Who Are You Publishing a Book For…?

Almost anyone can say that they are publishing a book these days, and most will spend time and energy writing and editing their book.  

It’s a process, and it takes a lot of love.  After a while, there is a new question that you should ask yourself: whom are you publishing your book for?

If you answered, “For myself!”, great; it is an honest answer.  It’s also wrong.

If you answered for money, you might be digging a bit deeper, but you are being more honest with yourself.  You know you want to increase the odds that others will find your writing interesting and good, and most people need money.  You need to make money writing.

If you have self-published a book before, you might think you know the ins and outs better than someone who is doing it for the first time.  You might even know ways to save yourself some money.

Or, you might have a different reason to publish your book — for others.  This is a good thing, but that means you have to put a bit of ego to the side doesn’t it?  Writing for your readers leaves you at the mercy of your readers, and most people don’t want to be at the mercy of anyone.

Writing is all about art, and the mastery of that art.

If you look at writing as an art form, decide who you are writing for and who you are publishing for.  That is an art form in and of itself.  It doesn’t matter how great a writer you think you are if no one else reads your work.  It doesn’t matter if you make a billion dollars if you hate the art of writing or you end up losing what matters most to you.

Who are you publishing for?  If you don’t know that answer, you have a problem.  You could search Google and see how many answers you find — except that it will give you a headache and more questions.  If you are publishing your book for yourself, don’t worry about your readers, but don’t expect glowing reviews.

If you write and publish for a small niche market, don’t expect millions of dollars, but do expect loyal readers.

Who are you publishing a book for?  That is the answer you have to balance before you even begin the process of writing.