How to Write a Book in 10 Steps (The Ultimate Guide)

How to Write a Book in 10 Steps (The Ultimate Guide) How to Write a Book: The Ultimate Guide Just about everyone has thought of writing a book at some point - even if you don’t consider yourself a â€Å"writer,† you probably have an inkling of a book somewhere in your head. But whether you’ve only just had your lightbulb moment or you’ve been mulling over a great idea for years, there’s no time like the present to learn how to write a book!Of course, there’s no one-size-fits-all formula here, since every writer has their own unique process. No doubt you’ll discover what works for you over the course of your authorial journey. That being said, there are still certain things you absolutely need to know if you ever want to cross the finish line! We’re excited to share our very best tips, tricks, and other info in this all-inclusive guide to  how to write a book. How to write the book of your dreams in just 10 steps ðŸ“â€" âÅ"  1. Nail down your book ideaNailing down your book idea involves more than just being able to state what it's about - although that is part of it. To really nail down your book idea, you should be able to answer the three important "W" questions:What is it about?Why does it matter?Who will want to read it?Once you’re able to answer these questions, you’ll fill in the blanks of the following sentence:.For example: "CEOs will read my book about workplace culture because it offers insights into the practices of the top ten companies voted 'best places' to work in the USA."Or: â€Å"Female fantasy readers will read my book about the first queen of a patriarchal land because it’s unique and empowering to a new generation of fantasy fans.†Let’s break down the various elements of this equation and show you how to identify them in your own premise.The WhatThe  Ã¢â‚¬Å"what"  is the seed of your book. It’s the beginning of something, and before it can sprout into something more, you have to nail down the essence of what you want to say. This often coincides with the eventual theme of your book - but don’t worry too much about that right now.Instead, just figure out how you would describe your topic to someone in a single sentence. If someone were to ask you right now, â€Å"Oh, what are you writing about?† then the what would be your answer. Whether it’s an adventurous mouse’s tale (tail?) or a vegan cookbook, your â€Å"what† will become the crux of your book.On the off chance that you’re reading this guide and don’t yet have a â€Å"what† - you just know that you want to write a book - consider checking out some writing prompts to inspire you!The WhoIf you’re writing fiction, the â€Å"who† will typically come down to genre - â€Å"romance readers,† â€Å"fantasy readers,† â€Å"sci-fi readers,† etc. You’ll also consider ag e, i.e. if it’s a children's, young adult, or new adult novel.If you're writing non-fiction, it’s all about utility. Who will find the information in your book most useful? The exception here is memoir, in which case your readers may just be looking for entertainment. But if you’re writing a guide, an informative tell-all, or even a historical book, your target audience will be people who want to learn from you.No matter your wheelhouse, it’s extremely helpful to come up with a proto-persona for the person who’ll be buying your book. This should represent your ideal customer and is key to reaching your target audience. Coming up with a hypothetical reader makes it much easier to specifically write to them, which will make them more inclined to buy your book.The WhyAnd finally, the â€Å"why.† With the innumerable experiences and wild ideas that people have in their lives, we all have plenty of books that we could write. Indeed, as we reveal in the Reedsy podcast Bestseller, up to 81% of all people believe they have a book inside them. (Not literally - that would be a lot of stomachaches - but in the â€Å"potential writer† sort of way.)So why is this particular book the one you should write? And, just as importantly, why are you the one who should write it? What makes you qualified, and what makes you passionate about this particular subject? You need to determine a) why this book will matter to other people, and b) why you are the right person to address this topic.Your final result of answering these three "W" questions will be the essential thesis from which you work throughout this process. Once you have this prepared, you can move onto the next step: outlining.2. Outline your bookCreating an outline is one of the most important parts of writing a book - in addition to your â€Å"three Ws† thesis, your outline forms a huge part of the foundation on which you will build your book. Even if youâ€℠¢ve never worked from an outline before, or don’t think you need one (i.e. if you're a pantser, not a plotter), there’s no harm in cobbling one together. 9 Types of Editing: A Guide for Authors Read post If you don’t want to wait, or if you don’t trust your own judgment, you can get someone else to look over your manuscript with fresh eyes! Friends and family are a great resource, but consider looking for beta readers, or hiring one of those pro editors we mentioned.Don’t try to fix every issue at the same timeThese days we’re all apparently expected to multitask flawlessly, but take it from us: do not multitask your editing. If you’re doing it yourself, it’s best to break editing tasks down into a list and complete each item separately.For example, your first task might be to look for glue words and extraneous adverbs, your second task might be to break up run-on sentences, your third task might be to look for inconsistencies, and so on and so forth. Doing all these at once will surely lead to oversight - and exhaustion - so just take them on one at a time. You can go here to download a comprehensive editing checklist.7. Write the second d raftEdits all done? That means you’re ready for rewrites: the part where you actually transform your first draft into the second. It’s a magical process, even if does require a good deal of work. The following are some things to think about as you take this penultimate step of writing a book.Nail the opening hookLike reducing glue words, nailing the hook is another simple but pivotal fix you can make to your manuscript. That’s because both editors and readers are prone to quick judgements. If they positively judge your book by its cover and make it to the first page, the opening lines are the next test - and failure to pass could mean they give up on it entirely.Consider the following opening lines:â€Å"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.† - Anna Kareninaâ€Å"We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones.† - Unweaving The Rainbowâ€Å"It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn't know what I was doing in New York.† - The Bell Jarâ€Å"In the fall of 1993, a man who would upend much of what we know about habits walked into a laboratory in San Diego for a scheduled appointment.† - The Power of HabitThrough the use of strong statements or interesting anecdotes, each of these hooks creates intrigue right away. But that doesn’t mean you should go for clickbaity, flashy, second hand-car-salesman exclamations here. Rather, consider the aspects of your book that will naturally pique human interest, and lead with that.Rework those inconsistenciesInconsistencies are the plague of edits and rewrites: you have to deal with them or they’ll just get worse. So after highlighting them (or having someone else point them out) during the editing process, you need to prioritize inconsistencies in rewrites. Basic factual inconsistencies and superficial descriptive contradictions should be pretty quick to deal with. But f or deeper plot/structural problems, here are a few tactics you can try:1. Examine character dynamics. One of the most obvious indicators of inconsistent characterization is character dynamics - think of them as the canary in the coal mine. If character dynamics seem unnatural, there’s probably something else wrong†¦ probably because you haven’t made your characters well-rounded enough to sustain themselves.As a result, this is one of those fixes that will probably take some time. But if you sense something wrong with your character dynamics, don’t be afraid to take a deeper dive into overall characterization.2. Eliminate subplots. Luckily, this one's a bit less labor-intensive. Sometimes to root out confusing inconsistencies, you need to delete subplots or side stories that contradict either the main narrative, or your characters’ personalities and motivations. You may also have a subplot or secondary story that you love, but that doesn’t rea lly go anywhere. We know that cutting it out will be hard; just bite the bullet and do it.3. Explore different endings. The ending is often where spotty characterization rears its ugly head. For instance, a character who hates another character throughout the book does a 180 and falls in love with them (how many poorly plotted romances fall victim to this?). Or maybe a character who was seemingly making progress reverts to their previous, terrible self (we’ll call this the Andy Bernard phenomenon, one that any devoted fan of The Office will recognize).So don’t just leave a bad ending in place if it contradicts what would realistically happen. Again, it might be a lot of work to change, but your readers will thank you for â€Å"keeping it real† (as the kids say).Consider your conclusionSpeaking of your book’s ending, it’s important to consider not just potential inconsistencies, but the overall impact of your ending. Have you worked through all the problems you’ve posed throughout the book? Did you tie in all the themes you wanted to address, and does the ending subtly re-emphasize them? Will readers be satisfied with this point of resolution? (You may have to ask other people for their opinion on this.)Unlike rewriting your hook/intro, reworking your conclusion may involve going back throughout your book to insert other bits and pieces as well. For example, you might realize that you haven’t incorporated a certain theme enough for it to resonate in the conclusion. This means you have to retroactively work it into previous chapters. Again, don’t be afraid of the workload: embrace it as the thing that will make your book the best that it can be.8. Publish your book (if you want to!)Our heartiest congratulations to you - you’ve written a book! 👠 Your journey’s not quite over, though: now you get to decide what to do with it.Though we’ve titled this step â€Å"get it published,à ¢â‚¬  that’s not necessarily what you have to do next. Maybe you’ve written a book just to prove you that you could. But even so, it’s good to have the necessary information, in case you do eventually decide to pursue that route.Here’s a selection of our best resources on both traditional publishing and self-publishing, in the order that you’d most likely have to use them.Self-publishingIf you want to self-publish your book, but don’t know where to start:How to Self-Publish a Book (free course)All the considerations and requirements that go into self-publishing:The Essential Self-Publishing Checklist (blog post)For after you’ve self-published and you’re ready to start marketing:How to Create the Ultimate Book Marketing Plan (blog post)Traditional publishingWant to lock in a publisher before you start your non-fiction book?How to Submit a Non-Fiction Book Proposal (free course)If you’re hoping to acquire an agent who wil l represent your book:How to Write a Query Letter That Agents Can't Resist (free course)A comprehensive overview of traditional publishing:Traditional Publishing 101 (free course)Ultimately, what you do with your manuscript is up to you. But whether you keep locked in a chest (/untouched folder on your desktop) or publish it for all the world to see, just know that you’ve achieved something amazing - something you may not have believed possible just a few short months ago! So once again, well done. And if you do decide to publish, we can’t wait to see what you’ve created.  Ã°Å¸â€œâ€"Before you go, we can’t forget our last tip: once you’re finished, reach out to us with your top tips so we can add them to this post, and help other aspiring authors reach their goals. Or if you have some already, leave them in the comments below!