You woke up with an idea, a message
you wanted to put out there. You’ve decided that the information or the story you
can supply is needed, So what do you intend to do? Of course, you are going to
write a book — and you are going to see it published even if you have to do it
yourself.
This is how you start: Jot down a
brief paragraph or two about the concept, what is the story or message you need
to get out there? This doesn’t even need to be complete sentences, but you do
need to make sure you include your goal such as this will help new parents
adjust their lives around the baby (non-fiction) or love is always possible
with patience (fiction). When you are inundated with the steps towards
publication you will find re-reading this goal will help keep you focused.
Next decide who you are writing this
book for, your target audience, such as new parents or readers of romance books.
Why will this subject appeal to the target audience? And what can you do to
make it more relevant for them? It would be helpful to skip a few lines and jot
this down on the same paper as above.
Why are you writing this book? Are
you doing it for altruistic reasons, you want to make a difference; are you
writing this book because you want the satisfaction of seeing a finished book
with your byline on it; are you writing this book because you are hoping to
bring in some extra cash? Any answer or combination is right, but you should understand
and accept your objective. Be realistic — check out the niche your book will
fit into, will it offer something new? What can you do to make your book stand
out? Don’t kid yourself about money, yes there is potential to earn a few dollars
but don’t plan on publishing to make your fortune, relatively few authors earn
a living from writing alone.
Now start writing and write more. Don’t
stop to edit of format, just write; there will be plenty of time to edit and
format later but without your FINISHED manuscript you can’t go anywhere. When
you have reached The End put it down for a day or two. When you pick it up
again, begin editing — check your spelling, grammar and punctuation, and make
sure that your story flows chronologically. Self-editing will probably take
more than a simple pass through. Try editing in the reverse as well so that you
won’t accidentally see what you intended to write.
Format your work for the market where
you want it published. Many self-publishing e-book sites offer style guides
like Smashwords, Amazon Kindle, and Barnes&Noble NOOK. Now if it looks
ready… get it in the hands of a PROFESSIONAL EDITOR which will almost always
cost you so shop around for both referrals and price. While not recommended,
you may get away with a friend who is very good with English but please
understand that an editor will correct more than just spelling and grammar. You
want your book to be the best possible. Book cover design, while completely
possible to choose DIY, will look better if it’s professionally done.
We’ll cover marketing for your
self-published work in a future post.
Writing Exercise: Make a list of subjects where you have expertise.
Choose three or more subjects and write a paragraph about what you have to
offer to readers. What is the story or message you have to deliver?
Writing Prompt: Dream big. Write a short, short story about
what will happen when your book is published.
Challenge Assignment: Find a style guide for publishing an e-book.
Take any short story (it can be your own or something you read, this is JUST
practice) Format the story according to the style guide you chose.
