So You Want to Write A Book? 8 Simple Steps To Help You Finally Start That Book You've Been Dreaming About

Writing a book is a big step and A LOT of work . Follow these simple steps to make sure you get it right the first time.





Hey my lovelies!

In preparation for #WordPlayWednesday , Wednesday's post is coming early. Also, there will not be a Friday post as I get to enjoy all of these lovely submissions this far.

Usually you know I answer a question that you guys ask me once a week, and I will continue to do that but it will now just occur on either Monday or Friday. Make sure you keep up with us through the newsletter so you don't miss your question being answered.

Surprisingly, I’ve received this question quite a few times, but once the lovely Sabine from The Who's Who of Social Media asked me, I knew I had to finally answer it.

“What’s the process of writing a book?”

First of all, I want to say congratulations on the decision to go through with this. While this is a lot of work, it definitely is worth it.

So you want to write a book?

There are a lot of things to consider here (especially if you are going to self-publish). I recommend reading everything thoroughly before you start, and if some of your questions still are not answered then click HERE to contact me directly.

1. Do not expect to become an overnight success or to get rich from writing your first book.

I explained to you guys before about my nightmare experience with a large book publishing company, and I also talked about it in my interview with Sabine - getting published is not easy. Now, please do not mistake my realistic views as a sign to discourage you. In fact, I’m trying to do the exact opposite. With over half a million books, on average, being released every year – I REALLY want your book to be the one that breaks all of the records and brings in millions of dollars. However, like anything else – YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE. The journey doesn’t stop just because you finally got around to writing the book; it’s actually just the beginning.

2. Figure out WTH you’re going to write about.

I know it sounds super easy, but if you keep reading you’ll see that it’s not as simple as it may sound.

3. Figure out how your book will stand out from the rest.

What does your book offer to your readers? What makes your story stand out?

The easiest way to figure this out is to grab two or three books similar to yours and read! Once you’ve answered those questions, make sure to save them and hold them to the side (trust me – you’ll thank me later).

4. Create your book outline.

“When you fail to plan – you plan to fail.”

What’s your plot? What’s your climax? What’s your resolution? Again, what do you want your readers to take away from your book? Once that’s done you’ll want to take it a step further and outline your individual chapters. Trust me; there is nothing worse than getting 10K words in and realizing you have no idea where your story is going. DON’T let this happen to you too. (Yes it has happened to me too many times for me to answer with a straight face -_-).

5. Figure out who your target audience is.

No matter what avenue you choose, you’ll end up doing a lot of the marketing on your own. It is important to identify early on who your audience is so you can start connecting with them now.

Join a Facebook group, or blogging community in that niche. Not only are they a good resource for material, but they will be your biggest supporters through the process. Also, if you’re really luck (like I’ve been) you’ll make some great friends, and a network of individuals that are just as eager as you are to see you succeed.

6. Start a blog/website.

Every author that I help through this process eventually gets tired of hearing me say this, but start your blog today! Don’t wait until you’ve spent weeks, months, or even years finishing a book before you start to network. Start building your brand today. Like everything else, it’s going to take time. Honestly, it’s going to take a lot of time. Like #1 told you – you will NOT be an overnight success, but if you really want this it will show in the effort you put out.

7. Start your proposal for your book.

Whether you chose to self-publish or not, this tool can be VERY helpful for you. Even though I am doing everything myself, a lot of the things that major publishing companies want to see in a book proposal will help you figure out how to market your book once it’s finished. You’ll do things like your elevator pitch, and character development, and you’ll even use your comparison to other books in your genre that you did in step #3, so it makes it easier once you have this completed. Once you’ve done this, DO NOT put your proposal to the side. As a matter of fact, you’ll want to update this as you go along. After every chapter that you complete you will want to update your proposal with a synopsis of the chapter. Remember, if you plan on submitting this to a publishing company they want to know everything. Your book proposal is how you will convince them that your book is worth the read. If you need any examples here are a few good ones (example #1, example #2, example #3)

8. Do what you do best – WRITE.

Finally, the fun part! This is where you get to turn those vivid images in your head into something that you will one day soon get to hold as a tangible item in your hand.

While this is considered fun, you’ll come to those days (just like the rest of us writers) where this is actually going to feel like a job, a chore, a pain in the you-know-what. DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED BY THIS! This is quite common, and this is exactly how you will differentiate yourself from the dreamers to the doers.

Take it one day at a time. Make it your mission to write at least one page every single day, and stick to this religiously. What really helped me was setting a deadline. For my first novel, I said I wanted it done in a year (that is a VERY realistic deadline for my novel, since the guru novelist Stephen King suggests not spending more than three months writing a novel – GASP!). Even though I desperately wanted another tattoo throughout that year, I made a commitment to myself that I would not put another needle gun to my skin if I didn’t have that novel completed first. Getting the tattoo that says “dreamer” on my left hand (the one I write with) may look like a simple one word tattoo to everyone else, but since I got that tattoo literally six hours after finishing my first novel I see: 10 years of excuses turned into a final product of over 50,000 words. I’m reminded of this major accomplishment every time I look down at it and thanks to this, I was able to finish two novels in one year!

I’ve never lied to ya’ll, so I’m serious when I say it will be difficult. However, those tragedies will make for a very triumphant victory in the end. Do not lose focus of the goal. You’re great and you will make it there. Take it one day at a time.

Happy writing!

COMING UP SOON: So you finished your book. Now what?
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