By Jennifer S. Wilkov, host of the “Your Book Is Your Hook!” Show on WomensRadio
www.yourbookisyourhook.com

As authors and writers, we’re always learning about resources and industry tools that we can use to improve our book project performance and the enjoyment of our writing and marketing experiences. Today let’s talk about the past, present and future of your book.

Wherever you are with your project, your book has a past, present and future – just like you do.

If your book is published, remember when your book was just an idea you had? Look how far you’ve come and what you did to get right here right now with it.

If your book isn’t published yet, know in your heart that all of us who are published authors have been where you are right now. Whether you are the executive producer of a long-running daytime drama like Ken Corday is for Days of Our Lives or if you are a first-time author who is choosing to self-publish, we’ve all been faced with the stages and steps that you’re taking during our book’s journey to get published and to get to its present day status.

Sometimes as a community of authors, we forget the courage it takes to write, market and publish our books. We look at what we want to do next and learn new ways to move our project forward, often without acknowledging how far we’ve come and perhaps forgetting all of the people, publishers and companies who have helped us to succeed. Sometimes, we even take it for granted and think to ourselves: why doesn’t everyone else have a book? We may not even realize groups like the Book Industry Study Group exist which are constantly discussing the future for our books and our publishing dreams of the most effective ways to get them into the hands of our readers.

The publishing industry itself has a rich past, a tumultuous present and a big, bright future. It has come all the way from the first printing presses and book producers who wrote on scrolls with ink and feather pens to today’s great big digital presses and digital books. The future of publishing lies somewhere between continuing to produce the hardcover and paperback books we love to hold in our hands and the digital age that is rapidly and rabidly overtaking the traditional publishing methods as we’ve known them. From cellphones to iPads to the Kindle from Amazon, the Nook at Barnes & Noble and Sony Readers and beyond, today’s readers are apt to be able to access our books in whatever form at whatever time is just right for them.

As we write our books, keep in mind that just like you and just like the publishing industry, your book has its own past, present and future. Whether you are writing a memoir or an amazing novel, or if you are thoughtfully constructing your next cookbook or non-fiction masterpiece, and if your children’s book is one page shy of the 32 pages you set out to write, be gentle with yourself.

Take a moment now and take stock of where you are with your book. Acknowledge how far you’ve come and what lies ahead for you. Think of all the people, companies and support communities you’ve worked with to get to where you are right now.

Commit yourself to taking the next steps and to taking your book boldly into its future – and yours.