Downloadables for this Module

• Ebook - To Self Publish or Not to Self Publish

Define Your Author Goals

So you’ve written a book? Congrats! The hardest part is truly over.

Now you want to go from “I wrote a book” to “I published a book.” And unfortunately, it’s not always an easy decision on how exactly to do that.

For starters, you have three options: traditional publishing, self publishing or hybrid publishing.

What’s the difference?

We’re so glad you asked.

But before we dive into each publishing option and how they differ, let’s get clear on why you want to publish your book in the first place.

It goes without saying that setting goals in any endeavor — a new relationship, a business, etc. — is one of the most important things you can do to help you succeed. Goals keep you on track, give you focus and help you make important decisions. 

In this course, knowing why you want to publish a book will help you to decide which publishing path is best for you.

We’ll be going through the various pros and cons of the different publishing options, but it’s valuable to have a clear sense of your goal(s) as we go through this process. It will help you to better weigh the options before you. 

While there’s no magic formula for connecting certain goals to certain publishing plans, there are some important questions you can ask yourself to help inform your decision. 

Use the questions below (or the checklist in our ebook) as a guide to getting clear on your goals. There are no right or wrong answers here, and you might have more than one reason for wanting to publish your book. It will be helpful to be honest with yourself, think about your why and get super clear on your primary goal.

Ask yourself honestly:

• Have you always wanted to write and publish a book?
• Do you want to be known as a published author?
• Do you have a cool/inspiring/crazy/unique story to tell?
• Do you want to make the world a better place?
• Do you want to establish your authority in a particular field?
• Do you want more leads for your business?
• Do you want to raise awareness?
• Do you want to become a professional writer/author?

You can use these questions to help you narrow down your goal(s), keeping in mind that whatever your goal(s), it's valid. It's important to take your time, think hard, be honest with yourself and get super clear on your "why". The clearer you get on your goals, the easier your publishing path will be.

Okay, now that you’ve answered all the questions, take a closer look at the ones you said “yes” to. It might sound silly, but spending some time on this will only benefit you as we move through this course. Try to narrow it down to your single most important reason for publishing.

Got it?  

Great. Keep it in mind as we continue through your publishing options.