Book Title: Don't Write a Crappy Book by James M. Ranson
Category: Adult Non- Fiction, 210 pages
Genre: Business, Authorpreneurship
Publisher: Master Wordsmith Media, in association with Thanet House Books
Release date: Oct 1, 2018
Tour dates: Oct 8 to 31, 2018
Content Rating: PG for occasional mild swearing (hell and damn, mostly, one instance of "shitty")
Book Description:
A great book can launch your business into the stratosphere. Unfortunately, most self-published business books rank somewhere between “meh” and “flaming pile of crap.” But your book doesn’t have to suck!
In “Don’t Write a Crappy Book,” editor and entrepreneur James Ranson unpacks the most common–and toxic–mistakes that first-time nonfiction authors make. Peppered with wisdom from a panel of industry experts, this book debunks the dangerous myths that can torpedo your text and offers clear, practical guidance for writing a book you’re proud of. This is the resource for the aspiring authorpreneur who wants to write and publish a book with minimum hassle and maximum results.
This book will teach you:
- How a self-published book can make or break your business (and the THREE factors that determine which it does)
- The biggest blind spots no one tells authors about (and how to look for them BEFORE it's too late)
- How to write a first book that will get positive reviews on Amazon (and why that’s a better goal than becoming a bestseller)
- When writing a business book is the right move for you (and when you should NEVER write one)
- How to self-publish on Amazon to actually get good results for your business (a lot of it happens before you even start writing!)
- What NOT to do when you’re looking for an editor (and how to find a great one)
- Why trying to write and publish a book in 90 days or less is a recipe for disaster (and why no one tells you that!)
- How to avoid do-overs, sunk costs, and other self-publishing headaches (and how to get out of them if they sneak up on you)
Stay out of the crap pile! Discover the secrets to creating a highly valuable book that will expand your influence and grow your business for years to come.
To read interviews and guest posts, please visit James M. Ranson's page on iRead Book Tours.
Buy the Book:
Meet the Author:
James Ranson, The Master Wordsmith(TM), is a Wall-Street-Journal-bestselling editor, ghostwriter and book coach who has helped over 200 consultants, coaches, speakers and other thought leaders create high-quality books. Clients of his have gone on to sell thousands of books, receive book deals from publishing houses, and be featured in regional and national media outlets. In addition to his own clients, James is a writer and book doctor for Thanet House Books, and is on recommended professional lists for Scribe Media(formerly Book in a Box), My Word Publishing, BrightFlame Books and Authors Unite. His second book, Don’t Write A Crappy Book!, will be published on October 1, 2018. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, James lives in Atlanta, GA, with his fiancée and a very needy cat.
Connect with the Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook
Interview
Why write a book like this?
In 4 years of working with business authors, I observed that there was a hole in the process that most of them fall into. Authors are essentially making mistakes that they don’t know they’re making, and the guidance and coaching and counseling they’re getting from a lot of the self-publishing programs and books and gurus out there are not addressing a lot of those mistakes. So these authors, who are brilliant people who great businesses and have amazing content and value to share, are writing books that don’t represent them well and present them to their ideal clients as sub-optimal business partners, hires, and consultants. But the authors don’t know they’re doing any of these things. So they’re in this situation where they’re thinking, “I did my best, I did what I thought I was supposed to do, I wrote what I thought was a good book, and it’s not doing anything for me. It’s not actually helping me. It may in fact be hurting me, and I don’t know why.” And a lot of the voices who are loud and active in the self-publishing industry are doing those authors a pretty big disservice by not addressing these mistakes. So I want to fill that hole, address those mistakes, and help those people write the best books they can.
What’s your writing schedule like?
I don’t have a set writing schedule. I’m actually not one of those people who writes every day, who will get up at 5:30 in the morning and write for an hour or something like that. Nope, at 5:30 in the morning, I’m asleep! But when I’m working on a writing project, I set aside time for that project the same way I set aside time for my client work. That’s usually between about noon and 6:00 on any given weekday, during my typical work hours. And doing those hours, I’ll spend 2 or 3 or 4 hours or however many hours on that project as if it were another client project. I am my own client, in that sense.
What’s an authorpreneur and what’s one specific way authorpreneurs are writing crappy books?
An authorpreneur is an entrepreneur who is using a book about their business to grow that business, and to leverage it for more or better clients. Or if they’re a speaker, to get more or higher profile speaking gigs. If they have online courses, to drive traffic to those courses. Things like that, where the book is a tool and a foundation and a cornerstone for their business growth. That’s my understanding of what an authorpreneur is. (I stole the term from Jesse Tevelow, who wrote a book called Authorpreneur about how to use a book to grow your business.)
Like I mentioned earlier, many authorpreneurs are making mistakes that they don’t necessarily know that they’re making, and the people who are teaching or coaching them to write these books aren’t telling them about those mistakes. One example: many of the voices in the self-publishing industry are telling authors to write books as fast as possible. Honestly, that’s not as helpful as many people think it is. I mean, if you absolutely must write a book on a fast schedule, there are ways to do it well, but very often writing a book quickly means discarding the idea of writing a good book for just writing any book. And if you’re going to write “just any” book, you’re going to get “just any” results.
In today’s tech savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop. What about you? Do any parts of your writing process happen in pen on paper?
I have to admit that I use my laptop most of the time. But I do have a stack of post-it notes, and oftentimes I’ll jot down ideas and just stick them somewhere so I’ll remember them. Or, especially if I have an outline piece or a to do list around a particular part of my writing, I’ll make that checklist or those notes on a post-it note so I know that they’re all in the same place and I need to do them together.
What’s the last book you read that really moved you?
The last book I read that really had an effect on me was Decisive, by Chip and Dan Heath. It’s a book on how we, as human beings, make make worse decisions than we think we’re making, and how to make better ones. I actually need to go back and read it again, just to take notes on all of the really helpful things that I saw in it the first time. Anything by Chip and Dan Heath is fascinating, frankly. I’d also recommend The Power of Moments, and I’m about to read Switch and I can’t wait.
Where do you love to travel and what’s your favorite thing about it?
That’s a tough one, because I like traveling a lot of places, and my fiancé and I like to travel together. Later this year, her sister is getting married in Cancun and we’re going to go down there; it’ll be our first time visiting Mexico, so I’m really excited for that. But more than places, I really like the experience of traveling, I like going somewhere new and getting to experience things I might not always experience otherwise. And I really enjoy the process of getting there - I’m one of those weird people who loves road trips and flying on planes just for the sake of doing it. Believe it or not, I actually like being in airports! I usually get to airports like 2-3 hours before my flight, to make sure I’m on time, but also just to hang out in the airport and enjoy the airport experience. Same with road trips. Back when I started my business, in 2014, I basically went on a 2-year road trip around the United States; I was living on the road for much of that time while I was building my business. I got through the whole lower 48 in that time frame, which was pretty cool. I just really enjoy the act of traveling; I think I may even enjoy the act more than the destination.
Enter the Giveaway!
Ends Nov 7, 2018
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