Traditionally, authors had one path to publication if they wanted a book deal: traditional publishing. Self-publishing crept in, at the start for those who were unable to get a traditional book deal. Self-publishing was most certainly “plan B.” As time went on, self-publishing became a legitimate publishing model, and it is, frankly, “plan A” for business owners especially, due to the control over the process that self-publishing affords.

The hybrid publishing model incorporates elements of traditional publishing and self-publishing. (Did the word hybrid give it away?) Like self-publishing, the model is author-subsidized, whereas in traditional publishing the author receives money in the form of an advance before the book is published. The tradeoff is that the hybrid model includes traditional book publishing services. Those services include editing, design (book cover interior), marketing, rights management, and distribution.

How much time do you really need to write a book? If you enjoy writing and write regularly now, you can likely write a 50,000-word book in two or three months (assuming your schedule is fairly open for those months). If you don’t particularly enjoy writing (AKA you see it as a task vs. something you look forward to) and/or don’t write regularly, it might take longer to reach the point where you’re consistently producing larger word counts. The key to book writing is to have a plan BEFORE you start writing.

A book, like everything else we create or produce in our businesses, needs to be marketed. A book is the ultimate evergreen product: Once it’s released, it’s ALWAYS available. And thus, it needs a strong marketing campaign that focuses on the launch, the short term, and the long term.

Self-publishing can feel overwhelming, especially if you are a first-time book author. The publishing industry simply isn't one most entrepreneurs are familiar with, so let me give you the lowdown of just what needs to happen to get you to the point where you are holding a printed and bound book in your hands.