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by Deborah Riley-Magnus

I know no one likes to hear this--especially my clients of the writer and author persuasion--but without a business plan you are going NOWHERE.

It's vital to have a business plan because your book(s) and you are the products to be sold. It makes most writers queasy to even imagine selling themselves, but without a good plan, there's no way your book will sell itself either.

Since I'm talking to skittish writers (and we all are when it comes to this stuff), I've decided to take this nice and easy, no sudden movements or anything like that. Let's start with a simple comparison; if you want to write a book, what do you need? Don't say nothing but your imagination, because that's not so. You need a slamming idea and you need some talent. Some writers begin the process with paper and pen, so you'll need paper and pen, preferably one that works. If you're not a pen and paper kinda writer, you'll need a computer. We all know what comes next.

Some writers work organically and let the story tell itself, some like clean plot outlines and some prefer pretty, colorful mind maps, charts or graphs. Short of the "organic" method, you're on the road to understanding the book business plan process.

Any writer can write a book--good, bad or mediocre--but only a smart one knows she also needs to write a book business plan, because only a smart author knows that she is now in business.

I'm going to toss this out so duck if you're too afraid to catch but--it's never too early to start your book business plan. A book business plan covers all aspects of the product. At the moment you conceptualize a novel or non-fiction book, you already have a clear vision of the message, the audience and even the venues where it can be sold. This isn't wishful thinking, THIS is the beginning of your book business plan.

My strongest suggestion has always been to start at the end. Start with your goal. With the right strategy to reach it, you CAN be the next Dan Brown or Charlaine Harris.

Non-fiction writers have a better grasp of this than fiction writers for one reason...non-fiction writers are required to develop a book proposal before they even start writing the book. If fiction writers use a similar process, they are sure to have a better chance at sales success.

Creating the perfect book business plan is a personal journey through very practical and inventive processes. I'm thrilled to be teaching the Creating an Effective Book Business Plan workshop beginning September 19, 2010 for WOW! In four short weeks, attendees will learn and master the simple steps that make the difference between being a writer...and being a successful author!

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This online class is for both fiction and non-fiction writers. Sign up today to reserve your spot in Deborah's workshop and take the firs