Writing is a skill and art at the same time. Unless you have both, it is not going to be easy writing a book, no matter how good your a course in miracles be. And even if you have the skill and artistic inclinations, there are still so many other factors to consider if you want your book out there, where people can avail of it.
I will lay down for you, important factors you need to consider in writing and publishing a book. Additionally, I will also explain to you the steps to take so that you will be better prepared.
Let me start with the factors first, before I proceed to the steps.
WRITING SKILLS
I don’t mean to discourage those who don’t have writing skills. However, in all honesty, let me say that a good book requires good writing, first and foremost. If you have a real good story to tell, or concept to sell, then better be prepared to pay a ghost writer to write for you. A lot of famous people do this and have done this.
Good writing, however, does not require you to be a very good writer. You have editors to make your writing sound and look better. What you need is basic writing skills, which includes knowledge of the right grammatical structure, punctuation, and spelling. Of course this also includes knowing how to type and knowing how to use a computer.
Believe me, I have proofread and edited some books that shocked me. Some would not even pass for writing skills of an elementary student.
ARTISTRY
Unless you are writing something technical or academic, you will need a lot of creativity in writing a book. You should be able to take your readers for a ride so they will enjoy your story. There should be highs and lows, tears and joy, success and failures, and all other emotional triggers that will keep your readers captivated by your book.
ORGANIZED THOUGHTS
Some people are gifted with organized thoughts; others are not. To those who do not have this gift, there is a way to keep your thoughts organized, and that is to learn how to focus. Planning is a key ingredient here, which I will explain further in the “steps”.
Meditation helps a lot in organizing your thoughts. Prayer and reading the Bible while playing some instrumental worship music, is the best meditation for me. Walking outside and enjoying nature also helps me focus, for as long as I can have some private time.
RELEVANCE
Your book will only be good if your target audience can relate to it. This means that your theme should be relevant. It is pointless writing a book about winter if you are writing for a group who has not even experienced this weather. Incidentally, you should know who your market niche is prior to writing. Consider them at all times when you are writing – how they would feel, how they would react. In short, put yourself in their shoes as a reader.