because their reading time is limited. They want information fast and easy. They will be happy to buy and print out a short electronic book under 100 pages, and as long as they get answers, they don't care who your publisher is.

Four. Emerging authors leap into an introductory chapter all about THEIR story. You audience wants what you can do for them first. If you use your story, interweave it with your copy that engages your reader by using the format 'YOU.'

Five. Writers don't realize they need to write the easiest chapter first. If they pick a difficult one, they get stuck fast, and either give up or go on to more research.

Six. Emerging authors think they need to research a lot. Really, what you know is already in you about one particular topic. Make a short list of questions on one topic for each chapter of your book. Then, answer them. Now you have part of the middle of your chapter. Research usually tells, and your readers want to be included, not told. .

Seven. Both emerging and professional authors write on and on without giving their reader a break or a reason to read on. Get your readers to turn pages and keep turning to finish when you put benefit-driven headlines up in your non-fiction work. Use a hook after each headline to pull readers along. Ask a question or two to include them about where they are now with this particular challenge.

Eight. Authors forget to use a hook at the beginning of the chapter and after each heading. They launch on telling their reader all kinds of info they didn't set the reader up to want. You the author must motivate your reader to keep reading to finish each chapter. Then, the whole book. Now, you have your strong 24/7 sales team to give good 'word-of-mouth.'

Nine. Authors don't realize a hook includes a few questions about where your audience is now. Or, some wild facts that affect your reader. After the hook, let your reader know the benefits of reading the chapter.

Ten. Non-fiction authors forget to put a finish on the end of the chapter. Maybe action steps. But always a last paragraph that gives the reader a reason to turn to the next chapter. Remember benefits sell.

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Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small businesses who want to make a difference in people's lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Judy is author of 11 eBooks including Write your eBook or Other Short Book Fast, Ten Non-Techie Ways to Market Your Book Online, The Fast and Cheap Way to Explode Your Targeted Web Traffic, and Advanced Article Marketing - Nine Mistakes and How to Solve Them. She offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, "The BookCoach Says...," "Business Tip of the Month," at www.bookcoaching.com  and over 226 free articles.
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Email her at judy@bookcoaching.com  or
Phone: 619/466-0622 -- Info & Orders: 866/200-9743