[Let’s Publish Through Funding: 5-Minute Summary #1] How to Plan a Best-Selling Book
This content is
Episode 1 of the <LET’s Publish Through Funding>series (
)
Don’t forget to check this out!
- A Glimpse into the Vibrant World of Publishing School
- What are the basic requirements for a best-selling book?
- I’ll show you how to plan a book that sells.
wadiz Publishing School: Here’s a 5-minute summary
Wadiz Schooloffers a variety of educational programs to millions of makers. Among them, we’d like to introduce a course titled “Independent Publishing A to Z One-Day Class: Publish Through Funding,” whichearned a satisfaction rating of 4.7 out of 5. Since the class sold out in less than a week, we’ve prepared this article to help ease the disappointment of those who couldn’t attend.
In the past, books could only be published through traditional publishers, but now anyone can publish through funding. However, creating a book that sells is a completely different challenge—and perhaps one that you, as a maker, are even more eager to take on.
Today, for makers eager to take on a publishing project, I’d like to offer some tips on how to plan a book that sells.
The Keys to a Bestseller
Why are you starting a publishing project? It likely falls under at least one of the following four categories.
- Self-realization (Because it’s a dream to publish a book under my own name at least once in my life)
- To bring joy and fun to others
- To make the world a better place To persuade readers
- To convey interesting and useful information
Except for self-realization, all the other reasons can only be fulfilled if the book sells—that is, if it’s a book people actually want to read.
So, what conditions must a book meet to become a bestseller?
If you meet all four conditions—① your purpose for publishing, ② your unique story, ③ current trends, and ④ your target audience’s lifestyle—the likelihood of your book becoming a bestseller increases significantly.
How to Plan a Bestseller
It’s not difficult if you just follow the three methods introduced below step by step.
First, find a story only you can tell (= Selecting a Topic)
Do you feel like the topic you’ve chosen isn’t special? That’s okay. Even with the same topic, you can make it compelling by finding a story that only you can tell.
| Methods | Expected Results | Idea → A Story Only You Can Tell |
|---|---|---|
| Try Coming Up with a Unique Concept : A method of combining two or more seemingly unrelated topics to create a single theme | Pique the reader’s curiosity, then build empathy to capture their hearts | A story featuring a puppy [cat] as the main character → A picture book featuring a fictional shop—such as “The Puppy Laundromat” or “The Cat Bakery”—that offers comfort to weary people |
| Focus on Unique Details : A way to narrow down your theme | This can spark readers’ curiosity about information they didn’t know before | A story about my favorite bread → A map of must-visit bakeries in Seoul [Jeju / Jeonju / Busan, etc.] recommended by a “bread lover” who eats one piece of bread a day |
| Incorporating insights gained from personal experience : How to vividly convey why your experience is valuable and special | Readers may be captivated by the story and inspired to dream of new challenges | The changes “Miracle Morning” brought to my life → The miracle brought by reading classic literature every morning at 5 a.m.: How an ordinary person like me succeeded in landing a job overseas |
| Overseas Travel → A Collection of Travel Tips for Broke College Students: From Efficient Ways to Save Money to How to Make Friends |
Second, Research Trends
The more your story overlaps with what many other people are curious about, the better your book will sell, right? Find out what people are interested in.
1) Research the online and offline publishing markets
- To see what kinds of books can be created on the topic I’ve chosen, I visit bookstores—both online and offline—and browse through at least 10 titles.
- Checklist: Title, table of contents, format, content, size, and tone
2) Browse the titles of bestsellers in the publishing market
- Regardless of topic or genre, I compile the titles of bestsellers that have recently captured people’s attention. This helps me gain insights into what they have in common.
3) Search for online content related to your topic
- I search for relevant keywords on YouTube, Instagram, blogs, and other platforms, then browse the content.
Third, Analyze Your Book’s Readers
Now, let’s take a closer look at the specific interests, comments, and concerns of my book’s potential readers. If I understand what my readers like and what kind of books they want to read, my book will likely become popular, right?
1) Check the comments on online content related to your topic
- This allows me to examine trends and see what thoughts or concerns people have regarding the topic I want to write about. It also gives me insight into the lifestyles of my potential target audience.
- Search for relevant keywords on YouTube, Instagram, blogs, and other platforms, then collect comments.
- Identify recurring themes to derive insights.
2) Read trend reports or newsletters that analyze your target audience’s lifestyle
Stay tuned for Part 2 of “Publishing Through Funding.”
In the next episode, I’ll share vivid examples of how to plan a book based on a specific topic!
<LET’s Publish Through Funding> Series
- How to Plan Best-Selling Books
- How to Plan Best-Selling Books by Genre
Written by Kim Seon-young