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How to Write a Book

It's Easier Than You Think!

By Lance Von PrumPublished 4 years ago 3 min read
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Writing a book is not difficult. All you need is to be passionate or knowledgable about something. You also need the willpower to take on a project that will take hundreds of hours over the course of weeks or months or more.

Pick your subject, fiction or non-fiction. I've written and published over a dozen books, both fiction and non-fiction. I use Microsoft Word to write my books and I publish my books on Amazon/Kindle. It's not a simple process, but they are very helpful. If I can do it, you can.

Try to create an outline for your book. It's not necessary, especially for fiction. I don't outline my fiction stories because I don't know how the story will end. I really enjoy writing that way, like watching a movie in my head, inventing the next scene again and again. However, if you have a story in your head that you want to tell, go ahead and make an outline. Short of an outline and maybe better in some ways, make a list of elements you want to include. Then just start writing.

I can't tell you what to write or how to write but I can give you a few tips. Number one; check your spelling. Spell checker doesn't find all your mistakes. That's why you absolutely need a proof-reader, because you can read over your own mistakes ten times and not see them. When a reader finds a miss-spelled word or grammatical error, you, as a writer loose ten points.

You will need a book cover for your book. You will also need a back cover and spine for a paperback version. Amazon/Kindle offers both a paperback and ebook version, so you will need a Word document of each version. Example: An ebook does not need page numbers in the table of contents but each chapter can become a link to click on to go directly to that chapter as opposed to scrolling to it. I am an artist and graphic designer so I design my own covers but Amazon offers a cover design app or you can pay to have a professional designer create one for you. This is not very expensive. Look on Fiverr or Deviant Art.

Besides a table of contents, there is other front matter and back matter to consider. A paperback begins with one blank page. An ebook begins with the title page. Then comes an information page listing the title, the author, the publisher name, date of publication and a declaration that states that any reproduction in part or as a whole is not permitted without written consent of the publisher. Most books contain a preface or introduction or "About The Author." Some books contain two of these. You decide.

Don't write your front matter to brag about yourself. Write something interesting to hook the reader. Simple as that! Back matter is what comes after the last page of your book. This is where you can brag about the other books you've written or other accomplishments. So, write a second book so you can brag about it!

There are other ways to publish your manuscript. I've explored them all. You can submit your manuscript to publishers like Pelican or Random House and start a nice collection of rejection letters. You can hire an agent while sit and wait while nothing happens. There are other online publishers such as iTunes or lulu and a dozen more. They all have their pros and cons. I chose Amazon because they are the less difficult to use and reach the most readers.

You also need an ISBN (International Standard Book Number), the bar code on the back of every book. You can buy an ISBN all over the internet for about twenty bucks, or, Amazon will give you one for free, but you can only sell on Amazon. You can also buy as many of your own books at a wholesale price as you want, then resell them.

So, get started already! If you read this far, you're serious. You have something inside you that wants to come out. Open a blank Word document and get started. When I wrote my first book I would get up early and go to McDonald's for coffee and write for an hour before going to work. You need to write every day. Mornings work best for me, leaving the rest of the day for my usual activities. Pick your time and get to work.

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