Writing a book can be smooth sailing and very exciting if one gets the appropriate tools and guidance he or she needs to start the journey. It’s most people’s dream to be able to successfully get their books doing well in bookstalls and the market and also be able to sell worldwide.
It doesn’t take ‘hope’ to make this work but hard work and determination. The toughest part of writing a book isn’t publication but the time to sit down and begin. Most people’s dream is to have book writing as their profession whiles others choose to write it during their leisure time.
Whichever way you take it, the goal is to be able to get something down for publication. Both of you are looking forward to the results. Sometimes, the way to start writing a book can be stressful and hectic but that’s where the job is.
Before you can be able to start writing a book you’ve been yearning for, you need to;
1. Invest your time
2. Think deeply about what you’re going to write
3. How do you get it out on the market
4. Believe in your thoughts
When you can get these done, it is well assured that, you’re ready to move. There are lots of things you have in mind that you want to tell other people, by doing that, you need to master the art of writing and publication. By so doing, as you spread the word, you make money also.
There is lots of work to do but it doesn’t mean you should rush to get it done. There is always time on your side. You’ve employed yourself to do a job for you. How and when you do it, depends on you.
TIP: To start your writing journey, you need to get capital unless you want to publish it online as an e-book. This is one of the most important things every writer should put into consideration before getting started.
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Fast forward, to start the journey as a book writer, you need to know that, there are three phases to pass to get it done aside from the preface, acknowledgement, credits etc. Every book you are in course of writing should have a beginning (start point), middle(body) and then the ending(conclusion).
Phase 1: Beginning/Start Point: to start writing a book, a writer need to plan. This is one of the most important aspects of writing. If you don’t plan, there is a possibility that your book will not be in good order or you’ll not even finish writing it.
This is where a writer needs to sit with him or herself down and answer certain questions about the book for which he or she is writing. Here, the writer needs to think about how to start the book and what the book is going to be about. This is where a writer has to choose his/her preferred genre too.
Phase 2: Middle/Body: Also, one of the most difficult parts of writing. This phase needs time and effort easy access to your brain. As a writer, you need to unfold everything you have in your mind, devote your entire time and effort to building this.
While writing the body, it is normal that you’ll face complications with your thoughts, indecisiveness and internal misunderstanding. It is normal, don’t freak out. This is only telling you how good your imaginations are. Further, don’t rush in this course. Take your time and make the best out of your decision. I’d you’re short of ideas, take a break, don’t force it.
Do some exercises, go on a walk, play some games and refresh your brain and come back to work when you’re ready. This is because the body is the entire idea of your writing. If you mess it up, you mess the book up.
Phase 3: Ending/Conclusion: You need to work it out perfectly. The ending should match up with the beginning and of course, the middle or body of the book. Now, what most people are looking forward to is seeing your book in the market and having a feel for them.
Nobody cares about the hell you went through or the difficulties you went through to get the book done. All they care about is the result. And when you put in much work, it will yield positive results. So far as you’re able to stay writing your book, you must finish it. Until you finish your book, you don’t have a book.
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We will check out some 5 simplest steps to write a book and get them published.
Table of Contents
Phase 1
What The Book Is About
Before you start anything, it is vital to make a decision. Start by thinking about what you want your book to be about. You can start this by writing down some points, thoughts and plottings in your diary.
This will generally serve as a reference to what you’re working on. Choose your preferred genre and work towards it. Make sure it is one of your favourites. Always choose the simplest route to starting your writing. If you lack ideas or need further information about your topic of writing, you can make research about it but do not use exact information found on the medium.
Everything should be your intellectual property, not a stolen idea. If you fail to plan, you’d end up stuck along the line and probably be the reason to quit writing. Therefore, deciding what your book is about can largely help you plan what to write and how you are going to get it done.
Set Your Target Audience
Whom are you writing the book to? Children, graduates, politicians, oldies, businessmen, students, storybook lovers, religious people or whom? This is very important. Choosing your target audience can help you foresee how the book is going to perform when it is out in the market. Therefore, to choose your target audience, you need to look around you.
>Will the people around you be interested in your book?
>Will it do well when released out for sale?
>How are the people going to react to your output?
Asking these questions will greatly tell you whether your idea will be best to write or not. If you’re not sure how it will perform, ask a couple of friends, school leaders, experts and people whom you think can help you better understand your worry.
When you’re able to decide whom your book is going to be written for, now you’ve to choose your language barrier. How simple or complex you want your writing to appear. A simple language sells fast because it could be read and understood by even children.
Set Your Overall Word Count and Daily Word Count For Your Book
After you are done with the above listed, then you need to set a word count for your entire book. After setting your preferred word count, you should also choose how many words you can write every single day. It should be set as a goal and you must accomplish it.
You can choose to write a minimum of 300 words per day, 500 per day, 1000 words per day or even more depending on your busyness and availability. You don’t need to stress over it just because you want to finish the book pretty fast. When you are able to set your overall word count for the book(it’s ok to presume) and set your daily word count, you will be able to track your improvement. You don’t necessarily have to aim it high. A little drop of water makes a mighty ocean.
Select Time & Place For Your Writing
What you have to be concerned about is commitment. You have to be committed to what you’re about to do. Writing doesn’t need to take much of your time.
You are not cuffed or forced to write 10 pages a day. The ball is always in your court. You should therefore be committed to a specific time during the day, it could be somewhere in the morning, afternoon or evening. You should be sure to stay true to your commitment such that, you can be up-to-date with your plans and content.
It is best to also select a specific place for your writing. It could be anywhere spacious and relaxing enough; the bedroom, office, hall, balcony, reading room, a library, a restaurant, coffee table etc. Choosing a specific place will help you to remind you of what you are aiming to achieve.
Be Ready
Being ready is the last thing to do when moving to the next phase. Be ready to start the project. You should not be distracted by anything. You need a fresh mind and a serene environment to help you start the journey more effectively.
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Phase 2
Start Just As You Planned
You planned for a reason. Don’t set new goals when you’ve already set some. You can make additions but it’s terrible to cancel and set new ones when the old ones have not yet been achieved. Your plottings, plans and thoughts should work hand-in-hand till the end of the journey. It’s good to review them though. Don’t change the plan because you feel it’s difficult for you to do it. Use the previous inspiration to finish up the book.
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Now, Set Your Overall Word Count For The Book
Now that you’ve started writing your book, you need to know the kind of book you’re writing and know the average word count that will best fit it. If your book is arranged into Chapters or Sections, you need to break each section or chapter into irregular lengths.
Below are some accepted writing rules you can follow;
10,000 words is a normal word count for a pamphlet. Read time should be 30-60 minutes long.
20,000 words should be a normal word count for a manifesto or a short eBook. Read time should be 1-2 hours long.
40,000–60,000 words should be the normal word count for a novella or a standard nonfiction book. Read time should be around 3-4 hours long.
60,000–80,000 words should be normal for a long nonfiction book or standard-length novel. Read time should be around 4 – 6 hours long.
80,000 – 100,000 words should be normal for a very long nonfiction book or a lengthy novel.
100,000+ words should be normal for an epic-length novel, academic book or biography. Read time should be about 6 – 8 hours long.
Check Progress
While writing the book, be sure to track your progress and check how the book is doing.
>Are you on track?
>Are you diverting from your plan?
>Does it carry weight?
>Are you reaching your daily, weekly or monthly target?
Knowing these can generally tell you much about what you’re writing. You’ve got to be honest with yourself and decide if your previous work input was enough, little or needs improvement. If you figure that out, it will help you to easily identify where you’re missing so you can fill the gaps. If you’ve set deadlines for your writing, check to see if you’ve been able to reach them or there are skips. If you notice any unhealthy habit, you need to recheck it and make things right.
Get Feedbacks From Experts/Advisers
Even though, it is best to write what you know and not steal someone’s idea or property. You should also get someone or a group of trusted advisors who can help you know what content is best for your book. If you can hire an expert in what type of book, topic or genre you’re writing on, do so for the best content. It will pay off. Also, you should be sure that the feedbacks are from an honest person not just friends who aim at giving you false hope, just to be sure you’re doing the right thing.
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Phase 3
This is the end of your journey.
End The Book
Personally check to see if you are done writing the book. Read every line, paragraph and pages thoroughly. If you need to add up some more spices, do but do not divert centre idea. Make corrections and finalize your write-up.
Get A Reviewer/Proofreader
Someone’s payday job is to proofread people’s book and get paid. Reviewers and proofreaders will help you better understand the grammatical structure of your book and give you a better guides on what to do if they find anything wrong. Most people do skip this. But a proofreader’s service is very important to finishing a publication. If you can’t to hire or seek the service of a reviewer and/or a proofreader, you can decide to do it yourself but be more vigilant and open minded enough to fish out grammatical errors.
Be Ready For Publication
This part will depend on your location and plans. Some would want to self-publish the books and sell them themselves in the market or bookstalls. When you have the money to invest 100% in the publication process without seeking support or sponsorship, do so.
If you’ve no money and wish to seek support, joint, or sponsorship, be extra careful who you deal with. Also, if you choose to publish it online, you can choose notable online publishing platforms like Amazon and other online stores.
Now, you’re done. Your months or years of dedication, sleepless nights and hard work should pay off. Do whatever it takes to get to the people. It would seem difficult at the beginning but just trust your guts and never slow down until you reach your destination.
When you choose to finance a publication, you can choose to distribute the books to sales outlets in your country and give them a percentage out of the total sales. Every single book should be sold, and not be given out for charity or as gifts unless that’s the purpose it was published for.
The last thing you’d ever want is recording losses. Sales might be slow when you start with, but they will surely pick shape with time. Have patience and work extra harder to get the book out there.
This is probably your first time so you are bound to make mistakes and encounter failures along. In all your rounds, just have hope and be full of determination and believe in yourself. That’s what is going to keep you moving.
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End Part
Writing is fun. How does it feel to do what you love and make money from it? Cool right? You can do it. Just follow the steps we have enlisted and you’d be good to go. The best motivation is self-motivation. We inspire you to start writing something. Gradually, you’ll be better.
We have time to help you get through this. Let’s know how best we can help you if you have any questions, concerns or need help.l start with.
