Top 10 Reasons Your Book Doesn't Bring Wanted Profits

Judy Cullins c. 2006 Wealthy, rich, prosperous may not be in your vocabulary yet. Perhaps you need a review of what makes your book "Over-the-Top" successful and what doesn't.

1. You don't specifically define what the profits will do for you.

Does it mean taking a month's vacation each year, buying a home, paying your child's college tuition? Be sure you know what your money target is and what it will do for you before you chase it. It's all important to have a goal beyond just the money.

2. You shotgun your promotion efforts and don't focus on one or two books.

So many times I hear colleagues adding another book, CD, or other product to their offerings. Just remember, you can only market one thing at a time. Making too many offers confuses your would-be buyer.

3. You set goals far too unreachable in the time allotted.

While it's great to set goals, make sure you will move forward to the finish line. Stretch, but define your goal in reasonable terms so you believe you can reach it. Like a huge weight loss in six months, it doesn't make sense to say, "I'll make a million $ with this project." When you take a step and succeed at it, you'll feel confident you can keep succeeding.

4. You think your book project to death.

So many of us plan and plan, but don't act enough. Think my favorite maxim, "Get ready, Fire, Aim!" Once you start, you may make mistakes, but feedback from your peers will help you grow much faster than you would in a vacuum. For me, "check and correct" means to put it out now, then adjust what's needed to make the copy or offer much stronger. Often, the best way to kick start you is to copycat another successful person, then tweak to suit your specific talents.

5. You don't think your book project is urgent and must be finished now.

So many clients get discouraged because they want their book to be easy and fast. That's good, but to get to easy and fast, you need to learn what selling points make your book a winner inside as well as promotion campaigns that showcase your book's benefits and best parts. What may look like an obstacle can help you develop strength and skills. You must focus all your intent, your direction and your attention toward you goal. Always expect the best, but make no expectations.

6. Make your plan realistic.

So many times clients say they want their book finished yesterday. If you do want to finish a project fast, realize you'll have to put full time effort on it. That doesn't mean a few hours a week. Since most small business people already work 30-40 hours, they need to know they'll need to get up early several days a week or work into the midnight hours. Your coach recommends you put aside at least 10-15 hours a week to devote to your new project. When you put attention on your goal, its finish line will appear much sooner. You can always check with a successful business person to get their take on realistic.

7. You don't follow through with actions. Distractions reign.

Follow this $25,000 key to finishing your important projects.

One. Do the most important thing first. In your planner, put the top three High Level Activities (HLA) down for each day of the week. For example, 1. Write Chapter Two middle of how tos, tips, and stories. 2. Visualize project completed and describe what you hear, feel and see now that's it's done. 3. Contact mentors or get resources to help get your project done the right way.

Two. Finish # 1 before you look at other projects. This is the key because we get easily distracted by the phone, piles on our desks, or friends and family. We really can only work on one thing at a time, although we kid ourselves about the benefits of multi-tasking.

Three. Write down in your organizer the three High Level Activities the night before. When you write, you commit more, and this message goes straight to your unconscious mind. There, you'll notice the job is half done when you awake. Many people wait for coffee, then write down the to dos. This slows your start and you'll notice it's much harder to stay on the important tasks first.

8. You don't treat your book as a business.

It's one thing to write your memoir for you family. You don't expect to market it. It's another to write a self-help book that makes you the savvy expert, brands your business, and attracts many new clients or customers. For your best audience who you can help to a better life, get testimonials from to buoy up your web book sales letter. Create a book marketing plan before you leap to buy expensive programs or Amazon best seller promises. My web site sells far more copies than Amazon because I market it weekly. For more information on this marketing plan contact a professional book coach.

After the plan, you need to follow up with actions each day of the week. For myself, three high levels activities do just the right amount for the income I need to take two months vacation a year, get a new car, and feng shui my beautiful home in San Diego.

9. You ask for approval and feedback from friends or family.

Remember, they are not your audience. So, don't ask for feedback from them. They will be too easy and not notice glitches, or they will criticize you because they don't know your topic or agree with your philosophy. These attitudes pull you down when you are just starting out. Instead, ask for feedback from a professional coach for book writing, publishing, and article marketing. Quality coaching comes from someone who has been successful and knows the ins and outs of book selling. What we got in school, even college, did not show us how to write effective copy. Read a book on how to write a book or how to write web copy. That's the first and least expensive way to learn how to make your efforts sell well. Take a teleseminar that specifically shows you what to do first, second and last. Your thoughts are not enough. You need feedback along the way to succeed.

10. You give up when your project needs changes.

Most new authors just write their book, even edit it a few times and pronounce it's done. Maybe done, but not finished. Always get a coach's professional feedback in addition to editing. An editor can make your sentences good, but what about flow, order, getting your readers to keep motivated to finish all chapters? Without your audience finishing your book or web site sales letter, you miss the 24/7 sales team that spreads the word about your great book. You miss any great testimonials you could get, just for the asking. Think of challenges as a chance to grow your book project to a higher level. After you overcome it, you'll discover the amazing fruit that feedback gives.

How many of these reasons can you identify with? When you pay attention to them and correct them before you launch your book, you'll attract more buyers than you ever dreamed of!