Many people have a dream of writing a book. This is definitely an achievable goal; however, many people may want some tips on how to approach it. At BayMar Publishing, we love working with authors to help them attain their goals. If you are wanting to write your first book, here are some useful tips.
1. Planning Your Book Yields Results
When it comes to writing, you may have the urge to start typing up your ideal book. That is certainly understandable. However, one common mistake when writing your first book is to neglect taking time to plan and organize it.
While you don’t need to completely plan out every detail of your book, you should take the time to develop a fairly organized plan. Planning out a structure, basic contents, and flow can help you envision how your book will fit together. Another benefit of having a rough plan outlined is that it can help prevent writer’s block as you will be able to see what components are done and which ones need to be written.
2. Write Something Every Single Day
Writing a book requires dedication. A good way to ensure that you are able to make progress is to set aside time to write every day. For example, if you write as little as 225 words each day, you’ll have written over 82,000 words in only a year – that’s right in the sweet spot for a novel.
However, it may not take you that long as 225 can be your minimum goal instead of your maximum. You’ll find there are days when you are very motivated and may easily churn out a few thousand words. Writing every day can help create a habit and help you start seeing your book take shape.
3. Writing Out of Sequence is Fine
While writing daily is a great tip, don’t feel like you need to force yourself to write in about a specific topic or portion of your book on a certain day. Since we read books from beginning to end, many first-time writers also feel like they should write their book from beginning to end. However, this isn’t always the best approach.
Instead, choose what you feel like writing. This can be easier to do with nonfiction; however, even fiction writers should feel comfortable writing out of sequence. You can tie sections together towards the end of the process.
4. Go With What Works for You
Many first-time writers have found that the secret to their success lies in establishing a routine. Start by asking yourself, “when am I most productive?” This is probably a good part of the day to spend writing whether it is early morning before the kids wake up, late at night, or sometime in between.
You may also find that you write better at certain locations or in certain settings. Keep these things in mind as you plan out your writing. Some writers love writing in vibrant settings like coffee shops while others want very quiet locales. Understanding your preferences is very helpful in getting on schedule.
5. Break Editing into Manageable Phases
The editing process can be an intimidating process. For many first-time writers, the thought of editing your entire book can seem daunting. Instead, break editing up into a number of different chunks.
For example, do a read-through to edit for grammar and punctuation. Do one to edit for consistency, another to edit for transitions, and so forth. Focusing on editing one or two specific things with each read is both more manageable and will give you better focus.
