Let's face it! Gone are the days when authors send their book ideas to publishers, get hefty advances to start writing and almost instantly find themselves on the bestseller list. Publishers today are more demanding. For instance, you need to have a huge following i.e. on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter before publishers will agree to work with you. Unlike decades ago, today's publishers don't want to take any risks. Also, if you aren't famous and/or your book is a memoir, you have a very slim chance of getting a publishing deal. This shouldn't however stop you from publishing your book.
Publishers no longer have the power to stop you from pursuing your authorship dreams. You can write a book about any subject and self-publish it without the help of a "traditional" publisher. Many authors are taking advantage of self-publishing to get as many books out there as possible. You shouldn't be left behind. If you're interested in learning how to write a book and self publish, here are the main steps to consider. The steps will be divided into two namely; How to write a book and how to self publish.
HOW TO WRITE YOUR BOOK
Before you can self publish, you must write a book. Here are the most crucial steps to consider.
1. Set deadlines
If you are really serious about writing and publishing a book, you must have deadlines. For instance, you must have a first draft by a certain date, second draft, final draft etc. Setting deadlines is important because it helps you avoid wasting time. Considering the nature of typical authors, it is possible to write a book for years if you aren't serious.
2. Outline your book
After setting deadlines, you need to create an outline. You can do this easily by thinking about what your book intends to solve or discuss and break down this information into small sections. You can use the introduction, body and conclusion format to start outlining your book. As you move down towards the body, think about your book's purpose and write that down.
3. Write your book
You can start writing after you have an outline. Since everyone has a different voice, you need to bring that out clearly in your book. How do you do this? Well, the answer is simple; write how you speak. Guided by your outline, expand what you want your book to address. You can tell stories, give examples etc. Just make sure you give your content your own voice.
4. Rewrite
When writing a book, the initial drafts are a mess. You must keep rewriting them to create a perfect continuous flow. Rewriting also helps you add humor, stories, facts etc. to make your book more factual, interesting and authentic. You must repeat this step severally until you are satisfied with what you have written. Alternatively, you can get someone to rewrite the book for you. You should also give your book out for reading to get valuable feedback.
5. Hire an editor
After the book has been rewritten and read by many people, you can hire an editor after making the final changes. You shouldn't use your aunt or spouse as an editor for obvious reasons. You need a true professional who will add that magical touch to your book to make it attract many people, get people talking etc. If you want a good book, you must hire a professional editor. It's as simple as that. Although professional editors are seen as an unnecessary cost, they add priceless value to books. Also, most professional editors have valuable connections, which are crucial for any book to succeed. After handing over your book to a professional editor, the only thing you have to do is wait and publish.
SELF-PUBLISHING
Having talked about the entire book writing experience, let's now shift our focus to self-publishing. Since it's very hard to get a publishing deal if you aren't famous or a renowned author, you can follow the self-publishing route. As mentioned above, traditional publishing deals are very hard to come by today which is why you should consider doing it yourself. Below are some of the most crucial step to consider when you want to self publish you book.
1. Design your book professionally
The book cover is more important than most people think. This is precisely why you should go out of your way and look for a professional designer to design the book. Most professional cover designers design covers and format books so you shouldn't worry about additional costs of having both tasks done separately. There are very many professional designers online so it shouldn't be a problem finding one.
If you don't want to hire a professional designer, you can design your book on your own using readily available tools only. Websites like CreateSpace.com; Amazons publishing company offer numerous resources for formatting and designing books. You can use these resources to come up with a professional book design on any theme you can think off. CreateSpace has very many templates and PDFs that are capable of guiding your throughout the process.
2. Get your book on Amazon.com via CreateSpace.com
Amazon is undoubtedly the biggest bookstore out there. If you want to get your book out virtually, Amazon is the best platform to use. Amazon set up CreateSpace solely to help people get their books, videos, DVDs out there without having to go through traditional routes i.e. using traditional publishers and distributors. CreateSpace is therefore the best and easiest platform for authors who want to bypass the tedious and disappointing process of finding a good publisher.
CreateSpace has plenty of help sections that outline everything you need to know about self-publishing. There is therefore no need to spell everything out here. You can simply go to the site and follow the simple step-by-step instructions to self publish your book. CreateSpace offers numerous benefits. For instance, you don't need to pay a dime to get your book printed. Also, you don't have to worry about customer service, storage etc.
In summary, writing a book and self-publishing couldn't be easier today. After going through the above steps you shouldn't have a problem writing your book in record time. Also, getting your book out there shouldn't be a problem. Although there is more to writing books and self-publishing than what is discussed above, you shouldn’t expect to encounter problems after reading and putting all the above steps into practice.
Publishers no longer have the power to stop you from pursuing your authorship dreams. You can write a book about any subject and self-publish it without the help of a "traditional" publisher. Many authors are taking advantage of self-publishing to get as many books out there as possible. You shouldn't be left behind. If you're interested in learning how to write a book and self publish, here are the main steps to consider. The steps will be divided into two namely; How to write a book and how to self publish.
HOW TO WRITE YOUR BOOK
Before you can self publish, you must write a book. Here are the most crucial steps to consider.
1. Set deadlines
If you are really serious about writing and publishing a book, you must have deadlines. For instance, you must have a first draft by a certain date, second draft, final draft etc. Setting deadlines is important because it helps you avoid wasting time. Considering the nature of typical authors, it is possible to write a book for years if you aren't serious.
2. Outline your book
After setting deadlines, you need to create an outline. You can do this easily by thinking about what your book intends to solve or discuss and break down this information into small sections. You can use the introduction, body and conclusion format to start outlining your book. As you move down towards the body, think about your book's purpose and write that down.
3. Write your book
You can start writing after you have an outline. Since everyone has a different voice, you need to bring that out clearly in your book. How do you do this? Well, the answer is simple; write how you speak. Guided by your outline, expand what you want your book to address. You can tell stories, give examples etc. Just make sure you give your content your own voice.
4. Rewrite
When writing a book, the initial drafts are a mess. You must keep rewriting them to create a perfect continuous flow. Rewriting also helps you add humor, stories, facts etc. to make your book more factual, interesting and authentic. You must repeat this step severally until you are satisfied with what you have written. Alternatively, you can get someone to rewrite the book for you. You should also give your book out for reading to get valuable feedback.
5. Hire an editor
After the book has been rewritten and read by many people, you can hire an editor after making the final changes. You shouldn't use your aunt or spouse as an editor for obvious reasons. You need a true professional who will add that magical touch to your book to make it attract many people, get people talking etc. If you want a good book, you must hire a professional editor. It's as simple as that. Although professional editors are seen as an unnecessary cost, they add priceless value to books. Also, most professional editors have valuable connections, which are crucial for any book to succeed. After handing over your book to a professional editor, the only thing you have to do is wait and publish.
SELF-PUBLISHING
Having talked about the entire book writing experience, let's now shift our focus to self-publishing. Since it's very hard to get a publishing deal if you aren't famous or a renowned author, you can follow the self-publishing route. As mentioned above, traditional publishing deals are very hard to come by today which is why you should consider doing it yourself. Below are some of the most crucial step to consider when you want to self publish you book.
1. Design your book professionally
The book cover is more important than most people think. This is precisely why you should go out of your way and look for a professional designer to design the book. Most professional cover designers design covers and format books so you shouldn't worry about additional costs of having both tasks done separately. There are very many professional designers online so it shouldn't be a problem finding one.
If you don't want to hire a professional designer, you can design your book on your own using readily available tools only. Websites like CreateSpace.com; Amazons publishing company offer numerous resources for formatting and designing books. You can use these resources to come up with a professional book design on any theme you can think off. CreateSpace has very many templates and PDFs that are capable of guiding your throughout the process.
2. Get your book on Amazon.com via CreateSpace.com
Amazon is undoubtedly the biggest bookstore out there. If you want to get your book out virtually, Amazon is the best platform to use. Amazon set up CreateSpace solely to help people get their books, videos, DVDs out there without having to go through traditional routes i.e. using traditional publishers and distributors. CreateSpace is therefore the best and easiest platform for authors who want to bypass the tedious and disappointing process of finding a good publisher.
CreateSpace has plenty of help sections that outline everything you need to know about self-publishing. There is therefore no need to spell everything out here. You can simply go to the site and follow the simple step-by-step instructions to self publish your book. CreateSpace offers numerous benefits. For instance, you don't need to pay a dime to get your book printed. Also, you don't have to worry about customer service, storage etc.
In summary, writing a book and self-publishing couldn't be easier today. After going through the above steps you shouldn't have a problem writing your book in record time. Also, getting your book out there shouldn't be a problem. Although there is more to writing books and self-publishing than what is discussed above, you shouldn’t expect to encounter problems after reading and putting all the above steps into practice.
