WELCOME to iGO eBooks® Business Strategy Plan for Indie Authors Publishers } Plenary Presentation

5. Why Writing / Before Publishing
Producing for an Audience / Creating for yourself?
What is the Point / Publishing Path & Road Map? / Writing &
Vision
Traditional business strategy plans have components
Sounds a bit theoretical?
OK, here is the version for author publishing
Vital Plan / Selling Book
What Makes your book so Special?
Who will want to buy your work?
Competition
Format(s) of your Book
How do you plan to promote your product (Book/eBook)
What are your Marketing Strategies?
Calculations & Pricing
What is your timetable for writing, editing, book production,
marketing etc?

6. Why are you
writing?
Are you creating for
yourself (as a hobby,
just for the fun of
writing) – or for an
audience?
Before you explore author publishing
possibilities in this series, let us first
have a look at your business strategy
plans as an indie author and the
most important question >
Can you answer these questions:
How many books with the same topic / the
same genre are on the market?
Why should a potential reader buy your
book as opposed to other same or similar
books out their in the market – perhaps
some who have been established for some
time (some with good Reviews)?
What is the sales ranking of these works?
How are these books priced?
What is the social media ranking of the most
successful writers in this genre?
Where are these books sold on-and-
off-line?

7. • playing by at least some rules of the industry
• caring what others think of your work
• establishing an authors platform from which to communicate
• interacting with your audience and being available to them
• doing things not for your art, but out of service to your
audience
• putting on a performance, or adopting some kind of “brand”
• marketing your work and being visible
Writing is worthwhile for you, regardless of who sees your
work.
Why should authors have a business strategy plan?
Unfortunately many writers first create their work – and ask
questions later. Any indie author can write a book, but only a
successful author knows s/he is now in business.
Again: “Writing is an art – publishing is a business!”
A serious business!
The advice you read here is based
on the assumption that you want to
entertain, inform, increase your
audience and eventually earn
some money with your writing.

8. What is the point?
There is no point to go without some kind of strategy in place if your
objectives really are in building a writing career.
It is never too early to treat your writing as a business – no one would open
an events business without a plan!
Publishing Path & Road Map?
A business strategy plan can help new (and established) indie authors to
clarify the proper publishing path for their works.
A business strategy plan serves as a road map, helping to keep the project
and related endeavours like marketing and platform building on schedule
and for the author to track the results of his or her efforts.
Writing & Vision
The business strategy plan starts when you start thinking about writing a
book, it covers all aspects of your future work.
At the moment you begin a novel or non-fiction book, you must already
have a clear vision of the message, the audience and even the outlets where
it can be sold.

9. Design &
development
plan
Financial
factors
Executive
summary
Business
description
Competitive
analysis
Market
strategies
Operations
and
management
plan

10. Topic / Genre & Target
Audience Readers
• The topic/genre
of your work
fiction / non-
fiction
• You target
audience /
readers
Competitive parameters
on the market
• Your competition
online and in
book stores
• The likely
contents, length,
format etc. of the
book
Assessment of
possibilities on the
market
• Your marketing
and promotional
strategies
• The expenses
you face for
publishing and
promotions

11. Vital Plan / Selling Book
It is vital to have a business
strategy plan because your
books and you are the
products to be sold.
It makes some writers
uneasy, but without a plan,
you cannot truly figure out
a way for your book to sell
itself. Think of it as a map,
guiding you from starving
writer to successful indie
author.
What Makes your book so Special?
No point in writing a book if you do not know
why or if it is special. Many writers write books
they would love to read, many write books
who’s marketing studies show readers are
buying, some write books because the subject
is risky or has never been explored before.
Know why you and your book is special – and
most important: what is the readers benefit of
buying your novel or non-fiction book.
Who will want to buy your work?
Jot down all those people who likely will want
your book, why the will want it and how effective
they will be at getting more people to want it.
Know who your readership target is. Do you have
enough (at least 2,000 on each social media
outlet) contacts to spread the word about your
book? And with contacts I do not mean other
writers, I mean READERS, bookworms, book
lovers, book clubs, avid readers, reviewers! That
is the type of audience you will want to look for.

12. Competition
• Research in bookstores and online, how many and which books will be comparable
to the one you are writing. Check them out in libraries, on reader forums, such as
Goodreads, Shelfari or Wattpad.
• Visit independent stores and go to big chains research these books on all online
stores, not only Amazon, find out what genres are they placed, what reviewers say,
how their indie author pages are designed etc. to get a real picture of your
competition – and your potential readers.
How do you plan to promote your product (Book-e/iBook)
You know people, hopefully lots of people. Online and off-line. And those people
know people. Unless you can spend thousands of pounds every months for
advertising, you should plan now, before you write your book social networking,
book events, gaining interviews, speaking engagements, seeking book reviews and
attending book shows. Schedule all these activities in advance, add as many readers
as possible to your current accounts on reader community sites, all social media sites
– minimum are: Goodreads, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and Facebook.
Format(s) of your Book
• Books can be sold in many formats and also in many languages. Research at least
these three popular formats:-
• e-book format pdf ePub iBook
• audio format
• Print format

13. OK, your book is available on
Amazon or in your local book store,
but where else might it fit in
perfectly?
Other online retailers where you can
sell your book? Stretch your mind
and think creatively:
Libraries, book clubs, foreign right
sales … there are so many possible
outlets for your book.
Find out what is their commissions
are, and how much you would make
on each sale of your book.
Both, digital and print books need to be
proofread, edited and then formatted, not to
forget a really fabulous, enticing cover.
Pricing on print books is largely based on the
number of pages in the book and quality of binding,
costs for cover design and book layout. Pricing is
also dependent on making print books available for
a wider distribution than just Amazon. Since a wider
distribution is used, books must be priced so that
the other outlets will be offered wholesale pricing.
Turbulence in the rapidly changing eBook world
should also be taken into consideration. Pricing may
be subject to change based on sales, current pricing
trends and need to create upward movement in
Amazon rankings. Books may be discounted if it fits
with marketing strategy and promotion.
Do not forget other expenses, such as web design
and hosting, advertising, marketing expenses,
phone and internet, travel cost etc. The good news:
you can deduct them from your writers income.

14. What is your timetable for writing, editing, book production,
marketing etc?
After you have figured out your market, your reader
audience, your competition and your sales
planning, you will feel much better, having a clear
vision of your writing / publishing career.
A business strategy plan does not have to be scary,
especially for a simple business such as your
writing business. In fact, a business plan should be
somewhat comforting. It spells out what you want to
accomplish, in which time frame and how you plan
to do it.