3 Phases, 14 Simple Steps on How To Write a Book

It’s no secret that writing a book is hard work, but it’s among the most rewarding things you can do in your lifetime. Whether you’re an experienced author or just starting, there are specific steps to take to write a book from start to finish. This blog post will outline 14 simple steps to help you write your book without any drama or fuss!

Phase 1 – Getting Started

1. Give Yourself a New Identity: Author

The first step to writing a book is giving yourself a new identity as an author. Whether you want to write a book to make money or have a great idea to share with others, thinking of yourself as an author is vital. It will help you develop the mindset necessary to write a long-form piece of content.

Adopting an author’s identity allows you to be creative, think outside the box, and explore new ideas. You’ll need to tap into your creativity to develop an original story or angle.

Most importantly, identifying as an author will help you overcome imposter syndrome. Yes, you are an author, and you are going to write your book.

2. Set Specific Writing Goals

One of the best things you can do when writing a book is to set specific writing goals. Your goals could be anything from how many hours per day or week you want to dedicate to writing to how many words you want to write each day or week. Setting and sticking to these goals ensures you make consistent progress on your book.

3. Establish a Consistent Writing Workspace

Having a dedicated workspace where you can write without distractions is also crucial. A dedicated workspace could be anything from a quiet room in your house to a coffee shop or library. Wherever it is, make sure it’s somewhere you feel comfortable writing and where you won’t be interrupted.

4. Select Your Book Writing Tools

Once you are ready to write, you can use a few tools to make your job easier. It is essential to choose the right ones to help you get your book out there faster while ensuring the best quality of content.

We recommend using artificial intelligence-based book writing software to help you write excellent copy and efficiently complete all relevant tasks. Here is a quick summary of what these tools can do:

Writing: If you want to 10x your writing and put writer’s block in the rear-view mirror, give AI-based writing software a try. These fantastic tools can autonomously write and improve content based on your input. They can also match your preferred tone and style.

Proofreading: Once you draft the content, you need a tool to proofread your work to check for grammar mistakes, spelling errors, and plagiarism.

Project Management: Writing a novel or book means you will need a way to organize your thoughts, notes, finished content, illustrations, references, etc. The tool you select to achieve this should be able to organize work into chapters, create a storyboard and get you ready to publish.

5. Lock In Your Book Idea

Ask yourself these questions to help you develop an idea or narrow down the idea for your next book:

What are you passionate about?
What do you want to write about?
Who is your target audience?
What books are similar to the one you want to write?

Answering these questions will help you develop a book idea or narrow down the idea for your next book. If you’re having trouble coming up with an idea, try brainstorming with a friend or family member. Once you have a general idea, you can start fleshing out the details.

Brainstorming with someone can help jump-start the process and get your creative juices flowing.

6. Do Your Research

If you want to write a book that people will read, it’s essential you do your research. This is especially true for non-fiction books, but it can also be helpful when writing fiction.

Read books by other authors in the same niche. See what they’re doing right and what you could do better.

You can also find out what people read and why they like it. Talk to your friends, family, and co-workers about the books they’ve read recently and why they liked them. Asking the readers will give you a better idea of what people are looking for in a book.

Finally, if you’re writing non-fiction, it’s essential to research your topic inside and out. Become an expert on the subject so you can write authoritatively about it.

For example, if you’ve had success in the stock market and want to share your knowledge of stock trading strategies with others, it’s essential to do your research beforehand.

Read popular stock trading books to gain an in-depth understanding of the subject. You will need to thoroughly understand each trading strategy’s pros and cons and be well-versed with trading platforms and other verticals you may want to cover in your book.

Phase 2 – Doing the Work

7. Develop Unforgettable Characters

If you’re writing fiction, you must ensure your characters are unforgettable. They need to be people your readers will want to spend time with (or hate spending time with). Give them quirks, backstories, and goals. Make them real and three-dimensional.

Do the same for any non-fiction book you’re writing by understanding your audience and what they want to get out of your book. What kind of characters will resonate with them?

Both fiction and non-fiction books need solid and well-developed characters to be successful.

8. Make Sure Everything You Include Advances the Story

One of the most common mistakes writers make is containing irrelevant information or subplots that don’t go anywhere. Every element in your book should have a purpose and contribute to the story or the overall message. If it doesn’t, cut it out!

9. Write the “Vomit Draft” of Your Book

The first draft is often called the “vomit draft” because it’s just a spewing of all your thoughts and ideas for your book. It doesn’t have to be perfect or even make sense. Get everything down on paper (or screen), so you can start editing.

10. Eliminate Distractions

One of the most important things you can do when writing a book is to eliminate distractions. Turn off your phone and close off your social media to safeguard your concentration. It’s essential to be in the moment when you’re writing to capture the essence of what you’re trying to say.

11. Push Past the Messy Middle

No matter how much you plan, no matter how well you think you know your characters and your plot, there will always be a point in writing your book where everything feels like it’s falling apart.

There are various challenges that come with content writing, and this is one that’s unavoidable for most writers. Known as the “messy middle,” it’s normal to feel like your book isn’t going anywhere.

The best thing you can do when you hit this point is to keep pushing forward. Write through the mess and see what comes out on the other side – you might be surprised at how much you enjoy it.

12. Get Feedback From Beta Readers

Once you’ve completed a book draft, it’s time to get feedback. The best way to do this is to find a few trusted friends or family members willing to read your book and give you their honest opinion.

Phase 3 – Finishing

13. Hire an Editor

The next step is to find someone to help you take your book from good to great. This person will be your editor, and they will help you ensure that your story is the best it can be before you send it off to agents or publishers.

14. Decide on Publication Options

The next step is to decide on publication options. You can submit your work to publications, hire a literary agent for traditional publication, look into self-publishing, or a hybrid of the three. Each option has its benefits and drawbacks, so it’s essential to research and figure out which path is best for you and your book.

These days, the easiest and quickest method is to self-publish. There are several options to easily self-publish your book:

Kindle Direct Publishing

Amazon’s KDP is the most popular self-publishing platform in the market.
You simply upload your book to Kindle. There are no upfront charges to use the service. Once you register for a sale, Amazon takes a 40% cut of the sale price of your book.
If you only sell your book in ebook format, there are no other charges. For physical books, Amazon charges you for paper and printing costs.

Lulu

Lulu is an on-demand print and logistics platform to sell your book.
Once you get an order, Lulu will automatically print and ship a physical copy to your customer.
Lulu allows you to choose from various paper types, sizes, and cover options.

There are several traditional and self-publishing options offering print and distribution services. With self-publishing, you can publish your book faster and never have to maintain inventory. Traditional publishers, on the other hand, offer better editorial and marketing support. Do your research and find the best one for your needs.

Start Writing

Writing a book in 2022 is not as hard as it used to be. The most time-consuming part is choosing your topic. Once you settle on your idea and have your target audience in mind, use the tools and techniques suggested in this post to start writing. Before you know it, thoughts turn into words, words turn into pages, and pages turn into your very own book.

3 Phases, 14 Ridiculously Simple Steps on How To Write a Book

Phase 1 – Getting Started

Phase 2 – Doing the Work

Phase 3 – Finishing

Start Writing

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About the Author

Ash and Pri