1. Just Start
The trick to anything is to make a start. There is no good time to begin. If you wait for the right time to start your book, you may never begin. Many people with books in their heads, never get past begin and these potential books remain forever just pipe dreams never to be realised. They have so many stories to share and advice and experience to impart, but nothing is ever done about it. “How and where do you begin?” they ask. Just start! Make a move and get cracking – just begin writing and let it flow from there.
2. Research
Secondly, have you put enough research into the actual content? In other words, if it’s a non-fiction academic work, have you made sure that the information is up to date and accurate (fact checking and peer reviews done). If it is a work of fiction, have you at least tried to make it credible by including relevant and accurate information to make the story more realistic and believable. Have you made sure that your characters come alive i.e. can readers identify and empathize with them? Have you worked properly on character development and plot to keep readers’ attention. This is all part of research and reworking and cannot be overemphasized – it is that important!
3. Writing Skills
Not all of us are born with writing skills but many of us nevertheless have a great deal to share in terms of experience, true-life stories or wild imaginations that can spin intriguing stories. So just because you weren’t born with a flair for words and putting your thoughts, feelings and experiences on paper, doesn’t mean you don’t have something worthwhile and valid to share. If you feel that your writing skills need some work to become as publishable as possible, there is nothing wrong with seeking help in terms of short writing courses which are widely available country and worldwide. One simply needs to google. Practice makes perfect. Not all good story tellers are good writers. You can always brush up on your writing skills but you cannot suddenly become imaginative and creative.
4. Get an honest opinion
There’s nothing like an honest opinion! Whether it’s a friend or family member, or even an honest review from an outsider, it’s a good idea to send your completed manuscript to someone for an honest opinion. We all need an honest evaluation and constructive criticism but be sure not to be offended by the outcome. You really may have no idea how truly talented you are, just as you may be clueless as to how much reworking your book needs to make it publishable and readable.
5. A unique idea?
When selling a product, people are advised to look for a unique selling point of the product i.e. what makes it stand out from similar products and why would people prefer it to something already available. The same goes for your book which is a product after all – a source of entertainment or education, bought to read. Sometimes your topic may be unavailable in book form. Perhaps it’s because no one has thought of writing about this unique idea or it’s something new you have researched, perhaps even a bold concept, and you could be on to something fresh, new and creative. For example, there may be many books already published on motivation and self-development but this is something we need reminding of on a constant basis so people are often keen to read about it from a fresh perspective – presented in a different and unique way.
Are there no books like it because people are just not interested enough in the topic? We advise you to approach friends, family and professionals (editors etc.), peers in your academic circle, experts in the topic and ask their honest opinion. Is this something new and fresh that will appeal to the right readers?
6. Good readability from the outset is helpful
If you have your book professionally published, editors will usually clean up your work (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure etc.) but they will generally try not to tamper too much with your voice and individual style of writing. It is also not their mandate to re-write work completely, so it has to have some value and potential in the first place in terms of the writing and not just the content. So when you present your work to a potential publisher or agent for publication, you need to try and make sure that it is as readable as possible or else they will be turned off the project without giving it a proper look and the attention it deserves.
This is indeed helpful. I work on my writing skills.
This is really interesting, i always had this thought of writing a part of me i wantto show the world, but how to go about it was difficult until i came through this ads on Google.