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> Get Articles > Ebooks and Ebook Writing > Ten Tips To Get Started Writing Your Book
Ten Tips To Get Started Writing Your Book
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Judy Cullins
judybookcoaching.com
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http://www.marketing-seek.com
You are far more likely to successfully write and publish your
book if you follow these tips before you write a single chapter.
1. Write your book's working title. It helps you focus and
answer the readers' questions about the topic. Most non-
fiction has subtitles as well. It's better to be clear than clever,
but clever and clear are fine. _Passion At Any Age: Twelve
Ways to Unleash It_, _Self-Promotion for the Creative
Person_, _Quadruple your book's Online Sales in Less Than
One Month_.
2. Write your book's thesis. A thesis is a sentence or so
stating the audience's main problem and how your book will
solve it. Knowing the thesis before you write the book keeps
you on track. All chapters should support it. The thesis could
be "Each of you has passion and you can unleash it through
these twelve steps."
3. Test your book's significance. While most writers fear
their book won't sell, it takes only two significances to write
a book, and three for a great seller. Ask yourself, Is it
relevant? Then write it! Does it present useful information?
Does it have the potential to positively affect people's lives?
Is it lively, humorous? Does it help answer important questions?
Does it create a deeper understanding of human nature?
4. Pinpoint your target audience, all-important to your
book's success. No, not everyone will want to read your book.
How old are your prospective readers? Male? Female? Are
they interested in personal growth, science fiction, mystery,
how-to books? What challenges do they face? Are they
business people? What magazines and Web sites do they like?
Are they Internet savvy? What causes do they support?
Once you know them, write a letter and tell them why you are
writing your book and what benefits it will bring them. Dear
over-50 reader, "I'm writing Passion At Any Age to help you live
life full throttle--with more abundance, joy, and meaning."
5. Write your reasons for writing this book. Your reader,
the media, the television and radio talk show hosts all want to
know why you wrote this book. Be prepared up front, so you
will shine when opportunities come your way. For instance, "I
wrote this book because so many of my clients and students
asked me to. They didn't want theory; they wanted practical
how to's to help them live life well. This audience, primarily
over 50, wants and needs practical and spiritual tools to let
their passion out.
6. Write down your publishing goals for this book. Do you
want to give it away to members of your family or a particular
group? Do you want to sell it? How many copies do you want
to sell your first year? How much money do you want to make
each month? What publishing format will you choose--self-
publishing, traditional publishing, Print Quality Needed or Print
on Demand, or eBook?
7. Organize the parts of your book. In one file, keep your
introduction; in another, your index or resource section. Include
your bibliography and keep a file of all people you will quote in
your book who may give you a testimonial later. Keep each
chapter in its own file labeled correctly so you can find it within
minutes. Twenty percent of your papers are important. Be sure
to file them vertically and in order to save you time and
frustration as your book projects grows. Keep computer files
also.
8. Write down your chapter's format. Readers expect a clear
map to guide them. They like consistency. In non-fiction, each
chapter should be approximately the same length and have the
same sections. To make your chapters sparkle, use stories,
anecdotes, headings, photos, maps, graphs, exercises, tips.
Readers like easy-to-read side bars in boxes.
9. Write the back cover material before you write your book.
This "outline" helps give your book direction and helps you
focus only on what's important to your thesis or theme. Your
back cover has around 8 seconds to impress your prospective
buyer.
Include what sells: reader and famous people's testimonials, a
benefit-driven headline to hook the reader to open the book and
read the table of contents, and bulleted benefits. Your bio and
picture can go on the inside of the back cover to leave more
room for your sales message on the back cover.
Use your back cover as a sales letter that can go on your web
site or emails you send out to your prospective buyers.
10. Mock up a front cover in your book's early stages. Keep it
by your workstation to inspire you. To sell your books, your
cover and title have around four seconds to hook your buyer.
Covers are more important than what is inside. Browse the
bookstore and copy a few ideas to get you started. Do you
have color preferences? Is you title powerful and short enough
to be read across the room?
Writing a book is so much easier when you approach it in small
bites. As soon as you get these ten parts written you will be
able to start asking more specific questions that become your
chapter headings.
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