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Book Writing

Home Page -- Book Writing

Isn't it interesting how many people dream of writing a book? It's sweet, and it's (mostly) harmless, and I guess I once semi-shared that dream, and I guess one or two brain cells still make room for the possibility that I will someday write a book (fat chance). But, but, but ... Then I followed the book-publishing industry for 15 years.

Fact .1: Millions of people are working on books, or believe that they could write a book, or are planning to write a book.

And I'll bet that for many of them a part of that fantasy is the making - a - living-as-a-freelancer -doing-something-interesting-rather- than-working-as-a- flunky-in-a-boring- job element. But how many people in the country actually manage to make a living writing books? A couple of hundred.

Technical pause here: there's an important-to-understand distinction that needs to be made between "book publishing" generally and "trade book publishing," which is what most of us think of when we think of book publishing -- ie., the biz that creates the books that fill up the local bookstore. Book publishing generally is a fairly substantial industry, and most of the money in the field -- 2/3, if I remember right -- doesn't come from "trade book" publishing. It's generated by the sales of products many of us almost never think of as books: medical reference books, atlases, textbooks. This end of the biz operates in the semi-rational way many businesses do, with similar profit margins and incentive structures. There's real money to be made here, other words. You can get rich writing and/or publishing textbooks, for instance, even if it's a very competitive industry.

Trade-book publishing, the wing of the industry that fills up your local chain store, is a very modest subset of book publishing. And it's got a quite different texture. It's rather irrational, makes very modest profits, is full of well-meaning ex-English majors, and is forever being invaded (and wreaked havoc on) by conglomerates that think they can run it like a conventional business, and who always fail to turn the trick. Despite the celebrated star authors and the occasional celeb execs and agents, there's rather little money to be made here. And most of that money is as flukey and moody as the money that sloshes around the moviebiz. You'd be surprised by how many name authors don't manage to make a living at their trade.

Biographies? Serious travel books? Moneylosers for most of their authors. How so? Well, say you're lucky and your agent nails a $100,000 contract for you for a biography you're dying to write. Sounds good, huh? But run the math: First, subtract the agent's fee (10-15%), and then subtract taxes. You've got to write the book on the, say, $55,000ish that remains. Keep in mind that almost all books take longer to write and publish than expected. But, heck, you're a fast worker -- it'll only take you 3 years. That means you'll be living on $17,000 a year. And wait: you've gotta do some research -- what's a biography without research? Visiting some archives, interviewing whoever's still alive ... Guess where the money for these travels and adventures comes from? Your own pocket.

As a consequence of these sorts of realities, most serious-nonfiction writers either hold down fulltime day jobs (healthcare!) and do their writing during the evening and on weekends (whoops, there goes the private life!), or spend a lot of the time that they'd like to spend writing chasing down grants, fellowships, and stretches at writer's colonies instead.

Not long ago, I ran into a woman acquaintance I hadn't seen in years, during which time she'd written a first-class biography of a famous man. We bumped into each other shortly after her book had been released, and I assumed she was basking in the good reviews, and exultant about the way her publisher was promoting the book. "This must give you a great feeling, as well as a great platform into your next book, no?" I said.

She rolled her eyes and told me emphatically that she was never going to write another book. "What I'm looking for now is a nice little not-too-demanding job with an office, regular hours, a health plan, and a regular paycheck," she said.

For years I attended the annual books convention, now known as BEA -- the get-together where publishers present their upcoming books to booksellers. It's a lot of fun, as many conventions are, but it's also an eye-opener. I remember walking through the doors at my very first books convention and stopping dead-still. There before me was an immense floor full of what might have been an electronics-industry get-together, or a travel-industry convention -- a July 4th-style parade of booths, suits, smiles, posters, and business cards. I remember thinking, "Hey, my English profs didn't tell me about this!"

There were a couple of thousand booths, most of them manned by a several people, and perhaps 10-20,000 visitors moving through the displays. Many of these people, it occurred to me, were making a living from trade publishing in one way or another. I pinched myself: And how many writers of trade books make a living from what they do? (Reminder: A couple of hundred.) In other words, very few of the people who create the products that these tens of thousands of trade-publishing-world people are making a living from manage themselves to wrest a living from the business.

What a bizarro field, eh? I can't offhand think of another industry such a thing could be said to be true of. Can you? Which leads me to conclude, if hesitantly, that the trade-book publishing industry runs largely on the dreams of readers and writers.

If it doesn't make a lot of sense to write a book for money, how about doing it for satisfaction? Many people imagine that they'd "fullfill themselves" (whatever that means) if they wrote a book; or that they'd get a deep pleasure out of the craft elements of the job. In fact, writing a book is a lot of work, and often work of a very tedious kind. It's heavy labor, more akin to building a house than puttering in your basement. (And no one builds a house purely for the pleasure of it.) It's certainly possible to write for pleasure and satisfaction, but seldom at that scale. Poetry, short stories, blogging -- all of these can deliver fun, satisfaction, and the pleasures of craft. But writing a book isn't something that can be done in a week or a month. It weighs on you; it's a bear to wrestle into submission, and it's followed by the (generally) no-fun publishing process. And then you've got to endure the almost inevitable commercial disappointment. Imagine going to all the trouble of building your dream house (by hand, naturally) -- and then people ignore it.

So why do people do write books? I come up with these possible explanations:

• Some hope to hit the jackpot despite the odds.
• Some have a dream about being an author, or taking part in "literature."
• Some are obsessed lunatics -- ie., they feel they just gotta.
• Some don't know better (these usually never write a second book).
• Some have other ambitions, and writing a book is a step along the way.
• A handful are determined to be trade-book authors as a career, and know what the game consists of, and have (or think they have) the tenacity, toughness, talent, luck and energy to succeed.

All of which leads me to a Blowhardish musing. It's such a pain to write books, it's such a bother to go through the publishing process -- what kind of person is willing to put him/herself through this? Answer: a very narrow demographic -- the obsessed and the ambitious. Exceptions allowed for (hi Hugo!), this would seem to mean that most of the books we've interacted with over the years have been written by people who are nuts. Let's grant that a few of these nutcases have talent and brains -- still: funny, no?

And this is a big part of why I generally celebrate digital media -- because the new tools give people from the non-nuts range of humanity a better chance to contribute and take part in the conversation that is "culture." How many such "normal" voices have really been heard in this conversation before? But these days, if you write and publish a blog, for example, the publishing part of blogging is trivial, at least once you've set the blog up (or in the especially inept case of the Blowhards, paid a good webteam to do the hard stuff). You can say what you have to say, press a button -- and what you have to say flies right out there and becomes part of the ongoing culture-thing. Never before in the history of blah blah blah. Very cool, in any case, and I'm going to follow how this affects the tone of the culture-conversation with interest. Blogs have already had quite an impact on journalism. What kind of impact will they have on the cultural world? (Huge, I hope.)

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Over the years, a few people have asked me for advice about writing books -- fools! Still, I tell 'em what I really believe: Since you probably won't make money on your project anyway, why not do it in a way that minimizes your trouble and results in something that pleases you? How to do this? Publish your book yourself. (Self-publishing is a growing and happening thing.)

But why turn your urge to create into "writing a book" in the first place? You say you've got a story to tell? Well, why does it have to be a book? You'll burden your life with a tedious project for a couple of years, you'll probably overstretch your material, and then no one will read the results. Why not realize your project in a manageable and pleasureable way instead? Put in a month of writing, keep it to a compact length, and post it to the Web. (There really aren't many stories that need more than 50 pages.) It's certainly true that no one may pay attention to your work despite its being out there on the Web. But at least you'll have told your story, enjoyed the process, made your work available -- and you won't have ruined your life, or broken your heart.

No one listens to me, of course, and it's probably better that way. I confess that The Wife berates me (lovingly and charmingly, of course) when I go on like this. She says I'm being a killjoy. Lots of people dream of writing books. What a harmless dream -- why kill it? And she's certainly got a point. I, on the other hand, feel that my point isn't to crush anyone's dreams. Why not make this basic information available? But maybe The Wife is right. It's certainly true that, after 15 years of following the book publishing world, I do sometimes wish people would be a bit more realistic in their thinking and talking about books. But is that an awful wish? Where books and publishing are concerned, maybe it is, I don't really know for sure.

More Info about Book Writing

Writing Your Book

Imagine being a published author. Picture people coming up to you at a meeting with a copy of your book and requesting an autograph. Visualize passing a bookstore and seeing your book in the window. Consider being interviewed for an article. Imagine the fame that comes with being published.

A book provides you with more credibility than anything else you can do: more credibility than an audiotape, a videotape, a seminar, a screenplay or a song. People place a higher value on a book than on a tape-even though the same amount of work may have gone into the production. The fact is authors are highly valued in our society.

People think if you wrote a book, you know something. And you probably do. When you think about it, you are writing your book from the very best research plus personal experience. You research every book and article, distill them down to the essentials, direct your writing toward a specific audience and illustrate it with your personal experiences. You are earning an advanced degree in the subject. Your book validates your expertise and lends more credibility to what you say.

There are many justifications for writing a nonfiction book. Some are fame, fortune, to help other people and because you have a personal mission. Can you imagine doing what you love and loving what you do?

Selecting the title and subtitle will be the single-most important piece of copy writing you will do for your book. A great title will not sell a bad book but a poor title will hide a good book from potential customers. Both your title and subtitle must be a selling tool. They are the hook that help sales.

Select a working title now so that you can improve on it as you work on your book. Start with a short, catchy and descriptive title, and add a lengthy, explanatory subtitle.

Put your research materials into piles-one pile for each chapter. Do not start with chapter one; it may be the hardest to write. Nonfiction books have several parts-we call them "chapters" in the book writing business. They are related but they do not have to be in any particular order. Start writing the chapter that is the shortest, easiest or the most fun. You will probably draft the first chapter last-and that is OK. The first chapter usually is an introduction and how can you know where you are going until you have been there?

If your typing is not great, use speech-recognition software to dictate your book. Speech-recognition software speeds the hardest part of writing your nonfiction book-the first draft. Dictating is quick and easy if you use the organizational plan outlined in Writing Nonfiction; you only need an outline. While speech-recognition software used to be very expensive, today it doesn't cost much more than a fancy keyboard.

Whether you are keyboarding, dictating onto tape or using speech recognition software, the procedure for writing your book is the same. Divide your notes and research materials into chapter piles. Then pick up one of the piles, spread it out on your desk in some semblance of order and began to "write" from these notes. Your first draft is your rough draft; just get the research materials on to the hard disk.editing

Binder secret. As you print out early drafts of your book, place the pages in a 3-ring binder and carry that binder with you everywhere you go. Busy people often have trouble finding the time to return to their desk and "the book." With the binder system, the book is always with you. As you go through the day and find a minute here and there, open the binder and write in your changes, notes and comments. Periodically, enter your changes into the computer and print out new pages.

With the binder under your arm, the book will be continually in your thoughts. Your work will improve and your manuscript will improve. The binder is an anti-procrastination crutch and it works. See Successful Non Fiction.

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How To Write A Book

Though that creative genius inside you is just waiting to burst onto the page in the next #1 bestseller, you still have to learn how to write a book. Books are complex, the publishing industry is a labyrinth and the process is more methodical than you would think it would be for something so fantastically creative. Instead of getting you or your book lost on the way to the bookstore shelves, figure out how to write a book here.

This website was created to help your inner author navigate through the mires of book-writing, tell you how to write a book and explain the author-publisher relationship. Before you pick up your pen or fire up the old word processor, read through how-to-write-a-book-i.com and see what you need to do and where your story needs to go in order for you to get your book in other people's libraries.

Here at how-to-write-a-book-i.com, we know difficult the creative process can be and how much you want to be an author. We know that you may have writer's block or millions of ideas, and have figured out how to deal with both those chapters of life. We've compiled a full list of resources for you to use as you figure out how to write a book. Understanding the information here will help you down the road, and you will be negotiating your book deal in no time.

Whether you're looking for How To Write A Fiction Book or tips on Writing Childrens Books, you'll find dozens of excellent resources at this site.

We've scoured the Web in search of the very best resources, articles, tips and hints on How To Write A Book, and we've built this entire website around them. Here at how-to-write-a-book.net, you'll find information such as Book Writing Tips, How To Write A Fiction Book, Writing Childrens Books, info on Writing Fantasy Books, Writing A Book Proposal, and much, much more.

Simply click on the links on under the heading Main Menu on the left side of this page to find some of the best resources on How To Write A Book ever compiled.

And please, be sure to check out some of our sponsored links in the right column of this site. There you'll find some incredible resources on learning How To Write A Book!

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Book writing tips

Anyone who has tried to write a book, the literary equivalent of scaling Mt. Everest, knows that book writing tips can save you from falling into the crevice of writer's block.

One of the most valuable book writing tips is to look critically at your life. Instead of just thinking of your life as a series of to-do lists, try to view it as an outsider. When you can do that, you will find your ideas. When you find your ideas, you will find the bulldozer for your writer's block. Think about who you are, your cast of characters, where you are and where you are going. Take note of them; jot them down on a napkin or keep an idea journal with you at all times. These ideas will serve as fodder for your book writing.

Another pair of useful book writing tips is to streamline and outline. Condense your book into a thesis, a one-sentence package that serves as the book's overall message and outline to each chapter. Love it, live it, and write by your thesis, because it will keep you on track. Once you have your thesis, write a brief outline. Brief means that it should take about a half minute to read. This will ensure your books clarity, force you to stay on track, and help you to stay on message at all times.

Finally, the biggest and most simple of the book writing tips is to approach your book in small steps. Don't run up the mountain, scale it in small steps. Before you know it, you will be at the summit.

If you are an aspiring author, chances are that you read piles of books, and the ones you should not ignore are books on writing. While reading for pleasure will expand your lexicon and introduce you to the wild world of plot and character development, books on writing can help you refine your technique. They provide information on the publishing industry, simple and quick exercises for writers and numerous valuable tips that will only help you cultivate your creativity. Books on writing are created to enhance your talent and progress your writing skills above and beyond what they are now.

Books on writing are invaluable for writers who are looking to hone the craft of writing and they are a resource available at any time of day or night. Writing is a difficult, emotional process that takes a lot of time, work and personal growth which is often heard to do. Reading books on writing will help you become a strong writer, especially if you know your weaknesses as a writer. If your character development needs work, then focus on chapters that deal specifically with that subject.

There is a wealth of information in books on writing and you should be sure not to ignore them and miss it. You will find more than just tips to improving your technique, you will get insider information on selling your book to publishers. Books on writing coach you, are your guide to improving yourself, your book proposal, and your future hardback.

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