Communicatio optima
Eva-Maria Schottdorf MD MSc – Emergency Physician | Author | Trainer
About my consulting for textbook authors you can read here:
1. In Consulting, It Is About You and Your Project
In consulting, you and your textbook take centre stage. Thereby, it doesn´t matter whether you have any previous experience in writing and publishing. We can start at any level.
1.1. During Consulting, You Will Find the Right Solutions for Yourself
Of course, I offer you consulting in the strict sense, which is not always easy to distinguish from coaching. During the latter, the client will find the solutions him- or herself under the guidance of the coach.
I make a point of helping you the best I can with those areas in which you have discovered the need for this. It is equally important to me, though, that you then make your decisions based on the information and our discussions in the way that suits you best.
1.2. What I Bring to the Consulting From My Side
The topics, with which we occupy ourselves during our professional lives, teach us handy skills that we will apply to all our future tasks.
My experiences and qualifications include:
- teaching experience at universities and in seminars
- speaking publicly at conferences
- crew resource management can be applied to any field of expertise
- business knowledge
- all my previous experiences as a self-publishing author
Last but not least, I take great pleasure in working with people who aspire to their clearly defined goals in exciting areas of expertise.
2. Consider Yourself an Author and Get Started
As authors, we need to take ourselves seriously and acquire the necessary knowledge and skills. It should be part of our attitude to trust in our ability to accomplish this and to believe in our progress, which we will make if we work consistently. These prerequisites given, nothing can stop us when we start courageously into the fascinating world of writing.
2.1. Motivation, Aims, and Decisions Are Varied
Whatever moves us, we want to put our themes on paper and offer valuable books to our customers. Our ways towards a finished book vary, which is absolutely alright. Challenges, but also creative and humorous work relationships will accompany us as we work towards our individual aims.
2.2. The Knowledge of Notable Associations Accompanies Us
You find the links to the Nonfiction Authors Association, NFAA, the Independent Book Publishers Association, IBPA, as well as the one to the Alliance of Independent Authors, ALLi, in subchapter 11. On the respective websites, a wealth of information about training courses, networks and initial help are available.
In subchapter 11, I have also linked the clearly laid-out website of the German Selfpublisher-Verband (Self-Publisher Association) for you. It offers membership, further education, and active networking, as well.
2.3. An Overview of the Tasks and the Consulting Topics
Many Duties Have to Be Conciled
In the figure below, you can see some of the tasks that we as self-publishing authors encounter.
Special Topics in the Consulting for Textbook Authors
In the subchapters 3.-5., you can find important information on the themes which we can discuss in-depth in consulting, namely book production and publishing, marketing, and publicity. In all three areas, we will address textbooks in particular. You will find more about what we can discuss concerning the administration of your business in subchapter 6.
3. How to Produce and Publish Your Textbook
Book production and publishing comprise creative work in the same way as routine tasks. You will accompany your textbook from the design of its cover and the interior layout to its availabilty to your customers.
Potential topics in your consulting on book production and publishing may include:
- design and layout: you need to know whom you want to hire and what the workflow is like (or are you a design genius?)
- choosing the right dimensions for your textbook depending on its theme, illustrations, and length, as well as choosing the appropriate paper and further materials
- the right book formats: paperback, hardcover, audiobook (the latter does matter with respect to textbooks, too)
- preparing the correct files for the production of your textbook
- where you want your book to be produced (ebook, print, audiobook) and where you want to sell it (f. ex. online wholesalers, online shops, to university libraries, but first and foremost from your website)
4. How to Market Your Textbook Aptly
There is a wide scope available from marketing on your own website to social media. One should choose the type of social media according to the respective genre wisely. For textbooks, professional networks and groups within them are particularly suited. It is vital that you act as an expert in these and not primarily as a sales person selling your book.
Your email list and your newsletter are crucial, as well. In addition, you should prepare your marketing plan and coordinate your marketing activities deftly. Where are the potential buyers of your textbook? According to your insights, where should you advertise?
5. You as an Author and Your Textbook Need Publicity
Who would otherwise learn that you have produced an opus which could improve an important part of your readers´ lives?
I will offer appointments for this area of expertise starting from May 2024.
6. All About a Self-Publishing Author´s Business
If we as authors decide to take the business part of our work into our own hands, as well, we will experience exciting challenges. We need to keep going and act decisively.
In doing so, everyone has to decide, what tasks one wants to carry out oneself and when to hire services. If you want to discuss this topic in consulting, I would like you to find out what is right for you also in this field of expertise.
In the list below, you see an array of tasks which you can take on yourself or hire out:
- design and maintenance of your website (SEO, marketing, communication with your readers and customers, direct sales of your books and services)
- administrative tasks, such as accounting, payroll accounting, if applicable, and tax declaration
- design of marketing material and more, in order to create your own and clearly recognisable brand
- discovery and maintenance of additional streams of revenue
- further duties in the fields of book production and publishing, marketing, and publicity
It is important to keep the balance between being involved in relevant core areas of your business, writing, and private life.
7. The Consulting Process for Textbook Authors
7.1. May I Offer You a Trial Session?
Naturally, you need to find out first, whether you will benefit from consulting in the way you expect in your particular situation. Therefore, I offer you a non-binding trial session online, which lasts 30 minutes.
Please use the following form to order your trial session:
You can book a trial session, which will take place from March 2024, already now. As soon as I have received your booking, I will make contact with you to schedule the appointment.
7.2. We Will Taylor the Consulting to Your Needs
In case you already know what you would like to discuss, you might also have an idea of the topics and the extend of your consulting. If you are completely new to the field, we can discuss together on what we should work. I will also recommend important training courses if you are interested in attending them.
The following steps outline how the consulting will occur:
- you make an appointment (please find the form in subchapter 8)
- I will mail a short questionnaire to you in order to evaluate what we should do to what extend for you and your textbook (filling it in is not mandatory, of course)
- during consulting, we will use this questionnaire (if completed) in order to document your progress and to ensure that we answer all your questions sufficiently
- if you wish, we will employ checklists, which can be standardised according to the subject matter, to cover all relevant items of a subtopic
- of course, I will email you the work material
- in the course of the consulting, you can create your own checklists and SOPs similar to those used in CRM in order to ensure the completeness and the coordinated flow of your work
- we will address the items and work methods, which you want to discuss, freely
Of course, I treat all your data confidentially.
Special Workbooks Are Already Being Planned
Particular workbooks about book publishing, the marketing of textbooks, and publicity are being written. Also those can be employed during consulting if you wish, as soon as they are finished. My daily work capacity is, unfortunately, not large enough to implement all my ideas in a timely manner. This is something that you may recognise and that we can discuss in consulting if necessary.
8. Prices and Conditions of Your Consulting
8.1. The Price per Consulting Hour With and Without VAT
120,00 euros
142,80 euros incl. VAT
Businesses from abroad don´t have to pay VAT. Rather, they pay an equivalent tax in their countries.
8.2. You Book Only What You Really Need
I charge my professional fees per commenced half-hour. If you wish to include workbooks, these are free of charge if you book three or more full hours of consulting (for the print version printing and shipping costs have to be paid). You don´t have to book a minimum amount of hours. We will assess your need as we go along. The consulting can be quitted at any time.
9. Order Your Consulting Here
On this form, you can make appointments which start from March 2024. Consulting regarding book publicity will be available from May 2024. You can pre-order this, as well. As soon as I will have received your request, I will contact you to schedule the appointment.
10. In Case You Have Any Questions About the Consulting
In case you have any questions about the consulting for textbook authors, please contact me on the phone, via email, or use the contact form.
11. More About Me and Important Memberships
You can find more about me and my professional career in my Profile. I have compiled my Certificates separately.
I can only reccommend the membership in the following Associations due to their superb further education, the intensive exchange of experiences, and the mutual support (I do not receive any benefits for this recommendation):
Nonfiction Authors Association, NFAA
Independent Book Publishers Association, IBPA
Alliance of Independent Authors, ALLi
For self-publishing authors in Germany, there is the Selfpublisher-Verband.
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