Odd question, I know. Voice is associated with sound not sight. Still, I’ve been looking for it everywhere: writer’s retreats, a bedroom converted into a chic writing studio, refrigerator, which is filled with brainpower snacks, specifically chocolate-mocha Haagen-Dazs (They say it cures writer’s block. I’ve dedicated years to working out correct dosage). Yet while my words arranged on paper proved that I can hold my own with a comma and I’m no slouch when wielding a semicolon, words themselves felt to me like hollow echo chambers; they ran in place bouncing off keyboard onto page but went nowhere.

Then one day last autumn, I was strolling through a street fair. I noticed two women standing behind a table display of seed packets wrapped attractively as gifts. Muse impulse or poor shopping-impulse control, it no longer matters which, prompted me to buy five of them.

So as not to feel guilty for spending $10. on seed packets that probably had a unit cost of eighty cents each, I went home and found addresses of five people I’d fallen out of touch with for several years. For each note card, I thought that I’d be clever and enclose an inquiry: “Where will love blossom next in your life?”

Several weeks passed with no acknowledgement.

Naturally, I pulled out my journal to bask in rejection. I’d show them. I’d answer this query myself and rejoice in my own smug self-satisfaction that I was a lone word warrior.

Where will love blossom next in my life? Hmm. That was a puzzler. I couldn’t work out problem-solving angle or think my way around it. The emptiness of blank page mirrored emptiness within me. It was uncomfortable like scratchy underwear. I couldn’t turn back though. I put that query out there and if I ignored it myself I couldn’t justify my ego bruise.

With general non-fiction there is usually room for a good new book on market, provided it's likely to attract a substantial group of readers because:

·It's about something entirely new and very interesting that no-one has written about before, or... ·It's about something that's not new, but to which you contribute something entirely new and very interesting

So why write a business book? Well, there aren't many more effective promotional tools. "Having a book published" still holds a certain kudos and perhaps in Pavlov-dog fashion, people automatically associate someone who writes a book about something with that someone being an expert on subject.

Used correctly, your book will also be a helpful PR tool in other areas, and will make a business gift that has a very high perceived value. But never make mistake of thinking you will retire to Bahamas on proceeds of its sales.

Pick a good title

A book's title is a very important part of marketing of a book. With non-fiction and particularly business books, like every other piece of marketing communication book title has to offer or at least suggest a benefit to reader.

It's title people react to when they see a book displayed, whether that's on a shelf in a bookstore or online. When people are looking through books you only have one chance to get their attention, which is why your title needs to be powerful enough to stop them in their tracks.

There are two basic publishing routes you can choose: self-publishing, or conventional publishing by an external publisher. In addition there are a few hybrid options available, as well as publishing services organizations which offer services to self-publishers on a menu basis.

The conventional publisher

The advantages of getting your book published externally are:

·It gives your book status (less so than in past, but still good if it's a well known, respected publisher) ·Your book will be distributed to all agreed markets at no cost to you ·They will handle and pay for all design, setup, print and production costs ·You'll probably get paid a small advance on royalties

The disadvantages are:

·They will be in driving seat, although they will listen to what you want to do ·They will say that they'll market book, but many of them won't (see below) ·You will need to negotiate your contract with them very carefully ·The percentage of each sale you receive will be far less than if you self-publish

Finding a publisher to approach is easy with Internet. Because publishers tend to stick to specific genres of book (called "lists") you'll find them simply by searching for your type of topic via a search engine or on Amazon. There are also print directories of publishers, such as "Writers' and Artists' Yearbook" in UK.

Most publishers have websites, and some even give you option to submit your preliminary book proposal online - which is well worth doing.

Approaching publishers and submitting proposals

If you're going into a publisher cold, you're best to start with a covering letter addressed to correct person, and enclose with letter a one-sheet on which you describe essence of book. Then wait for feedback before you submit proposals.

Here are main elements of detailed proposals that you will be expected to include: ·Synopsis ... "elevator speech" about book (probably taken from your one-sheet.) ·Competition ... what other books on subject exist and why yours is better ·Market/audience ... to whom book will appeal and why ·International market ... if book is suitable for translation ·Style and approach ... informal or formal, textbook or friendly advice, didactic or anecdotal, etc ·Endorsements ... whether you could get a suitable famous person to write a foreword, etc ·Delivery information ... anticipated length of book, anticipated time required to complete, etc ·The author ... brief biography, including any earlier books you have written or contributed to ·The background to book ... why and how you came to devise it ·Chapter list ... preferably with a title and as many bullet-pointed details as possible of each one ·Sample chapter or excerpts ... 1,000 words or so to demonstrate style and approach

Once you have submitted your detailed proposals you may have to wait quite a while - several weeks - before you hear anything.

The offer and contract

If you get green light, publisher will come back with a formal offer, saying "yes, we want to publish your book." The "offer" part of it is advance on royalties - but don't expect much! Advances are normally paid in 2 or 3 tranches with payment points at signing of contract, delivery of manuscript, and publication.

Until you sign a contract you're not under any obligation to proceed, even though you will have accepted publisher's offer. There are a number of key areas you need to watch out for in contract – details are in my eBook “Get Yourself Published,” http://www.bookshaker.com/product_info.php?products_id=83

Self-publishing

As nuts-and-bolts elements of book production become cheaper through advancement of technology, self-publishing becomes increasingly attractive for some business book writers. With modern print-on-demand facilities, too, you avoid need to have hundreds or thousands of copies printed initially just to keep unit cost down. Now you can have a handful of books printed at a time and still keep unit cost within reason.

The advantages of self-publishing (as I see it) are:

·You do not have to answer to anyone else on design, content, editing, etc ·You do not have to spend any time on finding or convincing a publisher to take your book on ·You get to keep all profit from book sales

The disadvantages of self-publishing (as I see it) are:

·You have to find money to get book produced ·You can get editorial and design support, but you have to pay for it ·You have to organise and pay for distribution of your book ·You will not find it easy to get your book on to Amazon and into other key distribution channels ·You have to run a publishing business as well as whatever else you do

WRITING YOUR BOOK

A daunting prospect? Not if you approach it methodically. Here are some tips.