44,007 words and 197 pages comprised the final manuscript

Thank you so much to everyone who has reached out to me about my book. I’ve had quite a few emails with lots of questions about publishing a book, so I thought that I would dedicate today’s post to help those of you aspiring writers at the beginning of your book writing journey. I hope you find these helpful.

1. Publish a book. Pick a topic that you are passionate about.
This is the most important. You are going to spending countless hours on writing, editing, and proofing the book over and over again. If you love it, this entire process will always be exciting.

2. Pick a topic that hasn’t be written about.
Let’s face it, the world is full of talented folks. It used to only be restricted to those in magazines or on the television, but with the advent of social media, especially Pinterest, the talents of many are flooding our computer screens. Be sure to do your research. Ask yourself these questions:

• Has it been done before? If so, how can I do it better or improve on it?
• Is there a public demand for what I want to share?

3. Find a publisher who publishes similar books to the one you want to write.
Do an internet search and check out publishers that are like minded. Check out their mission statement. For example, there are certain publishers that specialize in cookbooks.

4. Create an outline of your book.
Develop a table of contents. What do you want to include in this book? Why?

5. Write at least two chapters or more.
Start writing. By writing a few chapters, you will be able to provide the publisher with samples of your work. It also helps to get a jump start on this project and see if you have what it takes to actually dedicate your energies into the project.

6. Share it with family and friends.
Have your family and friends give you honest feedback. Did they enjoy it? Does your voice come through? Is there a market for it? Do they want to read more?

7. Believe in your book.
You will have to “sell” your book to the publisher. You are the first marketer of your vision. You may get a few “no’s” before a “yes”. Keep on sharing it.

8. Patience is a must.
The larger the publisher, the longer it takes to get a book to market. I started talks with my publisher in July 2012. My book will not hit the shelves until Spring of 2015. Despite the long process, with the power of my publisher, my book will be available online as well as at small independent bookstores and large bookstore chains across the nation. It will also be available overseas. It was very important to me to be able to get the book into the hands of those who so desire.

9. Know your audience.
Truth be told, I do believe that writing a blog has helped. It has been a wonderful way to practice writing and discover who my audience is.

10. Investigate self-publishing.
Check out self-publishing. It is much easier than you think to get an e-book published. For the cost of a few hundred dollars anyone can write and publish a book on Amazon.

Photo Credit: Tilly’s Nest