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The Writing Process: Step Two Parts of a Book

Now that we've beat the "how do I begin?" question to death... let's move on.

The idea of the starving writer sitting in his or her attic, surrounded by dust and old furniture, freezing in the winter, sweating in the summer, is just false. That was part of some old English novel...and it has seen its day.

Today, you have so many options for writing your book. The option you don't have is how... you must use a computer. If you write it longhand, or type it on a typewriter, it will have to be keyed into a computer, so... why not just use a computer?

If you are truly a starving writer, go to the library and use a computer there. I'm not sure how efficient that is...but, it's an option. Naturally, in addition to a computer you need a printer. You may have an opportunity to email your manuscript and/or proposal to an agent or a publisher, but they may want to see a hard copy at some point. Understand this: EVERYTHING looks different in print. It even sounds different.

Let's say you're writing a book that will include graphics of some sort. Fiction books might have images of places or people, scattered about. Non-fiction might have the same, or a non-fiction book might have graphs and charts. Anything that isn't text is an image and images require "placement." You can't just willy-nilly put your cursor next to a word and click "submit" and expect that image to be placed properly. Image placement takes time, talent, and energy. Books with images cost more - as they should.

Along with images, non-fiction books may include what we used to call footnotes. Today, we usually turn these citations into end notes, located at the back of the book for quick reference. Some authors include their citations within the text - to avoid having end notes. Just remember, citations are vital to your book - do not plagarize. Your publisher will know if you do and... you will never get published, anywhere, because in this day and age, the word will get out - fast.

An important part of your non-fiction book is the index. An index is a complicated thing to build. The software tools in use today are far better than those of yesteryear, but a true index needs human involvement. A real, live human being needs to double-check the software's version against what he or she believes should be in the index. Often, the human element will find things the software program missed, or miscalculated. Depending on the size of the book, this task can take days. People who create indexes are worth their weight in gold.

As the book is written, I hope you are thinking about the cover. The cover is vital...necessary...more important than the introduction, the forward, the end notes, and the index. Why? Because... people really do consider a book by its cover. If your cover is a turn off, no one will see the inside of the book. If you cannot create your own cover, if your publisher cannot create your cover, hire a real book cover designer. Not a designer. A book cover designer. You will be glad you did.

Speaking of the cover... do not overlook the back of the cover. A customized back cover includes a short blurb about the book, some testimonials (which you will get while the book is in galley stage, just before printing), and a picture with a short bio, of the author. People want to know who you are, what makes you so special that you got to write this book, and they want to hear what other people have to say about it. If you have celebrities at your fingertips, grab'em. Drop names. Yep - in this case, it helps sell books.

That's all for now. We'll get into the rest of the process next week. TTFN!

The Writing Process: A Beginning

When you get that first Aha! idea about writing a book, it usually thrills you with excitement. Maybe you're like we are and you run upstairs (or down) to share you wonderful idea with colleagues and friends.

"Wow! I just got this brainstorm of an idea about a new book...one that's never been done before!"

Ut-oh - "never been done before?" To be honest, there's no such thing. EVERYTHING HAS BEEN DONE BEFORE. There are no plot outlines left, they have all been plotted. Sorry.

Now, maybe your topic has been covered by other writers - but not in the same way you're planning to cover it. So, the "never been done before" should really be, "No one's approached it like this, before."

Great. That's a good start. Now, to support that assumption... you need to do some research and find out for sure whether or not your book idea has been done 'your' way before, is true. If it hasn't... well, get going. Start your book.

This is where a lot of new authors fall down.

"I don't know where to start," they whine. 

Writing Your Book: Begin at the Beginning

I've had a number of people ask me how to get started writing their book. For instance, a lot of people, when they find out what we do, say, "I've always wanted to write a book, but I don't know how to get started."

The easy way is... to start. The hard way is... to think about it day after day, and to put roadblocks up, like saying, "I don't know how to get started."

Truth is, putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard is the best way to begin. If you have the idea already, great. The words will flow and you'll have your introduction or chapter one in no time.

What seems to hold people back is the worry that - they aren't good enough to write a book. That writing a book is a hard task, or a long task, or an arduous task. In reality, it's a task. Much like anything else. There is a beginning, a middle, and an end. Just like the book... a beginning, a middle and an end.

Sometimes I suggest doing a little bit of research. Visit Amazon and see if there are millions of other books on the same topic. That will tell you to make sure you have a new approach or a unique view to write about - one that will set your book apart from the millions of others on the same subject.

Next, visit a Barnes and Noble store and look for books relating to your topic. Don't limit yourself to books about the actual topic - expand your horizons and look at books about relating topics, or books about the opposite topic. In other words, check out your competition.

Don't ever believe your idea is so original that you have no competition. Even Harry Potter has competition.

Do you know what that is?

Thinking you're so original, so unique, so special that readers will want only what you're writing, is a recipe for failure. The key is to write what you know, but also, to know who else is writing it.

So, get started. Today is the best day to begin...

The Dickens you say . . . Texting a Novel?

The changes in how technology is affecting writing are not limited to blogs and other social media. My friend Seth over at the Cup 'O Books blog recently posted exploring one of the inevitable outgrowth of the increasing popularity of text messaging is that someone would apply it to other forms of expression—in this case a texted novel.  Textually.org reports that the novel "The Last Messages" by Finnish author Hannu Luntiala strings together about 1,000 of the texts and replies to tell the story of an IT-executive in Finland who resigns from his job and travels throughout Europe and India over 332 pages. Although admitting that he hasn't read any of the novel (I can't read Finnish either).  As usual, Seth's post is thoughtful and asks some interesting questions about this use of language and expression, but he comes down to the following:

Unfortunately, I think texting a novel will really turn out to be like writing one in crayon; nothing more than using a tool for creating words out of its expected context.  I haven’t read the book, but I suspect that it is more novelty than serious undertaking.  Of course, that doesn’t mean it won’t be fun.

The links in the post by Textually.org, which focuses on texting and SMS shows that this is the tip of the iceberg.  There are reports on authors who are sending novels out to cell phone users as serials and even mainstream publishers (well...Harlequin) are getting in on the act.  I've been reading blog posts on my cell through Google Reader for a while now and, other than the eyestrain, it works for me (and would work better if I had a slightly larger screen) [the part in italics was added a couple of days later--I just couldn't let the sentence hang there . . .]  Of corS,  dEz R not RitN n SMS lngwij (follow the link at the end of Seth's post to translate if you need to).

Yvonne's Pet Peeves: 1

Short note - I'm reading a lot of manuscripts and white papers, lately. All good content. I love it!

However, I have a complaint. Will those of you out there putting two spaces between sentences please cut it out! That's old, 20th century training, when newspapers and books were printed with typesetting.

The double space thing between sentences is no longer necessary! It drives me crazy! It puts too much space between some sentences and not others, depending on the font.

We can converse about it, if you like. But, if you send me a manuscript, and we work together, I will delete that extra space. It screams old century thinking.

Any comments?

Seth Godin's Advice for Authors

What Seth calls a "short list" of advice for authors reads a lot like the chapter outline for another great book! Nearly every one of his 19 items could stand more elaboration. Maybe we'll get the chance to revisit the list items individually, but for now we especially recommend these excerpts:

2. ... build a blog ...

3. Pay for an editor ...

7. Think really hard before you spend a year trying to ... get your book published by a 'real' publisher ...

8. Your cover matters [i.e. pay for a professional cover designer] ...

12. Blog mentions ... matter a lot.

And the one that should crystalize the most important and valuable ROI a nonfiction author should be focused on (hint: it's not cash in the form of advances or royalties):

19. Writing a book is a tremendous experience. It pays off intellectually. It clarifies your thinking. It builds credibility. It is a living engine of marketing and idea spreading, working every day to deliver your message with authority. You should write one.

Read # 19 again, slowly, line-by-line, and let those benefits sink in:

Writing a book is a tremendous experience.

[Wtiting a book] pays off intellectually.

[Wtiting a book] clarifies your thinking.

[Publising a book] builds credibility.

[Your book] is a living engine of marketing and idea spreading, working every day to deliver your message with authority.

You should write one.

Now GO! Read the rest of Seth's tips . . . and follow some of the trackback links, too (some good ones here, here, and here, but the list keeps growing every time I go back, so explore).

Stress Over Posting

Here's a question, what do you write about when you have nothing to say and no topic in mind? You ponder, and stress, and stress some more, and then you give up and write a post about it!

Being the newcomer to the WME team, with little to no blogging experience prior to my arrival I might add, I have been uncomfortable knowing that the day was approaching where it was my turn to write a post in this blog.

Being a college student I am quite familiar with writing when I have to. The difference between this task and writing a college paper is that college determines the topic rather than allowing me the freedom to write whatever I please. I have been programmed to write only what is required using at least 1000 words or more, the equivalent of four pages double spaced, with one inch margins on each side. This I can pull off in no time at all. When asked to write a simple post on this blog, however, I found that it took me weeks to create just a few sentences.

So this is my post - showing the frustration and anxieties that go into writing something for the first time - something that other people may actually read. Especially when you are working in an environment surrounded by talented authors! This group of individuals has published books as well as managing their own blogs - that they write in daily. A little intimidating, you may agree?

So here is my challenge-can I impress my boss and colleagues with my somewhat mediocre to hopefully potentially fabulous writing ability? Any advice out there?

How Do You Write A Book? My Story

Post by George Kittredge

How do you write a book, especially when you have never written one before? Here’s my story.

For years I have suggested to many of my colleagues and friends that they aught to write a book. I have a number of friends with extraordinary, creative minds. They would be perfect candidates for writing an entertaining fiction. And others who have particular expertise, interest and experience in areas such as business, the arts and travel seemed to me to be authors in waiting. So I encouraged all of them to pursue something that they had never done before. Write a book.

Curiously, I had never encouraged myself to do the same thing.

That was until a little over two years ago. I was doing some volunteer counseling for a business-oriented, not-for-profit organization when one of organization’s leaders asked if I would be a presenter at an upcoming seminar/workshop they were planning. The workshop was to be attended by approximately 30 business owners. They wanted me to offer some ideas and tips drawing on my sales and marketing experience about how to promote a business and attract clients.

I agreed to submit an outline of what I would talk about. The understanding was that if they liked my outline, I would do the workshop.

As the workshop date approached and with me scheduled to be one of the presenters, I began to seriously think about what I was going to say. It had to be entertaining, interactive and provide each of the audience members with some lasting value. So I had to have more than just an outline.

In the weeks that followed I began to write down ideas addressing each of the topics in my outline - at first just phrases and thoughts, and later paragraphs. One of the first things I realized was that ideas can strike you at the strangest times. (Did you ever try to write something on a clipboard while negotiating a corner on a ride-on mower in third gear?)

Over the next few months, my one-page seminar agenda was turning into a book. And as this book began to unfold, it also began to take on a life of its own. I found myself, at times, working on four or five chapters at a time. There were some months where I did not write anything at all. Then I would pick it up again and write as the ideas came to me. Most importantly, I did not try to force ideas. When I was inspired, I wrote. When I was not, I did not.

As I completed one chapter after another (with lots of re-writing), my goal became just to finish the book. I’ve met a number of people who have started books, then put them on a back burner where they still remain. Finishing this project became important to me.

Early in 2005, I made a resolution to myself that if I was going to complete the book (and it looked like I was), then I was going to get it published. I figured that if I had spent all this time writing a book, at least I should give other people a chance to read it. Besides, it is kind of neat to be able to say that you are a published author.

I discovered that with today’s technology, publishing has become much more author-friendly. It makes no difference whether your book is the next best-selling novel or winds up as gifts to your family and friends. Anyone who has the desire to write can become a member in good standing in the universal author’s club. And you don’t need to print 2000 copies to warehouse in your garage either.

Thanks to the good folks at WMEBooks, my book was published and released this past August. The book is now part of seminars and workshops that I still do. And I have to tell you, it’s a lot of fun to have other professionals read you book and offer their reviews and opinions. So far, people have been very kind.

In a later post, I will share with you a mistake I made when it came to publishing my book and how I corrected it.

It took me two years (on and off) to write my book. Will I write another? I don’t know. But I do know that I will encourage anyone who has even the faintest desire to write a book to do so. I think they find it as personally rewarding as I did.

How to Write a Book

The most frequently asked question I get from folks who find out we're a publishing company is, "So, how, exactly, does one write a book?"

The 'how to write a book' question is fraught with emotion. When I hear it, I pause a moment to gather my thoughts, all the while observing the person who asked it -- because it's in that observation that I learn the true question behind the spoken words. Often, it isn't confusion over how to write a book -- the easy answer, of course, is -- sit down at your keyboard and type [or grab a pen/pencil, a legal pad, and begin) -- the confusion is actually in organizing one's writing to become a book.

I'm putting together a simple, straightforward how-to called THE 'How to Write a Book' Book with advice and personal experiences -- from a number of folks who have written books. Many of the contributors are first-time authors. I asked them to write about their experience, about what inspired them and kept them working until the project was done.

This book will grow, over time, as I hope to add more author essays. For the time being, it will be a free download on the WME Books website. When it gets to -- oh, 100 pages or more -- I will ask a small contribution of say $5.95, where 50% will be gathered in a fund for aspiring writers to apply for, and the other 50% will be given to a woman's charity since I write a great deal about women over at my other blog and much of that (including my current book) has helped fund WME Books.

The people who so generously contributed to this book will be thanked profusely, by myself, of course, but also by the folks who download (or buy) the book. I just think it's more powerful to read the experiences and thoughts of writers who have gone before you, than it is to pick up a Writer's Digest magazine and devour article after article on character development, or citations, or voice.

Writer's Digest is a worthy publication, don't get me wrong. I recommend it highly. In fact, it was instrumental in opening my eyes to the 'active voice' issue. And, I learned to 'show' not 'tell' by reading it. So, don't think I'm trashing any of the great publications, magazines and/or books already written to help new writers learn their craft. I'm merely saying, I'm taking a different approach. I want to show you how, not tell you how.

Over the last year, WME Books has seen some hard times, as any new start-up will. We've also seen many happy times. We've met some outstanding writers, lots of really talented people, and over the months we've learned that being flexible is key to our success. We maintain our belief that all would-be authors deserve respect and consideration, just as much as established authors.

Currently, we are going through a transition, redefining our approach to print-on-demand publishing. This comes from interaction with the numerous contacts we've made this year, via the net and via referrals in our local community. We aspire to excellence -- which means -- we will work with our authors to make sure their book is everything they hoped it would be. We will not publish each and every book that comes across our desk. But, we will tell the authors openly and honestly, why we choose or do not choose to publish their work.

For those few authors, and there are only a few (so far), who do not meet our standards (we need to feel confident we can market the book successfully; it does the author no good and WME Books no good, if the book is not marketable) we offer training -- which costs money, yes. We also give advice, suggest other publishers that might suit their needs better, and we offer encouragement, because the act of writing and presenting that writing to someone for a review, deserves applause, in and of itself.

I hope YOUR publisher is doing as much for you.

Stay tuned for the announcement on our THE 'How to Write a Book'  Book -- COMING SOON!