(and here are the steps)
Writing a book is a process – and every process has steps.
Contemplating becoming an author can be overwhelming, especially if the idea of writing thousands of words is daunting. But there are lots of things you can do that will make that process easier.
First is to get an overview of the whole process, so you know what needs to be done and don’t suddenly get faced with something you hadn’t factored in.
Typically there are three key stages, before, during and after writing, and a whole host of actions in each area.
Here’s your overview and the steps you’ll need to complete. Don’t get overwhelmed, some of these will literally take a few minutes, but that doesn’t mean they can be skipped over.
Stage 1 – Before writing
Your purpose – WHY are you writing the book?
What is the big takeaway the book will give the reader?
Who is your audience?
Who will buy your book and where do you find them?
What is it that they want to know that you can help with?
Market research
- Other books in your genre
- Writing styles
- Publishers who publish your kind of book
Publishing options
Understanding the options and associated costs, services and rewards is important – and should be done before you start to write. Basically, publishing falls into four main categories:
- Traditional (do you need an agent?)
- Self-publishing
- Independent publishers
- Boutique publishers
NOTE: I’m running a webinar about publishing that will go into some detail on each of these methods on 26th January. You can sign up here.
Start and build your tribe
Building your audience before you publish means you have people ready to buy when your book is released. An ongoing marketing campaign will pay off.
Stage 2 – Writing
Content planning
Even before you actually start to write you need to do some planning. You’ll need a chapter plan, a chapter ‘recipe’ (structure) and a content plan for each chapter.
Then you’ll need to gather the content for each chapter and then you’re ready to get stuck into the writing.
Writing
Schedule your writing time in your diary and treat these time blocks as appointments. Use your chapter content plans as the basis to start writing and start adding your narrative.
Editing
While AI will edit, it doesn’t work in the same way as a professional editor will. If you’re not publishing with a company that provides editing as part of the deal, you’ll need to engage a professional editor to ensure your work is polished to be its very best.
Finally, you’ll need your edited manuscript proof reading. This is more a checking punctuation and for typos exercise, and is the last thing you do before your book goes to the printer.
Beta readers and reviewers
Do you have a few people who will act as your beta readers? These are people who will read your first draft and give you feedback on what they like and what they’d like you to add (or remove).
Ideally, you should have some people who are in your target audience who are willing to read a pdf version of the final manuscript and provide reviews that you can use, either in the book itself or on your webpage and in any marketing you do.
Finishing touches
You’ll need to create the ‘blurb’ for the back cover, which is not a summary of the book, it’s marketing copy. This is what people will read when they’re deciding whether to buy the book, so it needs to be focused on why they should read the book, the benefits it will bring and maybe some carrots dangled to encourage them that they need to know more.
You’ll also need an author biography, which generally goes at the back of the book, after the final chapter.
Your book will need an ISBN number – most publishing companies will get this, but if you’re self-publishing you’ll need to get it yourself.
Stage 3 – After writing
Launch plan
A successful book launch will include a social media and email campaign. Often authors put together a bonus bundle of additional items that offer a lot more value for the cover price of the book. Some will reduce the cover price for the launch day or week. You may even have an official launch event, either live or virtual.
Ongoing marketing
If you don’t tell people about your book, people will forget it. These are all ways to keep your book in people’s awareness.
- Social media
- Writing articles
- Newsletters
- Networking
- Signings at local bookshops
- Speaking
- Podcasts
- Interviews
- Ads
- Special promotions
- PR/ media
- Keep building your tribe with added value
The good news is that you don’t need to do everything at once, just in the right order.
