5 Investments you should make in your book

I was writing the answer to a Quora post when the idea for this post came up. The question was around publishing a book so that it looks professional, but to me it was about the investments you should make in your book to make it look professional.

Amazon have made self-publishing your book so much easier than before, but the problem is that this has led people to try and self-publish on the cheap.

If you want your book to look professional, then you need to invest in it.

So what are the 5 investments you should make in your book?

1 – Invest in your writing

Writing is a skill and like any skill takes training and practice to develop. Invest in some good books and writing courses to learn the skills needed to write and a good book, and then practice, practice practice. Even if you intend to publish a non-fiction book, the skills around plots and character development can be applied in your book.

Consider joining groups like Toastmasters and the Professional Speakers Association, because if you can speak well, then the chances are you can use those skills when developing your non-fiction book.

2 – Invest in an editor

We’ve talked about what editors do, so you should understand why they’re important.

They can help you in every step of your book development, from whether it’s the right book to write in the first place, to chiselling out the superfluous stuff to focus on the core story and action.

3 – Invest in a proofreader

There is nothing that will affect a review more than a typo. People will forgive one or even two across the whole book, but any more and your review went from a 5 star to a 4 star.

A professional publisher will send a book to more than one proofreader because they know that a typo will always get away.

They also ask people who spot them to tell them so that they can update the book for the next print run.

4- Invest in your book cover

I came across a cosy mystery that was in the top 100 free books on Amazon and I nearly didn’t get it for the simple reason the book cover was awful.

Even though they were giving the book away, the cover put me off!

When you look at book covers for murder mysteries, they have a similar look and feel, however, this person probably found an image that reflected the theme of the book or even inspired it and then used that. However, the colours were all wrong. If you had said the book was a children’s book, I wouldn’t have been surprised. The colours said “happy book”, the title said “murder mystery”.

5 – Invest in your author platform

If you don’t want to be the worst known best writer, you have to invest in your website and social media accounts. They need to look professional and be kept up to date.

It should also include your email list. Keep your readership informed and intrigued by what you’re writing next.

One author I follow does competitions where the winner can have a character named after them.

The final investment is unsaid, and that is to invest in your readers. Treat your readers like the most valuable asset you have, because that’s exactly what they are.

I hope you found this article useful.

These are my version of the 5 investments you should make in your book. What ways do you invest in your book? Let me know in the comments.