Associations regularly commission books for a variety of excellent reasons. What can an engaging book do for your organization? 1. Foster member retention by providing continuing education and thought leadership. 2. Commemorate and celebrate a significant anniversary, industry milestone, or member accomplishment. 3. Create new revenue opportunities for members. 4. Advocate for a policy change by deepening the conversation on an important issue. 5. Lead to new fundraising opportunities. 6. Communicate the association's culture and mission to both members and the public. If your association is looking for an easy all-in-one book solution that includes ghostwriting, editorial services, design, production, and distribution to all member chapters for 2022 or 2023, please reach out.
It's very common to have questions when you start down the path of creating a book:
"What can I expect when I commission a ghostwriter and independent publisher for my association's book project?"
Your organization or association wants to produce a high-quality custom book, but your communications or marketing team isn't sure who to talk to (or what to expect) during the writing and publishing process. I am happy to answer your questions. Here is a realistic writing and production timeline:
Planning
First, block out about one to three months for book planning. The ghostwriter or book collaborator you hire will want to create a project outline during this time and create a specific plan for interviewing each person who will be contributing content. Also, you'll begin working with your publishing team during this phase of the project to make decisions about the look and feel of your book, as well as the size of your print run. Most organizations choose to print between 1,500 and 10,000 copies for their members or employees. Writing
With a detailed book outline in place, the actual writing generally takes three to five months, depending largely on the bandwidth and availability your leaders have for the project. Editing & Production
This part of the process takes approximately two to four months. During this time, you and your publishing team will make final page-level choices about the look of your book, including choosing the final cover design. Printing & Distribution
Plan for two to three months for this final piece of the puzzle. Your book will go into production and be shipped by your independent publishing partner to member chapters or individuals around the nation. Your organization will retain all rights your book and will be able to order additional copies as needed. In total, a quality book can be created for your organization in nine to 15 months. Expert ghostwriters charge between $40,000 and $75,000 per book; independent publishing services vary widely in cost based on your specific design choices and the size of your print run. Please reach out to me for more information about any of your association book project queries.
