Formulas for success in self-publishing. Dr Jon has collected formulas for self-publishing which help with audience reach and response.

A formula is like a recipe in cooking. For example a set of ingredients are used then tried and tested to make a great cake that is enjoyed by family and friends. A recipe for success.

In the scientific context a formula can also be a mix of chemicals and elements that go to make up a particular product like a fuel or a medicine.

Formulas usually have a series of elements and a quantity for each element that go to make up the formula.

If we were to give an exampe of a recipe for a great stir fry base, it would include one tablespoon of olive oil, two onions, two cloves of garlic, one chilli,  three diced tomatoes as the recipe.

Then the cooking guide for mixing the ingredients together. For example: heat the olive oil in a wok, cook onions until transluscent then add garlic and chilli and stir. Add diced tomato to blend the flavours for 5 minutes before adding any further ingredients. (Please try this at home :).

In the mathematical realm the different elements that go into making up the recipe would be given an alpha numeric formula such as 1xtsoo (tablespoon olive oil)  2xo (onions) + 2xg (garlic) + +1xc (chilli) + 3xt (tomato) = stir fry base mixture.

Or look at any product on the supermarket shelf and it has a description of the different nutrient or food type that forms the product. An example such as soup would include sugar, salt, fat and carbohydrates. They are expressed as a percentage of the overall can of soup.

All of these are examples of formulas or in the scientific world the actual term is formulae.
Quantitative and Qualitative Factors for Formulas
The above formulas and recipes are related to real physical products or objects and the numeric allocation are called quantitative in modern science.

However the concept of formula can be applied to non physical or intangible items such as concepts, themes and even audience emotional and numeric responses and tendencies.

A mixture can be applied and ratios, percentages or numbers can be applied to allocate to the different concepts and themes. This is called 'qualitative' in modern science. The more recognisable example is in google's use of algorithms which are based on behavioural and data relationships (in simple terms).
Self-publishing formulas
So lets have a look at how formulas can be created in self-publishing with the aim of creating a book that people love (and buy and love and refer to others).

In self-publishing two key factors we address in this article and podcast are:

-the establishment of a pipeline to your audience, and

-the connection to your audience through your pipeline .

For clarity, please note that we are talking about the process of self-publishing not the process of writing a manuscript and thus the use of pipeline as a metaphor.

Self-publishing is an act of connection to your audience and it starts after your manuscript is drafted and first contact is made to the outer world!

However your writing skills and story play a big part in the effectiveness of a pipeline to make it attractive, constant and reliable. You are after all a writer which is a powerful skill which can be harvested beyond the manuscript stage and into creation of the pipeline.

With these two factors for self-publishing success you can create  a potent mix of what we call ‘pipeline’ elements and ‘connection’ methods that are mixed and designed to gain audience reach, adoption and the ultimate; alchemy.

The pipeline 'elements' enable ease of distribution.

the ‘connection’ methods create the connection of the book/article/short story to the target audience through the pipeline.

Let's look at the elements and methods:
Pipeline Establishment
Your pipeline is built from two platforms or 'presences':

your foundation presence and
your campaign presence.