Before publishing fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or prose, you need to set goals for your book.
Why? How? What are good goals? You’re about to find out.
Why Book Goals Matter
The reason to set goals for your book is simple. It gives you a target. Without a target, you’re shooting in the dark. Your book may find great success, but you won’t have the satisfaction of reaching or exceeding your expectations, because you won’t have a benchmark to measure against.
Setting goals, whether astronomically high or exceptionally low, corrects this problem.
Goals let you quantify whether your book is a success or not. You can compare actual results with your hopes and dreams. This, in turn, helps you know whether to celebrate or work harder to make your book a success.
How to Set Book Goals
Want to set goals for your book? It’s a simple process, but it may not easy. To do this well, you have to do some soul searching.
Take time to ask yourself the following questions:
- Why did I write this book?
- Who do I want to read my book?
- How important are book sales, how many sales would I consider success, and how quickly do I need to make these sales?
- What can I do to make sure my book has the best chance at success?
Sample Goals to Consider
Answering the questions above will lead to the best goals for your book. Depending on the answer, you may wind up with goals that look like the following:
- To be a published author. The internal gratification of publishing a book can’t be overstated. Many authors seek this reward and need nothing else to feel accomplished.
- To create a keepsake for family. Many writers consider their book a legacy to leave behind for their loved ones. One great part is that this goal doesn’t depend on sales or worldwide fame.
- To encourage readers. Many authors want to know their book helps people. Some even state that the whole process is worth it if they can help just one person.
- To sell a specific number of books. There is something gratifying about selling books. Whether you want to sell 100 or 1 million books, setting your goal is the first step to making it happen.
- To make a certain amount of money. Your book is a business, and a successful business turns a profit. If that interests you, you’ll want to sell as many books and maximize your profit per book sold.
Bo Jackson, quite possibly the best athlete of our time, said, “Set your goals high, and don’t stop until you get there.” But you shouldn’t stop for long. Once you reach your goal, celebrate for a moment. Then set a new target and go after it!
The First Step Toward Your Goal
No matter what goals you set for your book, the first step is the same. Once you’ve written your manuscript, you need to publish. Think Argyle Fox Publishing would be a good fit for your book? Submit your manuscript for consideration. Soon, you’ll be working toward your publishing goals!