How To Become A Successful Wellness Author

We've had a rash of requests lately for insight on how to write and publish a health, fitness or wellness book.

Here's a quick overview from our resident expert, Don Muchow:

1) Can I quit my day job if I write a book?

Probably not. If you're hoping to make millions (or even thousands) from your book, don't hold your breath. Publishing a book CAN work for you, but you need a plan. You may go the traditional route - submitting a manuscript to an agent, editor or publisher -- or you may choose the self-published route.

Most books sell relatively few copies. Even those you've probably seen at Barnes & Noble typically sell only a few thousand. It's usually 10,000 copies per printing for a mass market book. So if a well known book's in its first printing, that means that fewer than 10,000 have been sold.

Most books, however, usually print in much smaller lots, typically 1000-2000 copies. Although that may sound like a lot, here's the math:

Publishers often pay authors an "advance" (usually $1000-$2000). Or they may pay a percentage of the profits (for fun, let's say a generous 5% of a book's 30% retail markup -- or 15 cents per book, or $1500 for 10,000 copies). Alternatively, they may pay a per-word rate which can vary widely but can run the range from $0.02 to $0.05 a word (at $0.02 a word x 100,000 words, this comes to $2000).

The specifics may vary, but are you starting to see a pattern? Even for a book that sells well, your TOTAL take may not exceed $2000. Don't forget to divide your advance by the time it took you to write the book. It's possible that you might make less than minimum wage.

That's if your book sells well enough to avoid being remaindered (the process of shipping unsold copies from the bookstore back to the publisher, who recovers part of the author's advance), discounted below cost (that's those "bargain" books you see in the bins at Barnes and Noble or Borders), or scrapped (cover torn off and written off as a total loss to recover shelf space).

And your book won't sell unless you actively promote it yourself.

The health and wellness section is flooded with new titles every year, so there's a lot of competition for shelf space. Ironically, the fact is that most booksellers don't expect to sell many new books. New books are often treated as advertising costs to attract customers to the reliable backlist of books that ALWAYS sell, such as the "For Dummies" series, or the American Heart Association Cookbook and so on. If the new titles sell, so much the better.

That said, writing and publishing a book can still fit nicely into your overall business strategy. As a health and wellness professional, you have a built-in topic of interest to potential readers. Who doesn't want to lose weight, gain work-life balance, feel more centered, or train for their next competitive run?

And a published book can often set you apart from your competition. If you had a choice between Personal Trainers A and B, and B was the "published authority" on "fit living for the over-stressed mom", who would you choose? And which one would you be willing to pay a slightly higher hourly rate?

2) How do I submit a manuscript?

You should write a book proposal regardless of how you plan to publish your book. A book proposal is like a business plan for your book. You detail the competition your book will have, explain why you're an authority on your topic, explain why readers will want to buy your book and who your target reader is. You'll also think through how you can support the promotion and marketing of your book. And last, you'll include a chapter outline and a couple of sample chapters as well (a product sample!).

We frequently recommend these two titles on creating book proposals. Together they'll give you a "soup to nuts" view of the business of publishing, how to write a proposal, and protect your financial and legal interests along the way.

How To Sell, Then Write Your Nonfiction Book, Camenson

Overview of the business, financial and legal aspects of publishing your book. How to work with agents and editors, how to develop a book idea that'll sell, and specific tips on the actual writing.

Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write, Lyon

Step-by-step guide to writing a book proposal. Detailed examples and before-and-after samples.

Now, let's talk about roles for a minute.

To go the traditional route, you'll need an agent. The agent, whose job is very much like a job recruiter, will want to see your "resume". Not your JOB resume (a mistake many make!). In the publishing industry, this is typically a book proposal plus cover letter, sample chapters and brief listing of just those credentials that might help the book sell to its target audience. If agents are intrigued, they'll request a copy of your complete manuscript to assess its marketability. This doesn't mean they'll actively market the book, but most literary agents get a cut of what YOU get paid by the publisher, so they don't want to waste any time on obvious duds.

Research the agents and publishers for similar titles. Seek out people with a specific focus on health, fitness or wellness. Submit your proposal to someone with specific interest in books like yours. Be prepared to submit your proposal to dozens or even hundreds of agents, and ultimately, publishers.

After the agent accepts your proposal, they then use their contacts in the industry to present your manuscript to acquisitions editors at appropriate publishers. Acquisitions editors scan proposals to determine whether and how to acquire the book from an author. They prefer to work directly with agents, not authors. Agents filter the proposals before they send them to acquisitions editors, which helps editors avoid reading piles of irrelevant, and sometimes illiterate, material.

If a publisher takes interest in your book, the negotiation begins between you, your agent and the publisher. Chances are pretty good that you don't understand "where the money goes" in book deals, and that's OK. Be aware that legitimate costs exist throughout the whole process (distribution, printing, cover art, copy editing, layout, etc.) that may make your piece look pretty small. That doesn't mean that you're being taken advantage of....it's the way publishing economics works.

A good start is usually to provide your agent with information that will argue your case for an improved offer. At the very least, do some research -- contact other SIMILAR non-fiction authors (not J.K. Rowling!) and find out what terms they were offered, draw a parallel, then have your agent ask the publisher to present comparable terms.

Get an independent editor to look at your manuscript before submitting it to agents.

Given the challenge of getting a book published, it's important to make sure that your book will look its best. An experienced editor, though expensive, can be a good investment in the success of your book. Rates vary wildly, but it's not uncommon to pay $10-$15 per page, or $30-$40 per hour for editing work.

I know what you're thinking. "My book on active workouts for the physically challenged is 300 pages. That's $3000!". That's right. That's why many aspiring authors lean hard on their friends to give their book a good first read. Advice: find someone who doesn't always praise your work, but believes in it and can manage to be both critical and supportive at the same time. You also want people who can spot grammar and spelling problems and help make sure your book is well-organized.

When you select an editor, it's important that she NOT be the same editor or agent who will market your book. Unethical editors will charge an upfront fee to "edit" your book, on the promise that they know a publisher who will then magically accept the finished material. The problem here is that as an editor, she's receiving her money up front, but as an agent (a role she's also taking in this case), she should be paid AFTER the book is accepted. In this case, there's no incentive to market your book proposal to a publisher, as she's already got your money. This is a clear conflict of interest.

3) How does marketing your book work?

Many new authors mistakenly believe that the publisher will take the initiative in marketing their book and paying for all marketing costs.

If you're fortunate, you may receive a small marketing allowance from your publisher that will typically be less than your advance. In most cases, this will barely cover the cost of a couple of plane tickets, so don't count on Oprah appearances or national signing tours.

Realistically, unless you're already an established author, you're generally going to need to take the initiative on marketing yourself. For example, you'll want to reach out to chain and independent bookstores in your area to arrange appearances.

Some tips on marketing your book yourself:

Get in touch with a local non-fiction writers' group. Though many writers' groups are focused on critiquing each other's work, they'll often offer to attend your book signings (on the principle that nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd), pick you up at the airport (if you are traveling to promote your book), or provide other logistical help.
Consider hiring a publicist. Though a publicist can be expensive, they provide services that most authors have neither the skill or time to do: arranging interviews with national / local media, producing press kits (gatherings of clippings / quotes, copies of newspaper articles, and fliers), creating PR newswire announcements and other material you may wish to use to promote your book, and conducting campaigns that may include Internet publicity, targeted fax, email and mailings, giveaways, newsletters, and so on. Often, the book is just part of the picture. Consider how many times you have heard a radio interview with some expert who mentioned his upcoming book at the end of the show. It's no accident.
Consider co-marketing with another expert. If your book is about the importance of posture in long-distance running, for instance, consider seeking out a chiropractic expert who shares your vision. If you're uncomfortable with "tooting your own horn", it can also help you feel more comfortable about marketing if what you are really marketing is a shared vision. And if it's your partner praising you, it sounds less vain and self-congratulatory.
Consider creative distribution. Get your book into the hands of people who know your readers. Whether you sell copies of the book or offer complimentary copies or "advance sales" copies to people who can reach your target readership directly, the idea here is to get others to read your book and recommend it to their customers. Remember that the people you share your book with benefit by direct association with "the expert" (you!). Your book can be an additional source of revenue for them, especially if it complements their practice. For instance, if your book is about mind-body healing, it might be good to put a couple of free copies in the hands of Reiki practitioners or massage therapists. After all, it costs them nothing to hold onto the book and if it sells, you both get paid for it.
Nothing succeeds like success. Simply getting your book out there so that people can pick it up and feel the weight of it in their hands helps them realize that it's a real, published book. This is true even if you choose to self-publish, although it's wise to consider the tradeoffs. For non-fiction, most people assume that if a book's been published and printed, it's worth reading at least the first few pages. And if you can sell a few hundred copies (not hard to do in the long run), then you can often convince agents and publishers that they could sell a few thousand.

4) What are my options for publishing my own book?

If you go the non-traditional route, avoid vanity presses. These publishers charge you a considerable markup OVER the expected retail price to print your book (thus reducing your chances of EVER making money on it), and then charge you marketing fees to promote it. It's OK to pay for marketing help, IF the help's effective and reasonably priced. However, if the publisher is really just charging you a "marketing" fee to print the book and put it in a big listing surrounded by lots of other titles, you might as well market your book in the phone directory.

One option that has generated increased interest lately is self-publishing. This is NOT the same as using a vanity press. With self-publishing, you are responsible for doing your own editing, layout, arranging for the printing, binding and cover art, handling the distribution (including shipping to you, your cost of moisture-free storage, and shipping to customers), and so on.

With self-publishing, you take on more of the risk associated with not selling some of your books. You also take on many of the publisher's roles. Your overall upfront costs may thus be higher, but your cost per book may be less. Since you carry the inventory, you don't have to worry about remaindering.

Production and distribution of the book are the two biggest costs for publishers. If you can afford to sink a few thousand dollars into taking on the role of publisher, AND you can sell your book directly, you can avoid the 25-30% markup that goes directly to the distribution channel, and some of the production costs. You still have to do the marketing (but you were going to have to do that anyway). You bypass the hassles of agents, editors and publishers. That means your book gets into print far faster. And the faster it gets to print, the sooner you can start selling it.

Oh my gosh! I SOLD one!

If your book is successful, you'll find it much simpler to approach agents and publishers, and more profitable to hire a publicist, in the future. This is because you've already done the footwork for your future success. Just as it's true in the job market that employers prefer to hire people with credentials, people in the book publishing industry prefer to work with established, published authors. This is true even if your first book was rejected again and again and again, and finally you self-published and sold it yourself.

5) What are the pros/cons of self-publishing?

Quick test: Which of these best-selling books were originally self-published?

When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple, by Sandra Martz

In Search of Excellence, by Tom Peters

Fifty Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth, by The Earthworks Group (not in print)

Sugar Busters Quick and Easy Cookbook, by H. Leighton Steward, Morrison Bethea, Sam Andrews, and Luis Balart

Feed Me, I'm Yours by Vicky Lansky, and finally...

The Self-Publishing Manual byDan Poynter

The last one was a giveaway, wasn't it? You're right -- ALL of them.

Self publishing isn't for everybody, and it's hard work. But you can streamline the purchasing process and increase the likelihood of sales by listing your book on Amazon (although Amazon will retain a hefty fee for every book you sell).

One thing to keep in mind is the difference between selling more books and making more money by selling books. Generally, to move more books, you rely on a distributor, such as Borders or Barnes and Noble (hint: to make more headway, also consider well-established local distributors!) or an Internet-based service such as Amazon.com. Yes, they'll take a large percentage, but the more books you sell, the more likely it is you'll sell your next book. As always, you can do this work yourself -- it's generally less expensive in terms of dollars and more expensive in terms of time and skills.

Print-On-Demand And Small Print Runs

The Internet, combined with digital printing technology, has made the financial picture for small print runs of a few hundred or a few thousand copies affordable, and has opened the way for success for new authors and small-press books. You can even "print on demand", the publishing industry's term for printing single copies of your book as you need them. The cost is higher per book, but for specialty books, this is often acceptable to the potential buyer.

6) More resources

Publishing a book can be an effective tool in advancing the goals of a health and wellness business. Thanks to the recent improvements in publishing technology, it's within reach of just about everyone. Sadly, the biggest obstacle standing in the way of authors is usually actually WRITING the book.

To get started, check out the links below.