1. Not assessing the marketplace before you write the book. Who are your potential readers? Who are your competitors? What are the prices of competing books? Will your book be better, more important, less expensive, have better distribution? Does anyone need your book? Will anyone want your book?
2. Not having professional editing and design
3. Paying too much for a self-publishing package (If you pay $5,000 or $50,000 it will be nearly impossible to earn back your cost of publishing.)
4. Paying too little for a self-publishing package (If you pay under $400, you will probably get terrible books.)
5. Not budgeting for promoting your book
6. Allowing a big “discount” for bricks-and-mortar booksellers which probably won’t stock your book anyway, and giving up the additional profit you could get from online sales
7. Assuming that your publisher or printer will do a good job of promoting your books
8. Assuming that your book will be reviewed without your trying to get it reviewed
9. Not having a website and blog (novelists and poets don't need blogs.)
10. Assuming that your work is finished when your book is finished
11. Assuming that your publishing company’s website will sell lots of books for you.
12. Pricing your book too high
13. Pricing your book too low
14. Producing your book in only one format: you should have one or two print formats, plus multiple ebook formats (unless you decide that an exclusive deal like KDP Select is best for you)
15. Waiting until the book is published to start marketing
16. Not having an understandable title
17. Not having a distinctive title
18. Not having a distinctive 'author name.'
19. Not having a subtitle that can help sell the book
20. Not having cover text that can be read in small "thumbnail" size online.
More help in my 1001 Powerful Pieces of Author Advice.
Thanks for the warnings!
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