Memoir Writing for the Niche Market

Selling your Book Requires Attention to Publishing Details

Sep 7, 2008

If you've decided that you want to write your memoir and also market it, here's a list of vital things you'll need to do.

You can save a lot of time, money and energy if the decision to sell your book is made early in the memoir writing process, before your book is actually published.

ISBN

If you’re going to self-publish and want to offer your book for sale in any venue other than your website or signings, you’ll need an ISBN number. Publishers always provide the ISBN. This is not something you can borrow from someone else, or they will be listed as the publisher of your book.

ISBN numbers can be purchased from Bowkerlink. Click on Products and Services, then click on ISBN. Unfortunately, ISBNs are sold in bundles of ten. If you're using a vanity press to produce your book, they will probably provide the ISBN (for a fee).

LCC

Another item you’ll want to have for your book is a Library of Congress number, which is FREE. If someone else is publishing your book, insist that they provide a Library of Congress number for your title. If you are self-publishing, you will need to send a copy of your book to the address provided by the website that sends your PCN (preassigned control number).

Don’t forget to register your copyright. You may do so after it’s written but before it’s published if you wish. This costs about $45 and is not required. Your book is automatically copyrighted when it is written. Paying the fee simply registers your title with the copyright office. Forms are downloadable.

Editorial Services

More than ever you'll need a good editor if you are planning on marketing your work. Poorly written, edited books give self-publishers a bad name, unfortunately.

Cover Design

Absolutely pay a professional to design your book cover. Remember that a picture's worth a thousand words! Covers sell books. Costs for this service vary greatly, so shop around and look at designers’ websites to see samples of their work. More expensive does not always mean better.

Barcode

When you have your book printed, insist that the printer supply a barcode that has the book’s ISBN and the price of the book. This is the printer’s responsibility

Distributing and Marketing Plan

Distribution is usually the task of the publisher. If you are self-publishing, who is going to distribute your book? Who’s going to be the one to get the book to the bookseller? Enlisting a professional distributorship can be downright expensive, sometimes far more than it’s worth by the time the distributor charges for storage, insurance and other “miscellaneous” fees that add up considerably. You may, and probably should, act as your own distributor in the early stages of your self-publishing venture.

Of all the items listed here, it is paramount that one formulate a marketing plan. Write this plan out in detail. How and where are you going to sell this book? This will raise the specter of your advertising budget, something many self-publishers fail to provide adequate funds for. Remember, just because you’ve produced a book doesn’t mean the world will greet you with open arms. This is not said to burst your bubble or to discourage you. Rather, it is said to encourage you to spend time on a marketing plan.

Helpful resources: A Simple Guide to market Your Book; 1001 Ways to Market Your Book; A Complete Guide to Self-Publishing; The Self-Publishing Manual, and Publishing Basics.

The copyright of the article Memoir Writing for the Niche Market in Writing Memoirs is owned by R.L. Coffield. Permission to republish Memoir Writing for the Niche Market in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.