How I Wrote A Book And Actually Published It
It may have taken ten years, but it’s finally happened. I wrote a book, and now it’s been published.
Many of the people I talk to have a life-long desire to write a book. So why don’t more people do it?
Well, maybe that’s not an entirely accurate question. Millions of people are doing it. Approximately 3 million new titles are published each year in the U.S. That’s an astonishing number! But according to a recent article debating who should write a book, 81% of Americans surveyed think they should.
Do you have a great idea for a page-turning novel? Or a burning desire to get your message out through a non-fiction book? Is there a volume of poetry welling up inside you? Maybe you want to write down your story for your children and grandchildren. I encourage you to take the advice of the Nike slogan: Just Do It!
If you are almost retired (or–even better–retired) you probably have more time to pursue writing.
I started writing this first book in a fiction series that my sister and I are collaborating on over ten years ago. At the time, I was working two jobs. I worked on it when I could, but the hard part was when there were long pauses between writing sessions. I found that once I got out of the story, it was difficult to get back into it and pick up all the pieces again.
Now that we’re almost retired, it’s been much easier. I’m able to spend more time focused on the books, as well as all the other aspects of getting them published. My goal is to get to the place where I can retire from my current job and work on my writing full time.
It’s been a long process for me to get to this point, but if you have the free time to work at it, you could accomplish your dream of being an author much faster.
Even though it took many years to write a book, the whole writing experience has been an incredible blessing.
I have always enjoyed writing, but I started taking it more seriously when a friend invited me to a writer’s group around 2009. Since then, I’ve taken in-person and online classes, read countless books on writing, attended conferences, and been involved with several critique groups and writer’s organizations. I was just anxious to get a book finished and (hopefully) get published in the beginning. But looking back, I’m able to appreciate all that I’ve learned, the friends I’ve made and the wonderful people I’ve met, and how much I’ve grown as a writer. It’s gratifying and exciting to finally say “I wrote a book,” but the journey truly has been the greatest reward.
Here is some practical advice if you want to say “I wrote a book!” someday:
- Learn all you can about the mechanics of writing.
- It’s probably been a while since you reviewed things like grammar, sentence construction, punctuation, and capitalization. Trust me – you need to have a firm grasp of these skills when you start writing. There are many online tutorials and/or classes you can use to refresh your memory.
- You also need to learn some best practices for good writing like “Show, Don’t Tell,” “Write Tight,” use consistent POV, avoid passive voice, etc.
- Find your own voice. Don’t try to imitate a favorite author or write in a style that’s not who you are. When something’s not authentic, it won’t work. You have to be you. And in this big world, there’s an audience out there somewhere who will love you!
- Keep a consistent writing schedule. Even if it’s only a brief time each day. As mentioned above, it is hard to get back into your story if you’ve been away for any length of time.
- Join a writer’s group or critique group. It’s essential to build relationships with people who are like-minded. They will encourage you, help you grow, and keep you motivated. If you can’t find an in-person group near you, there are multiple online options these days.
- If you dream of being published by a traditional publisher, you need to attend writer’s conferences. They are the best places to network and learn about things like querying, book proposals, and how to get an agent.
- If you’re planning to self-publish, take advantage of YouTube and online tutorials to learn how to format the book, create a book cover, and publish your book on Amazon. You can find a video that will show you how to do everything you need to know. It’s time-consuming to learn these things the first time, but it’s really not that difficult.
- Don’t listen to negativity – from yourself or the from publishing world. Take other people’s advice if it seems wise, but also use your own judgement. Do it all for the experience and trust the results to God!
Why not open up a blank page on your laptop or in a notebook and take the plunge today? I believe you’ll be happy you did!
It’s pretty exciting to see all your hard work in print. It makes it all worth it.
When we received the author’s proof pictured at the beginning of this post, I walked around saying, “Look, Bob! I made a book!” Probably drove him crazy the first few days, but I think he was excited, too.
So it’s time to finish the second book and get that one up on Amazon. I’m super motivated, now that the first one is a reality. If you’re interested in what my book is about, you can check it out here.