Introduction: The Author Startup by Ray Brehm
The Author Startup: A Radical Approach To Rapidly Writing and Self-Publishing Your Book On Amazon
I am rewriting an e-book, and trying to complete another, so I am always interested in books about the self-publishing experience and process. I bought The Author Startup by Ray Brehm a couple of months ago, and I read it a few weeks ago. This book is ideal for people who are working on their first book. The author structures the book to make it easier for the reader to process the information, and the format is great to use if you are writing a non-fiction book.
The Author Startup reminded me of Poke the Box, Linchpin, and Evil Plans as I was reading it.
Have you read?
Review: Poke the Box by Seth Godin
Review of Linchpin – Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin
Review: Evil Plans by Hugh MacLeod
What is The Author Startup by Ray Brehm About?
Ray Brehm emphasizes the importance of getting your first book done. It does not have to be a bestseller. Your first book just needs to get done. You cannot learn how to write and publish a book until you write and publish a book. The best way to learn something is to just do it. Have you not heard that message before? We know how important it is to just do it, but we seldom do it. There is no guarantee that readers will like your book, but you will not know that unless you publish it.
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I like the metaphors in The Author Startup: your book as a minimum viable product, the author as an entrepreneur and Startup company, the author is the gatekeeper to her book. Brehm says that authors need momentum to get the book done, and that when you focus only on publishing your book, you book becomes a minimum viable product, which protects momentum.
When an author views herself as an entrepreneur with a Startup company, she wants to have a product to sell, so she will focus on getting the book done. When you self-publish your book, you do not need an agent or publisher, you remove all the gatekeepers, and you become the only gatekeeper to get your book done. This empowers you, and places you in a position of power. You have control over publishing and selling your book. Your job is to tell yourself to get your job done. But how do you get the process started? According to Ray Brehm, you must dump your ideas on paper before you improve and organize them. One way to do this is by using a mind map.
Have you read?
Mind Mapping for Learning: Mind Mapping for Kids by Toni Krasnic
Uses for Mind Maps – Mind Maps: Quicker Notes, Better Memory, and Improved Learning 3.0
In The Author Startup by Ray Brehm, you will find the Dauntless Chapter Framework. The author uses this framework for his books, therefore, you will see the framework in action.
To get the process started for using the Dauntless Chapter Framework (DCF), define the purpose of each chapter and deliver it using the following six questions:
- What is the problem that this chapter solves or addresses?
- What is the solution to this problem?
- What is the target profile of your reader?
- What objections might the reader have to the information you are presenting?
- What proof counters those objections?
- Why is this chapter so unique?
The DCF Introduction paragraph communicates the first three of six questions (Questions 1, 2, and 3). Use the Rule of Three in your chapter. Make three points in the introduction, in this case, three points that support a solution to the problem you are presenting. In the paragraphs that follow, you are going to provide that answer to the problem. Who will benefit most from the answer to the problem? The person who benefits from your solution is your reader.
DCF Body of the chapter will address the first three points while handling the other three DCF questions (Questions 4, 5, and 6). I like this because it will reduce the number of negative reviews. You have spent the time to be thorough and you have thought through the objections and addressed them in the book.
DCF Summary will restate the information in the chapter and introduce the next chapter in a compelling way. This is the classic case of telling the person what you just told them and letting them know what you will tell her next.
Ray Brehm makes it easy for the prospective writer to use the Dauntless Chapter Framework by providing The Author Startup Action Plan template in the book. He also recommends that you dictate your book then get it transcribed at Rev.com, and to use Vellum to format the book. Vellum is for Mac users, but PC users can use Reedsy online, which is a web-based application.
Other information that I found very helpful is creating your subtitle for your book. This is something that I struggle with, so I appreciated the information. In creating your subtitle, you want to focus on what is in your book for the reader. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Why would somebody read this book?
- What are they going to get out of it?
- What is in it for them?
Final Thoughts: The Author Startup by Ray Brehm
If you are writing your first book, or even if you are a published author like I am, you will find lot of information in The Author Startup by Ray Brehm that you can use at once. Some of the information in The Author Startup is not new, but it is important information that bears repeating. And the best part is that the book is very easy to read and digest, so you have no reason not to read it.
Have you read?
Self-Publishing: The Secret Guide to Becoming a Best Seller by Richard McCartney
The Introvert Writer by Jamie Arpin-Ricci, Book Review
Best Book Cover Design Techniques: Covers That Sell Books
The Author Startup: A Radical Approach To Rapidly Writing and Self-Publishing Your Book On AmazonPoke the Box: When Was the Last Time You Did Something for the First Time?Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?Evil Plans: Having Fun on the Road to World DominationMind Mapping for Kids: How Elementary School Students Can Use Mind Maps to Improve Reading Comprehension and Critical ThinkingMind Maps: Quicker Notes, Better Memory, and Improved Learning 3.0Self-Publishing: The Secret Guide To Becoming A Best SellerJust Tell Me Simply: Designing eBook Covers That Sell, (How to Create Titles Using Google Keywords, Use Color, Format Art and Employ a Designer. A Guide … back covers for additional marketing.
