One of the dearest dreams that all writers share is to write a book. It is seen as a culmination of your years of practice and a way for you to show the world your skills. But once you get started on the writing process, you will be shocked at how complicated and difficult things can get.
To write a book takes more than just a few hours of work. It takes months of consistent work and will cost you a pretty penny to get published. But as difficult as it may seem, you should remember that it is still possible to achieve. All you need is the right strategy. Here are 7 easy to follow tips on how to write a book.
- Have a schedule to follow
Before you get started on the book writing process it is very important that you come up with a schedule that you can follow. This is especially important if you are a part time writer or a parent. Having a workable schedule will ensure that you will be able to follow it consistently no matter how busy things can get.
When choosing the time for writing sessions you should choose a time where you are at your most productive and free. For example if you like to wake up early, then it is a good idea that you have your writing sessions early in the morning such as 4 in the morning. You can devote at least 2 hours to the writing process. And seeing as the day has yet to start for most people, you can have the peace and quiet that you need to write your manuscript. By having a schedule that you can stick with, you will be able to write to your heart’s content without any fear of interruptions.
- Have a book publishing strategy
Although it may seem premature that you are already thinking of having your book published before you even finished writing it, but in truth having a book publishing strategy will save you a lot of trouble and make the book publishing process more efficient in the future. First of all, you should know that there are numerous book publishing options for you. But the two most viable publishing routes are traditional publishing and self-publishing. The two options have their advantages and disadvantages.
Traditional publishing can be considered more stable, seeing as it is the older of the two. There are various publishing houses that can help you make your book publishing dreams a reality. And the fact that publishing houses will fund the book publishing process and effectively market your book makes traditional publishing a viable option.
The setback for traditional publishing is that you may have to wait a great deal because there are a multitude of other authors that you will have to compete with. You will also have to give up a majority of your rights to get your work published.
It is also a well-known fact that you will have to give up a percentage of your royalties to the publishing houses as part of the contract. You will also relinquish creative control of your book to the company.
Self-publishing on the other hand is quite different. On the plus side you will have overall creative control of your book. You will also stand to get a majority of rights to your book along with a majority of royalties from every book sold.
You can also hire self-publishing companies that offer great self-publishing packages. The setback for self-publishing is that you will need to pay for the entire book publishing process yourself. There is also the uncertainty of marketing your book yourself. Luckily by signing up with sites such as BookVenture Publishing you will be able to get the best self-publishing packages for the best prices ever.
Whichever publishing option you choose though depends on you. Each of these options have their strengths and weaknesses that will affect your entire journey as a writer in the future. So just remember that your choice could mean the success or failure of the book publishing process so choose wisely.
- Be systematic about the writing process
The writing process can get very chaotic if you don’t have a strategy to follow throughout it all. So it is important that you stay as systematic about the writing process as possible. It is always a good idea to make a rough draft of your story before you start writing the book. What is the book about? What is the main premise? Who are the characters? What is the main conflict in the book? And so forth. These are some of the questions you should answer before you get started on the writing process. By doing so, you are making it so much easier for you to write your book.
When it comes to making your characters, it is important that you develop your characters as you write the story. Don’t just make characters just for the sake of having characters.
Give them background stories and make them as compelling as possible. Remember that characters can make or break a story. If you are making a non-fiction book, it is advisable that you also make a rough draft of the book.
Write down the main premise of the book and make sections of your books according to their chapters and main points. That way, you can keep your work organized throughout the entire writing process.
- Embrace the process
If you are going to write a book of your very own, then there is one thing you should always remember. And that is to embrace the process. This means that you have to put your all into it. No half-hearted measures or doubts. If you are going to publish a book, then you should know that it will be an up-hill battle. You will face doubts and writers block. You will question your skills as a writer and you will have all sorts of setbacks. And that is before you even release your book. Once you release your book, you will have to compete with a multitude of authors who equally want to succeed in the writing business. So all in all, your only edge in the hardscrabble competition that is the publishing industry is your passion. You have to want to succeed more than all the others. You have to embrace the writing process and put every ounce of skill and hard work that you can into it. Only by embracing the process can you ensure your success as a writer.