If you’re happy hitting the keyboard writing a book is simply a bit of planning and then scheduling in writing time, but not everyone is a natural writer. This outlines some alternatives.
Planning pays off
Regardless of how you plan to get your book out of your head and into manuscript form, you’ll need to plan.
- Create an outline with chapter titles and a bullet point list of what you want to include in each chapter.
- Create a format for your chapter so each chapter is structured the same.
These two steps will make the writing process much easier as you have a route map and framework.
Alternatives to writing
Record it
You can record your manuscript and get it typed for a small fee by using a freelance site like ‘Fiverr’.
Work with an editor
There are several ways to work with an editor.
- Some book editors will literally listen to your ideas and type it as you speak, then go away and tidy it up.
- Some editors will take existing content you’ve created – e.g. blogs and articles and construct the book from that.
Work with a ghost writer
A ghost writer will interview you, perhaps a number of times and then create the book from those interviews.
Final thoughts
Regardless of how the book is written, or by whom, it will need editing. If you’ve had an editor or someone else who has helped you to create the manuscript, it should go to a different editor for the final edit.
Writing a book takes time whether you’re writing it yourself or working with someone else. Block out time in your diary to ensure it’s not one of those projects that keeps getting pushed down the list.
