Alhamdulillah, I have written over 20 books in the past 15 years. Collectively, my books have reached over 250k people and have become an important part of my legacy. But getting to this point was not easy. I made many mistakes during my early years as an author. Here are five big ones you need to avoid:

1) Not reading the fine print of the contract

One of my first books became a huge hit but I did not make any profit from it. I published the book when I was 23 years old and did not know anything about the book publishing industry. It turns out the contract I signed was to hand over copyright to the publisher for a small fee, and without any royalties in return. The book sold well, but I did not make a profit. I never made this mistake again.

2) Rushing into a partnership with shady publishers

My second major publication went in a completely different direction. An online publication website offered to publish my book in exchange for a fee. I did not know it back then, but anyone who asks you to pay them to publish your books is probably a scammer. I paid them the fee, and made a huge loss on the book. The fee was much higher than any profits the book could generate.

3) Forgetting to hire an editor

When I first switched to self-publishing due to the above two bad experiences, I rushed my first book to the market. In my excitement to self-publish, I forgot to hire an editor. My book suffered because of this. It received bad reviews due to typos, and sales declined. I managed to turn it around quickly by publishing a second edition six months later. I learned from my mistake and ensure all my books go through several rounds of editing these days.

4) Overlooking market research

Some of my early books failed to sell more than 100 copies each. The main reason for this is because I wrote about topics that interested me only. I did not realize that there was no market for these books. This was a valuable lesson for me; identify the needs of the your customers and write your books addressing those needs directly.

5) Taking too long to produce online course

When I first started self-publishing, many people advised me to self-publish online courses. Due to my low confidence, I delayed doing so for many years. Today, my online courses generate a lot more income than my books. They also form the basis for content for my future books. Had I followed this advice earlier, my career would be even better today.

I mention my mistakes so younger authors can learn from them and achieve success faster. Writing is a great way to benefit society, transform thoughts, and set up sources of continuous reward. If you plan to write a book, learn from my mistakes listed above, to achieve success faster in shaa Allah.

Learn more about self-publishing with our in-depth online course, on sale here.

1 comment

After a tough few years, things are looking up

An update on ethical living

New Article: The Role of the fathers in the household

No classes next week due to Eid

We explore intellect, stupidity and self-control in our latest...

See all posts from Ismail Kamdar