HOW TO START A BOOK WRITING BUSINESS IN NIGERIA

Writing a book is actually one of the oldest forms of business for individuals. It’s not a new business or something new at all as books have always been written by individuals on different topics to meet the needs of different people. Books are very popular in whatever format they’re delivered in. Depending of what an individual writes about, they can make huge sales especially if it’s something that appeals to a lot of people or a very good idea that can bring gains to people who read the books. The business is not so difficult to start and is even one of the creative business options available in the country. 

The book writing business, simply put, involves writing good a book, publishing it and sending it out for customers or book lovers to buy. Like I’ve mentioned earlier, most times when books are written, the amount of sales largely depends on the type of content written and also how well it can help individuals who read them. With the world being a digital place and technology growing bigger by the day, it has even become pretty easy for individuals to go about writing their book and uploading them for readers and still make money from it. The business is quite lucrative and one that can surely bring good amount of income for individuals. 

There are several niches or topics that can be written about in a book. Individuals will need to write according to their expertise. Someone who can cook pretty well can write a cook book, an entrepreneur can write a book on ways other entrepreneurs can benefit and make good choices and decisions to help their business and so on like that. Simply put, an individual who is very good at a particular subject can simply put it into writing and have it published and sent out for sale. Even though they might be different topics or issues being addressed in the books, it is still bound to bring in profit.

One of the main reasons why this business can be considered as a really good business option is the demand from such books. People are always willing to learn new things especially things that can help them be better either in their life or their career or education or even to make money. Regardless of the reason, people read books everyday and it all depends on the type of book you’re writing to know how well you’ll get customers and be successful at the business. A good demand always translates to a good number of customers which surely results in a reasonable amount of income. 

Another thing is that, with the advent of technology and the internet, it is a very simple business to start and you can go about it even right from the comfort of your home without having any problems. Digital books are quite popular and it provides a platform for individuals to use their devices,  either a phone, laptop, or computer to access whatever books they want without having to go to a book shop. As an author, you can just sit down at home and complete the entire writing project and also have it published on the internet to ensure it is accessible to online users. 

The business is not really hard and is something almost anyone can do as long as they know the business very well and they’re ready for what comes. You’ll definitely need to be an expert in whatever topic or field you’ll be writing about. This allows you to write about something you’re comfortable about and also to express yourself pretty well. It’s never a good idea to start writing a book on something you know absolutely nothing about. A good book will help you get customers and build a good brand name for you.

Starting the business doesn’t really involve much. You can do pretty much most of what you’ll be doing pertaining to the business totally from home without having to go to any place at all. The option for even doing your publishing, promotion and sale online even makes it a good comfortable business option for entrepreneurs looking to start a business. Special skills or training might not be important for the business as you only need to be very good at the subject or topic you’re writing about though an educational qualifications can prove to be useful for the business. 

In the next sub heads, I’ll be discussing the steps involved in starting up a book writing business in Nigeria and some of the things that might prove useful during the course of running the business to ensure that you’re doing the right thing and also being successful at the business you’re starting. 

1. 1. RESEARCH 

No matter what you’ve heard someone saying about a business and how well success is assured or how lucrative it would turn out, always try to do your own research. The research will not cost anything except your time and that time will prove to be well spent when the business starts and the successes starts coming in. It is important to do a thorough investigation about the business since you’re going to be investing your money into it and you’ve never been involved in the business. Some hours of research won’t hurt.

The research is always meant to give you an idea of what to expect and the challenges ahead to be faced. It teaches future entrepreneur how the business works and what success means. It shows the risks involved and the ways to tackle them. It also gives ideas on how to sustain the business and work towards more success. Imagine missing out on any of the mentioned points, it’s more like being less equipped about something especially something you plan to spend money on. 

There are experts in the business, of course, so also look to advise from these individuals as they are most likely the best bet for reliable information on the business. Take note of even the smallest things during the research period and pay close attention to how to stay and survive in the business. The research is as important as anything in the business. 

2. WRITE A BUSINESS PLAN 

A business plan needs no introduction. It is equally as important as some of the other processes or things involved in the business. After a comprehensive and thorough research has been conducted, entrepreneurs must now put all their ideas into paper after, of course, deciding to start the business. The business plan will cover things like the way you plan to operate, the cost of several things, how you plan to market your business, future projections and also contingency plans. 

The business plan serves a number of purposes. In cases where individuals might need to get investors or even get a loan, it will prove useful as it will contain all that needs to be known concerning the business. It is also going to serve as a point of reference for the proposed business

3. SELECTING A NICHE

Before you write a book, one of the things you definitely need to consider is what you’ll be writing about. You can add to your research to find out the kind of books people would be willing to read and also the kind of books that are profitable in the country. Whatever you decide, ensure you’re comfortable with it and you can completely write it in your own without any help or copying things from the internet. Also, if you don’t already know how to write a good book, now would be a good time to learn. 

4. CAPITAL AND LOCATION 

Cost of writing a book is a bit high especially if you’ll be producing bulk copies of the book. As digital books are now something of a considerable option, you might not need too much capital to run the business except a few charges that you might have to pay to your publisher and also the platform you plan to use for selling your books. There’s absolutely no need for a location and you can do everything from your home. 

5. PROMOTION AND SALES

There are several online platforms available that help with promoting and also the sale of books. An example for instance is Okadabooks. You can write your book and have it uploaded to the platform. From there, you can get customers and people who would buy your books. There are also other platforms and you can simply just do your research. If you’ll also like to go about the normal traditional way, then you can just get a publisher, and then, send them out to bookshops or rather advertise through social media, word of mouth and referrals.