One of the most satisfactory experiences on my entrepreneurial journey was sitting down to write and then publish a book. It was during my own book publishing process that I discovered the many different components to becoming an author, something I desired to become even as a young girl.
I take my hat off to prolific writers who churn out one book after the other. I wish I could say that it was as easy for me to do this as they make it look.
As an avid reader, and lover of words and books I broke down my book writing process into four stages.
The planning and preparation stage.
The writing stage. As much as I wished this was true, words do not miraculously appear on a page. Late nights, coffee and a healthy imagination were my constant companions as I extracted my thoughts and placed them carefully on a clean sheet of paper.
The revision stage.
The publishing and launch stage.
In this brief blog post I will share my thoughts on what helped me to maintain my momentum and eventually publish a book which later became a bestseller on Amazon. An achievement I feel quite proud of and something totally achievable for you to.
The Preparation Stage
Believe me when I say heaps of planning goes into writing a book. Looking back now I laugh at how I thought I could simply sit down and start to churn out readable, saleable content for all to consume.
We know stuff - a lot!! You’ll be surprised at how much information starts to bubble to the surface when you start to plan your book. The temptation to include it all in one book is great… Resist the temptation.
Not everything you or I know, or experience needs to be included in the book. Be selective. Ask yourself if what you are including adds value, is superfluous and needs to be said now. Does it fit with the overall theme of the book? If not - chuck it in your great ideas folder for another book.
Keeping your ideas and thoughts in an idea book will provide you with tons of new material for your next books.
Yes, BOOKS – more than one. After writing one, no doubt you will be inspired to write more and if you’re anything like me, will have, two, three or ten books up your sleeve.
The Writing Stage
I might be stating the obvious; to publish a book you need to write. So, write! This is the hard part. Even when you don’t feel like it... WRITE!.
Schedule time in your calendar and commit to writing daily, even if you set a goal to only write 500 words a day. Do it.
Keep a notepad for those impromptu ideas, thoughts or epiphanies you want to share or elaborate on.
If you’re not such a great writer but love to talk then grab your phone, head down to the beach or grab a coffee and just start to talk into your phone. After recording your chapter you can send it to rev.com to transcribe and there you go. You have a piece you can later edit.
Alternatively, you can use Google or Microsoft dictation to type as you talk. Technology is so sophisticated and often comes with its own dictation software.
The Revision stage.
Editing - there is a phrase in writers circles about writing your crappy first draft (excuse the language) and the rule of thumb is to write first and then edit later. Don’t be sentimental about culling what is not relevant.
If I could go back to before I published my book I would hire a structural editor to ensure that the story line flows and there are no gaping holes to create confusion for the reader and then I would hire a grammar editor to fix and tweak my long sentences, spelling and grammar.
Thankfully we do have amazing programs like Grammarly or the Hemmingway Editor to give you a little head start.
The Publishing Stage
Prior to publishing. I didn’t feel good enough and kept on thinking “who am I to be an author” “what if my family thinks what I have written sucks.” Put aside those thoughts, because this is the perfect time to speak about your upcoming launch. This prepares others for what is coming, and it causes you to commit.
Marketing starts the minute you decide to write. Start to drum up excitement long before your launch
Do your research when choosing a publisher, not all publishers are created equal and there may be hidden costs. Ask questions like; “do you have the rights to your book in Australia, if the publisher is in the USA?
Consider self-publishing; these days self-publishing is no longer frowned upon or consider vanity publishing. It’s a way to get your message out to the world inexpensively and quickly. Self-publishing is extremely satisfying, just as good and the process is not as difficult as people believe.
Decide on whether you are going to print on demand (POD) or hold stock. If the latter, make sure you sell them before you print them. It can be a costly exercise.
And lastly;
Enjoy the process.
It feels amazing to share your knowledge, your story and message with the world. You never know who will buy it and how much their lives will be transformed.
Brenda
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As a multi-passionate lifelong learner, business consultant, business broker, and best-selling author of “Courage to Bloom”, Brenda combines personal insights and a positive growth mindset with faith-based principles and neuroscience to equip others to live remarkable, significant, and fulfilled lives, thriving in life and business perfectly aligned with who God created them to be.
You can find Brenda on Facebook HERE
or on her website HERE
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