Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Writing your book
• Part 2 of 3: Editing your book and preparing it for publication
• Part 3 of 3: Publish your book
• Tips

Writing and publishing a book is not an easy task. But with enough dedication, some help from editors and managers, and your creative mind, you can get it done. Start by setting daily goals that you can achieve.Once you have written a book, you can look at the options for publishing it. Be realistic about your expectations. The prospect should be fun and not a feat. Getting published isn't all there is to writing. Enjoy what you are doing!

To step

Part 1 of 3: Writing your book

1. Start formulating ideas. Write down some of those ideas. Then you choose what you want.
   • Some people can start writing with just one sentence for inspiration. Others take months or years to think about a story before ever writing down a word.
   • It doesn't matter what type of writer you are. The trick is to chase an idea.
   • Stephen King, a famous author, once said that he does not write ideas down in a notebook. For him, "a writer's notebook is the best way in the world to immortalize bad ideas." This does not mean that you should not write down your ideas in a notebook that you have with you. If it works for you, get a notebook and write down your ideas. But be careful what ideas you write down. Check for yourself if the idea is good enough for you to know tomorrow if you didn't write it down.
   • As soon as you find inspiration for an idea you want to research, start writing.
2. Don't worry about mistakes; you can correct your work later. You get the best stories just by going on and not looking at the screen worrying about every little mistake. If you keep looking at the screen, you run the risk of wanting to change everything immediately instead of getting along with your story.
   • If you write a book and hope to publish it, you will write many proofs before it is ready to send. Some of those trial versions will likely contain significant changes to your story. But in the beginning you're just trying to build a world and get your ideas on paper or on the screen.
   • Concentrate on building your characters. Some books focus more on the storyline and that is allowed. But a book that people like to read is mainly about the characters and the importance of the situation in which you place those characters.
   • While the plot drives the story, it is the moments between the characters that sell a book. Whether you are writing a fantasy story à la Harry Potter, or a real novel such as "Freedom" by Jonathan Franzen.
   • Focus on the "Who" you are writing about. The "When", "What", "Where", "Why" and "How" will come more naturally.
3. Set daily writing goals. There should be no limit to what you can write in a day, but set a minimum. It will help you focus on the story.
   • Whether you set a goal of 300 words a day or an hour goal, setting it will help you stay focused. 300 words a day isn't much, but it can be a good start. If you are writing for the first time or are very busy, set yourself a smaller goal that you can easily achieve.
   • Big goals are much more difficult to achieve and often lead to you not writing at all. You take one step at a time and by the end you will have reached your big, ultimate goal.
   • You can increase your daily goal as you progress or if you have more free time to write. Just make sure you can stick to it. Still go ahead and achieve your goal even if you are stuck with your writing. You never know when you will get inspiration.
   • Work in a quiet or empty space. Finding a quiet place where you can concentrate and which you can claim is indispensable for writing. Even if you're writing in a cafe, find a corner where you won't be too distracted.
4. Be diligent. Many writers start out strong and are easily distracted, frustrated by the slow progress, or bored. One of the simplest and best ways to avoid this is to simply sit in your chair.
   • Pursuing and achieving your daily goal helps you stay focused. Sitting in your chair and continuing to work makes achieving that goal a reality.
   • In addition to a daily goal, try to have a set time each day to write. John Grisham has published many bestsellers and he started his writing career while still a lawyer. He got up early every morning to write a page.
   • Make writing a habit that you cannot deviate from. Find that unique place to write and do it at the same time every day.
5. Ask for feedback early. While you may be a little protective of your work and want to keep it hidden until it's "finished," don't. Get frequent and early comments on your writings from people who you think could be honest with you.
   • If you are not yet a member of a local writing group you should consider joining. These groups help shape your ideas, give you feedback, and continue to hold you accountable.
   • Use the internet. If you don't dare to show your work to someone you know, find a forum online where you can get feedback and test ideas. Places like / r / Writing on Reddit.com offer opportunities to get help with your work.

Part 2 of 3: Editing your book and preparing it for publication

1. Organize your book into a category. Once you have finished your story, make sure it follows the guidelines published by publishers, for example:
   • Children's fiction
     • For beginner readers, 5-8 years old
     • For confident readers, ages 7-10
     • For young teens, 11-14 years old
   • Young adults
     • For teenagers, 13-15 years old
     • For older teens and older, 15+ years
   • For a complete list and more information, see for example "Submission Guidelines" on the website of Allen and Unwin.
2. Review and edit your story again and again. Don't think that you don't have to look at it at some point. Edit as often as necessary.
   • While you have to edit and pay a lot of attention to editing, perhaps more than writing, you also need a break. You have lived in the story you have created and now it is time for vacation. Giving yourself time will help you get set up for editing. As the editor, you have to judge your work with a cold eye, ready to cut and change it.
   • When you start editing, do it as much as you need to, but don't keep editing if you don't know what the problem is. If you don't have a concrete solution, you will cut your story and have no idea how to fix it again.
   • Over-editing is possible and dangerous, so ask others to check your work. Another pair of eyes can see mistakes you missed because you are too close to work.
   • Ask someone you trust to provide your comments and feedback. Until now you have worked in a vacuum. There will be pieces to improve that will be hard to find on your own.
   • Read other people's notes and then put them away. You probably don't like someone else's comments that much. So read them, recover from them, and go back after a while to process the comments that are helpful. Discard what is not useful.
3. Get an editor to look at your book. If you've given your book a try, or a few tries, it's time to get a real editor to look at your work. Editing is not the same as writing. You need someone who can deconstruct a book, find the problems, and give you advice on how to fix it.
   • A professional editor is especially valuable if you are going to publish yourself. The last thing you want is a glaring, stupid spelling mistake in your book after all your hard work.
   • The right editor will make your story clear and smooth without changing your voice.
   • Your editor brings a much-needed objective look to your work and helps you not only correct those little mistakes, but also find the true story among all those extra things you don't need.
   • An editor will also eventually make your book look professional.
4. Do a final check to make sure you're ready to publish. If you and your editor have revised everything to the latest version, you need to make sure everything is correct.
   • Make sure you come up with a good title that you want to keep.
   • Start spreading the rumors on social media. Create a Facebook page and Twitter profile for your book. Often post updates on how things are going, next steps and other exciting information.

Part 3 of 3: Publish your book

1. Consider hiring a manager. Agents are people who work for you and help you get your book published and sold. These people have industry contacts to help you. Agents are also elusive and not easy to get hold of when you are new.
   • You don't always need a manager. If you want to publish your book yourself, you can probably do without a manager.
   • Search for managers on websites like PublishersMarketplace.com. Here you can see many profiles and what kind of works are published.
   • Make sure to read the manager's submission guidelines. Often you need:
     • Offer letter. A one-page letter describing your work.
     • Book summary. A brief summary of the book.
     • Non-fiction proposal (if you are writing non-fiction). This is a very detailed document, usually around twenty to thirty pages, that sets out your argument for why your book deserves to be published.
     • A selection of chapters or your entire manuscript.
2. Research different publishers. You can choose to publish yourself, but being published by a reputable publisher is better to get a large audience.
   • Some publishers choose to publish or even read only requested material, manuscripts that have passed by a manager.
   • Managers and publishers also like material from well-known authors. However, that doesn't mean you can't get the attention of either one. These people want to see that you have followers and that you are promoting yourself on social media.
   • Some publishers will also want to look at your manuscript if you are not represented by a manager.
   • Look at the options for publishing yourself. Self-publishing may sound like a way to get around a lot of people who will say “no”. But it is a lot of work and the reason there are people who publish books is because those people know how best to do it. If you are going to self-publish, you need to find a good distributor if you are going to publish hard copies. You can also self-publish your story as an e-book on the Amazon self-publishing site.
3. Refine your publishing options. Once you've chosen a few publishers (the more the better) you should do a little more detailed research on these publishers.
   • Some choose to publish adult literature only and in certain genres, while others have a wider range of books that they accept.
   • All information must be available on the publisher's website. Some have different guidelines and word limits, whether your book should be through a manager or not.
   • Almost all publishers want a paper (printed) manuscript of your story. Also keep the specifications in mind Some publishers prefer double spacing, a certain font size, etc.
   • Stick to what is specified. Do not send copies by e-mail or on a USB stick, unless it says that it is allowed.
   • Never send your original or any copy. You will not get your material back.
4. Consider self-publishing online. Publishing your own e-book is a viable and popular option. The greatest opportunity for this method is Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing. You can just upload your manuscript to the program and start selling copies.
   • Using the KDP service is free, but Amazon keeps up to 70% of your profits.
   • If you're self-publishing via the Internet, make sure your book is professionally edited and the cover designed by a professional graphic designer.
   • All of the work around promoting your book ends up on you using this method.
   • Be realistic. You probably won't be the next to break through with a bestseller with his first book. You don't become famous instantly. It takes a few books and many years to gain a solid reputation in most cases.
5. Wait and be patient. Send your copies to any available publishers you can find.
   • It can take up to more than four months for your book to be evaluated.
   • Well done if you get a “yes” from a publisher! You will see it in stores! However, the publisher doesn't have to promote it for you. That is your manager's job. The good news is that getting a manager if you already have an agreement for your book is easier. But keep in mind that in most cases the promotion comes down to you.

Tips

• Remember, whatever your age, most publishers will issue you if your story is good. Be prepared for criticism and handle it wisely.
• Always edit your own work before submitting it. No publisher will accept your work if it is full of spelling mistakes, grammatical errors or contradictions. Also consider a professional editor to assist you.
• Keep writing! While everyone has a different editorial style, most people find it helpful to write as much as possible as long as the ideas are fresh and to revise the story later.
• Throw the "writing rules" out the window. There are mechanisms in the language: punctuation, general sentence structure, etc. However, don't let what you've ever read on the internet hold you back when it comes to lines like 'never write in the passive voice', avoid using 'said', or 'never use adverbs'. Editing is always possible if you clean up your work.
• Remember the etiquette of the publisher / manager. Always follow submission guidelines. Patience is key. After a month or two with no response, you may be able to try another one. But keep in mind that unsolicited work stays put for a long time and sometimes takes months for them to pick up.
• Publishers will not always advertise your book. That is your job as an author. A publisher markets it, but does not advertise it, except perhaps on the website. Tell friends and family about it, put up flyers in the city. Create pages on social media to spread the word. Sometimes you can also hire a local bookstore to advertise your book.
• Try multiple publishers. Some will be interested and some will not.
• Stick to the story you are currently writing. If you have a different idea, write it down and try to see where you can insert it without taking the story in a completely different direction.
• Don't think about whether other people will like it or not. Not everyone likes every genre or type of story.
• Always plan before writing. Whether in your head or on paper, plan before you write. You run less risk of a confused story.
• If a publisher says no, keep trying. J.K. Rowling had to accept 14 rejections for "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" until she came across a publisher who loved it.
• Try an app that lets others read your stories! They will point out your mistakes and you can help others edit too.