Author's Corner

Do you find yourself struggling to come up with creative ideas for your book? Perhaps you have found yourself staring at a blank screen or a sheet of paper, unsure of what to do next. If so, you may be experiencing writer's block. But don't worry, this is a common issue that many writers face regardless of their level of experience. The only difference is that seasoned writers have effectively developed strategies to overcome it. In this blog, we’ll explore some of the reasons why you might be experiencing writer's block and we’ll suggest some tips to help you get your creative juices flowing again.   What causes writer’s block? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, writer's block is a condition where you are unable to create a piece of written work due to something in your mind that prevents you from doing so. This "something" could be anxiety about completing the work on time, feeling unmotivated, or not getting enough rest. There is no telling when and why it may happen, but it’s important to remember that it is a sign for you to calm down and take a deep breath. Following are some of the ways in which you can tackle this obstacle:   Don’t Break the Chain! Jerry Seinfeld, a popular comedian, suggested an effective strategy to overcome writer's block that involves just one motto: “Don't break the chain!” This strategy is synonymous with Jerry Seinfeld, a renowned comedian who played an important role in American popular culture in the late 20th century. He is often regarded as one of the most successful comedians of all time. However, he is also known for producing a level of consistency in his performances. This may sound daunting but there is a lot to unpack and learn from his life. In an interview, when asked for “some tips for a young comic”, he suggested that one must place a calendar on a prominent wall and mark a big red cross on each day that they have been productive. Over time, a chain will be formed and one will develop a habit of maintaining a streak. This strategy will also stop you from procrastinating and you will be able to generate quality content.    Take a Break! Taking breaks in intervals will help you to concentrate on the action plan and organize your ideas accordingly. It may sound contradicting, but taking breaks within a day is essential to give yourself time to think about your plan of action. Timely breaks can help you rethink your content and process the information you have gathered or produced. Dr. AnnaMaria Bliven, author of four books, suggests that one must try to empty their mind of unnecessary (often taxing) thoughts. She adds that one should either walk along the shore or in the woods or even go shopping. Basically, someplace “where you can get away from your obligations”. Then focus your attention on your dream– to write!   “Just Keep Writing!” Let your words and creativity flow and keep writing regardless of the format or structure. Says Michelle Bartonico, a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and author of two books. You don’t have to think about the structure or format nor do you have to worry about the repetition of some ideas or sentences. The main aim is to let your thoughts flow without a filter. This way, you will have plenty of content to work with and after a day or two, you can revisit the work with a fresh perspective and make the necessary changes. Bartonico advises writers to take every opportunity to write when they're in the mood, without limiting themselves.   Conclusion Writer’s block is a common phenomenon and tackling it effectively will provide even better results. However, it is important to understand that each author has a different approach to writing, and as Bliven says, “One has to experiment and find out what’s comfortable for them and what gets them into the flow.” So, next time you “suffer” from this problem, make sure that you keep a positive attitude and view this obstacle as a minor hurdle in your journey towards becoming a successful author. Happy Writing!   Additional Resources for Authors:  How to Write a Flawless Self-Learning Book?Why You Should Publish With Vibrant Publishers  

The book “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson is a biography of the renowned co-founder of the world’s leading company Apple. The book gives an account of Steve Jobs’ successes as well as failures which makes it a liberating read for professionals and businesspersons. While this book was not written by Steve Jobs himself, it is an inspiration for professionals even today as it is packed with practical life lessons that even a billionaire faces. What this means is that if you have hands-on experience in your field and if you say something about it, people will listen. This is one of the main reasons why books by industry experts are so well-received. If you are an industry professional, have considerable experience and expertise in your field, and want to share it with the world, writing a book is a good option. In this blog, we have listed down some reasons why educational books by industry professionals are well-received by learners. Please note that in the entire blog, we will be talking about educational books on Management, HR, Marketing, Finance, etc., and not biographies.   Personal stories and experiences Reading about a subject/field and actually working in the field are two different things. Many management books in the market lay down solutions to management problems that only sound good on paper. As a professional working among daily challenges in the field, you know what works and what does not work. This is the reason why books by professionals and not theorists are widely read. Weaving personal stories or experiences into your book is the best way to connect with your readers. These experiences become the essence of your book. If you are a marketer who has handled various marketing campaigns, you know what is most likely to work and what isn’t and you can include this acumen into your book to inform the reader.   Personal credibility Another advantage of writing a book as a professional is that readers know what you are saying is credible. An on-field work experience is looked at as an added perk to the credentials of the author. Besides that, the accolade of a “published author” gives you an upper hand in your career. It establishes you as an authority in your field of work and even opens up new opportunities. You gain a credible position to speak at guest lectures or conduct seminars and a published book makes it relatively easy to publish another book.   Abreast with the latest industry trends Industry trends are highly volatile and keep changing. As a professional you are abreast with the latest industry trends and know what is outdated. You are aware that sometimes, the strategies prescribed by best-selling books don’t pan out as desired. New and emerging trends are the way to go and your book will reflect exactly this. Learners will look up to your book to keep themselves abreast with new industry trends and get insights into how things work currently.   Source of passive income Books can be a great source of income if marketed correctly. However, finding the right publisher to reach your desired target audience is crucial; otherwise, your book will get lost among millions of other books and catch dust on the shelf. You might choose to self-publish your book or approach a publishing house. Self-publishing has its own pros and cons with you, the author, doing almost everything by yourself. With the help of a publishing house, your book can be available on global online platforms like Amazon, Baker and Taylor, Ingram, etc where it reaches a global audience, allowing people from various corners of the world to purchase and enjoy your work while you enjoy the royalty. This income stream remains steady even when you're not actively promoting or managing the book. Vibrant Publishers gives opportunities to first-time authors and provides total developmental support from beginning to end to assist you in bringing your book up to par with industry standards. Read Why Should You Publish With Vibrant Publishers to learn more about what we have to offer. For more information on writing and publishing academic books check out our Author Resources To begin your publishing journey with us, visit: https://www.vibrantpublishers.com/pages/publish-with-us  

Writing a book can often be a challenging process, be it in any genre. But when it comes to educational books, the challenges are far more complex and specific. A self-learning book is essentially a guidebook on any subject. It should come in handy and useful for anyone who wants to know more about that topic, be it career starters, professionals, or students. The major challenge while writing such books is making them unique, content-rich, and reader-friendly. There are so many educational books in the market that you may worry yours will go unnoticed among them. As an author, you would want the knowledge and expertise you share with the world to reach as many people as possible. You would want to write the best self-learning book out there but to do so, you need a clear understanding of what you must include in your book and how you should go about the writing process. One needs to have an idea of what goes into creating a good educational book that will sell the best before taking on the task of writing it. To make this daunting process simpler, we have created a checklist that will help you write a flawless book. This blog will give you an insight into what constitutes a well-written book from a publisher’s perspective. We at Vibrant Publishers have more than a decade of experience in publishing self-learning management books. Here are eight tips curated by us that will help you write a self-learning book that will appeal to a vast audience. 1. Make your matter concise and practical A self-learning book on any particular subject should include a gist of that subject matter. It shouldn’t be too long that it becomes a textbook, nor should it contain only half information. Additionally, the matter should have some practical use in the reader’s life. Our ‘essentials’ books are meant for anyone who would like to learn about a subject either for study or for practical use in their day-to-day lives.  If you are a subject matter expert, you already know everything about your subject. But while writing a book, you need to do extensive thinking and research into what the readers will look for when they pick up your book. You need to jot down the important topics and practical information related to your subject and make sure that they have a place in your book.   2 .Structure your book in a reader-friendly way Now that you have an idea of what your content is going to be, it is time to decide the structure or flow of the content. The first thing a reader looks at in an educational resource is the table of contents. Thus, it goes without saying that the table of contents, which describes the flow of your book, needs to be clear and well-structured. Structure your book in a way that it flows smoothly from one concept to the next, so that there is no confusion in the reader’s mind while moving from one section to the next.    3. Carefully craft your titles and subheadings The titles of every chapter and the subheadings in a chapter should be crisp and to the point. Avoid writing titles in flowery language or titles that are too long and wander off the point. Instead, write short titles that explain exactly what is included in that section. This will ensure that readers can locate a particular piece of information whenever they need it.    4. Develop an appropriate writing style The trickiest part of writing a book is developing a suitable writing style. Your writing style cannot be too informal, and at the same time, it cannot be made completely of jargon that beginners won’t understand. You need to find a middle ground, a writing style that is easy to understand and engaging but also sounds professional.  A useful tip: Write as if you are explaining a particular concept to a class full of students. This will help you write in a conversational tone which will make it interesting to read.   5. Write to-the-point matter Just like a class of students would lose interest if a professor deviates from the topic, a reader too will get confused if the text is too explanatory and changes focus points very often. Therefore, it is important to make sure that your matter is to the point and sticks to explaining just one concept at a time.   6. Include a variety of learning elements Another challenge with self-learning books is that they cannot be just plain explanations. To give the best learning experience, a book needs to include a variety of learning elements. Research and think about what elements would help make learning your subject more interesting. They could be case studies, quizzes, or fun facts. Use a combination of such elements in your book to improve the overall learning experience.     7. Use illustrations liberally No one likes a book that is only filled with theory. You need to break the monotony of the book by adding illustrations. This will make your book more appealing even when one is just skimming through it. Moreover, illustrations help summarize your text or add more depth to it.  You can add pictures, diagrams, tables, flowcharts, or a mix of them in your book. These illustrations will elevate your self-learning book from a zero to a 10.   8. Decide your book’s USP The above elements will make sure that your book is a great read, but they could overlap with other books in the market. What will make your book successful is its unique selling point or USP. This USP will set your book apart from the sea of books available in the market. Ask yourself what will make my book stand out. What can I offer that no one else does? Answering these questions will help you find your USP. Then, you need to focus on your USP while writing so that you deliver the best book possible. In conclusion, writing a self-learning book isn’t easy at all. It takes a lot of planning, practicing, and perfecting. If you keep in mind these few pointers, no one can stop you from writing a successful book. But remember, practice makes perfect. It may be possible that your first draft isn’t as perfect as you would like it. Or you may struggle at a certain point in the writing process. We, at Vibrant Publishers offer you complete developmental support right from start to finish, to help you fine-tune your book to industry standards. If you’d like to know more about what we offer read our blog Why Should You Publish With Vibrant Publishers. We hope this blog will help you in your writing process and that you are now confident to begin your book!  For more information on writing and publishing academic books check out our Author Resources To begin your publishing journey with us, visit: https://www.vibrantpublishers.com/pages/publish-with-us   

If you are a subject matter expert in a management subject and want to publish your own book, we are the one-stop shop for materializing that dream. We, at Vibrant Publishers, are proponents of spreading quality education and knowledge in concise and compact bundles (books).     With more than a decade of experience in the field of publishing ‘essential’ management books, we are always trying to grow our community of authors. We are also constantly improving our publishing process to make it seamless and hassle-free. To publish a book with us, here are the steps involved:         Step #1 - Pitch your ‘essentials’ book or select from our exhaustive list of new title ideas Our management books are known for their straight-to-the-point explanation of concepts. They are called ‘essentials’ books because they are made up of only the important information that the reader needs to know. Therefore, if you think you can write such a book, pitch a book title by filling out the Authorship form. You need to create a detailed outline of the book (Table of contents) and give a brief summary of what the book will be about. You will also be required to give other details like the book’s target audience and target market, the uniqueness of the book, a list of courses where the book can be used, etc. Our Editorial team will review your book proposal; if they find it interesting and a good fit for our series, a Relationship Executive will get in touch with you for the further process.     Step #2 - Flaunt your writing skills You will be asked to submit a sample of your writing (either past writing or a fresh piece) on the concerned subject. This piece of writing will be evaluated by our Editorial team for its writing style and depth and if they approve, we will move ahead with the proposed title.     Step #3 - Sign a contract The Relationship Executive will have a one-on-one e-meeting with you to explain the publishing process in detail. The Relationship Executive will chart out an achievable and practical timeline for you with your approval. After finalizing the timeline of the book and compensation, we seal the deal by signing a contract!         Step #4 - Submit your manuscript You start working on the manuscript and submit it in parts. We also have a comprehensive set of guidelines for writing the book that will assist you at all the steps of the process. Our enthusiastic team of professionals will clear all your doubts and give you ready support whenever needed.     Step #5 - Fine-tune your book with the editor Even great books need revisions. And that is why our Editorial team comprises experts who will work simultaneously with you to edit and make your book the best version of itself. The editor may give their inputs which may bring a different perspective to the table and their suggestions will help you make your book more tuned with the target audience.   After you both are satisfied with the book, the next stage is proofreading. The Editorial team will thoroughly go through the book, tie loose ends, and make it ready for designing.     Step #6 - Get involved in the designing process Our team of creative designers will design the final version of the book and also work on creating a unique book cover for it. The book is designed in a way to make it engaging and attractive to readers. You will not have to worry about the graphs, figures, and tables that might be included in the book as the design team will take care of them. Once the book is designed, you will be given the opportunity to review it and provide your inputs and feedback.       Step #7 - Get peer reviews from experts We have a huge network of professors and reviewers who peer review your book and give their valuable feedback on it. These reviews help us evaluate the suitability of the book in the market. The reviewers may suggest additions/deletions or clarity on topics and give their overall opinion on the relevance of the book in today’s time.     Step #8 - Collaborate with us for marketing to a wider audience We market our books on social media platforms like Linkedin and Instagram. Our marketing efforts also involve reaching out to universities, libraries, bookstores, etc globally. You can collaborate with us and contribute to our marketing efforts by spreading the word about the book in your network. It may involve shooting promotional videos, writing blogs, giving author interviews, etc.   Our books have received amazing reviews from Reader’s Favorite, Library Journal, Harvard University, Berkeley College, and Columbia University to name a few. The books are also offered in 80+ libraries including Queens Public Library, the University of Oxford, the National Library of Wales, etc.     Step #9 - Publish your book From the time that you submit the manuscript, it takes about 6 months for your book to be published. The book will be published through our website and will also be available on major platforms like Amazon and Flipkart. Most books will be available in three formats - paperback, hardback, and e-book. We also distribute our books through major book platforms like Ingram, Baker and Taylor, Smashwords, Overdrive, etc You may also request complimentary author copies of your book.   Your journey as an author with us does not just end here. We value your knowledge, skills, and your connection with us. Therefore, we always stay in touch through emails/messages and alert you about new authoring, editing, blogging, or related opportunities with us.   After the book release, we may submit your book for relevant awards like IPPY Awards, IBPA Awards, Eric Hoffer Awards, or any other award recommended by you.     Conclusion Vibrant Publisher’s developmental support and comprehensive editing and review process will make your journey of becoming a published author a smooth ride. You will not need to fret about anything as we constantly try to remove all the hurdles in your path and give you a happy experience of publishing. Publishing your book will be a two-way process where we benefit from your expertise on a subject and you benefit from our years of experience in publishing high-quality books. To become an author with us, fill out this form.     Also read: Why You Should Publish With Vibrant Publishers Tips for Choosing an Academic Book Publisher                

Introduction Writing a book is a difficult process, whether it is for a commercial or academic audience. From finding a writing routine to actually drafting the book, authors—especially first-time writers—might feel daunted by the complex procedures involved. But signing a contract with the right publisher makes this process much more rewarding. We’ve compiled a list of things as well as quick tips you need to keep in mind while choosing the right academic publisher for your book. If you are looking to write your first book and are searching for the right publisher, dive right in. #1: Approach Your Book From the Right Perspective Think about why you want your book to be published. Writing and publishing an academic book successfully can be a great supplement to your academic career. As a scholar, you’ll want your work to be published and people to recognize its merits. If you are proud of your work and want it to be appreciated in academic spheres, you’re on the right track. But if you’re only intent on commercial profits, then an academic publishing career might not be the best fit for you—you might want to think of approaching commercial book publishers. Tip: Aim to add to your academic accolades, not to start a potential business venture. #2: Every Publishing Press is Different It’s tempting to choose the most popular publisher because you want your book to be famous. But that might not be the best approach. Consider the profile of the publisher who has solicited you or whom you’re planning to send your proposal to. What kinds of books do they publish? Within academia, what is their focus—towards the humanities or sciences? Do they have an international market? Your book proposal should be in line with the type and style of publications produced by them. Tip: Don’t focus on the status of the publisher; look at the type of material they publish. #3: Submitting a Book Proposal After you make a list of the publishing presses that publish academic books within your field, reach out to them with a book proposal. Sometimes they might reach out to you first. At this stage, you’ll need to provide an introduction of yourself and the work you do, along with a summary of the book and what you will include in it. A summary might talk about the topic of the book, where the evidence has been gathered from, a brief list of sources, and the main argument on which the book is based, among other things. This is needed so that the publisher can decide whether the book fits within the realm of their publications and whether they want to go ahead with your book or not. Additionally, if your book’s topic happens to be related to a popular subject currently under discussion, that will be a bonus. Tip: Detail your expertise in your subject area and the unique contribution your work will make to the field. #4: Watch Out For These Red Signals Don’t be so eager to get your book published that you are willing to agree to any kind of contract. It is easy to be lured by promises of quick publishing—within less than 3 months, for example—and promises that the work will be ‘easy.’ Usually, low-rated publishing presses who approach you over the internet—over instagram or facebook, for example—will try to attract you by making the process of publishing sound easy and effortless. As great as that sounds, it really isn’t true. Publishing is a long process, usually not less than a year, and there are many stages involved before you get the final book into your hands. But it is an extremely rewarding process, so take your work seriously and be willing to put in time and efforts for it. Tip: Be wary of overly low processing fees and highly ambitious timeframes.   #5: Before the Contract We’ve talked about publishing being a lengthy and often difficult process. Now you might be wondering—what are the early stages of that process? Once you reach out to a publisher and submit your proposal for the book, the publishers will ask you to submit a detailed proposal of your book if they’re interested in it. This could include one or two sample chapters of the book. At this point, you might have to take back your proposal submissions from other presses. These sample chapters will be reviewed by peer reviewers, depending on which the publisher will decide whether to offer you a contract. Tip: Look at whether you’re comfortable with the publisher and their communication style—and whether they seem genuinely interested to work with you beyond the obvious commercial gain. #6: Peer Reviews The most important people who’ll review your book are peer reviewers. Peer reviewers are professors within your field, industry experts, and subject-matter experts who have in-depth experience of the subject matter of your book. Look for a publisher who offers a good peer review system—this will help shape your book to become the best possible academic material. Tip: Ask your publisher about the peer review system they offer and who will be reviewing and suggesting changes to your drafts. #7: Marketing the Book The marketing of the book is majorly done by the publishing company, but as the author, you have to be involved as well. Ask your publisher what type of marketing channels they use and whether they are looking to promote your book internationally. Publicity is the most important aspect—ask the publisher how they plan to market the book and what are the responsibilities required of you, for example, talking about your book at conferences or promoting it in your institution. Tip: Be realistic about your expectations; it takes a while for marketing efforts to pay off. #8: How Much Will You Earn? Academic books have a very specific audience and are not for the general commercial book market. That can be an advantage as well as a drawback. The advantage is that academic books are always in demand—especially textbooks, test prep and reference material. The flip side is that these books cannot be promoted to a wider or more general audience of readers, as in the case of commercial fiction or nonfiction books. Expect to earn a fair amount—the satisfaction that comes from having this achievement will surpass everything else. Tip: Your first book might not give you a dramatic increase in income, but you will earn well in terms of gaining publicity and recognition from peers. CONCLUSION Don’t shy away from asking advice from academic advisors, colleagues, and senior peers, especially those who’ve already published their work before. You might want to conduct thorough research on the publishing presses available and the terms and contracts they offer before making a decision. It’s all about your perspective- how you approach your proposed book and what are the end goals you have in mind aside from having your book published. At Vibrant Publishers, we are always on the lookout for good authors. If you are interested in sharing your expertise with us in the form of a book, fill this form.

Introduction You’ve read about the green signals and pitfalls to watch out for in general while deciding to choose an academic publisher. (If you haven’t, you should read Tips for Choosing an Academic Book Publisher). Now, you might want to publish with us and are wondering what’s the next step—what are the benefits of publishing with Vibrant Publishers? Or maybe you want to know why you should choose Vibrant Publishers over traditional or self-publishing. Whether you are a first-time author who will need guidance through the entire process of publishing,  a seasoned author, or someone looking out for the right publisher, this blog is for you. #1: Developmental Support At Vibrant, we work with the author from start to finish to ensure that their work is fine-tuned to achieve the best results. Our editors discuss ways to improve the material and advise the authors on the type of content that the potential readers would like to see. That’s why, even if you’re a first-time author, you don’t have to be daunted by the process of writing—we’ll guide you through the entire process in a step-by-step manner. #2: Flexible Timelines Publishing in any field, whether it’s academic or commercial book publishing, is a lengthy process with several procedures involved. But with continuous and ongoing support from the publisher, this process becomes significantly easier for the author. At Vibrant Publishers, authors are provided with all the support they need, whether they’re writing the book from scratch or already have a full manuscript prepared. We’re very flexible with our timelines and understand that delays are sometimes inevitable. That being said, our timelines are carefully planned keeping in mind the author’s commitments and most authors are able to finish well on schedule. #3: Peer Review System Peer reviews are what refine a book from its status as an initial draft to a complete manuscript. Peer reviews might come from professors specializing in the same domain as the author, industry experts who have years of practical experience in their field, or subject-matter experts with in-depth knowledge about the topic. They review the author’s draft and suggest improvements for clarity, topics that should or should not be included, and assess the contribution the work will make to the field. We have excellent peer reviewers who provide impartial and useful advice to authors. Additionally, every book is submitted for review at least 4-5 months before publication, to professional reviewers like Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and Library Journal. #4: Editing the Book As an author, your work might appear perfect. But it’s necessary to fine-tune the material so that the final version is a complete, informative book. Editors can add value to your work by providing suggestions for improvement, style of writing, and grammatical corrections. Our editors work with the author to ensure that their book contains the right tone, content, and direction, as well as language that is easy for readers to understand. #5: Marketing Marketing is an important aspect of the publishing process and in many cases, it starts even before the book is released. Although our focus is academic publishing, our books are not limited to a specific market. We target multiple audiences for our books through press releases, email campaigns, and social media. We publish through online and offline distribution channels like Ingram, Smashwords, Kindle, and Baker and Taylor, and reach out to more than 10,000 libraries across the globe. We also connect with professors worldwide, who have adopted many of our books for their courses. As you can see, our marketing efforts have an extensive reach. #6: Sourcing Images and Illustrations If you’re wondering about where the images and illustrations for your book come from, we’ve got you covered. Unlike publishers that ask you to source images and obtain copyright permissions yourself—or pay a fee for the same—we don’t ask the author to take on the hassle of obtaining images. You can focus on transferring your knowledge to the paper and we’ll take care of the rest. #7: Presentation Our books follow a very compact, attractive layout, which makes it easy to read and absorb the material. Once again, we don’t require the author to format the book—we do it ourselves. The kind of layout that we’ve come up with for our books, ensures that you’re not just reading through pages of information but are enjoying the journey of learning. Image caption: Take a look at our book, Winning Strategies for the ACT, before and after formatting the content. #8: Scholarly Reputation As a first-time author, professor or industry expert, having a book published will boost your academic reputation as a scholar. You’ll gain from having your work published with us—the industry recognition your book will receive from peers and professionals will help you establish your reputation as an author. Ultimately, your work might even win awards—we submit books for the IPPY Awards, IBPA Awards, Eric Hoffer Awards and many more, depending on the category of the book. CONCLUSION Publishing a book is not an easy feat, but with our extensive support and guidance, the process becomes an enjoyable learning experience instead of a hurdle. We are committed to publishing the best textbooks, test prep material, and interview preparation books for students, professors, and professionals, with a human touch that personalizes the experience of publishing. It’s not just the initial months of publishing that we focus on—you can expect a lifetime of support, whether it’s in terms of marketing, reach, promotions, or new editions of the book. At Vibrant Publishers, we’re always on the lookout for good authors to deliver quality academic content. If you have a book proposal in mind and would like to contact us, fill this form. If you want to understand the important aspects of publishing, see Tips for Choosing an Academic Book Publisher.