Want to write a book? You can. However, writing a book is a journey. A novel or nonfiction book which may take four hours to read may take a year to write. Your preparations before writing the book can make the difference between completing the book and the book stalling, as well as between the book’s ultimate success or failure.

Let’s look at how you can get started writing your book the right way.

One of the biggest dangers during the time it takes you to write a book is that the book’s focus will change as you write it - books tend to morph, because they take time to write and you’re changing as you write the book.

Create a map of your book before you start writing; this map will help you to stay focused. It helps you to complete your book.

Create a map of your book before you start writing it

A “map” of your book can be a simple paragraph (a blurb), or it may be many pages long, in which case it’s called a synopsis if it’s a novel, and an outline if it’s a nonfiction book.

Your agent and editor will demand a synopsis/ outline as part of your book’s package: these treatments are sales tools. Some authors write the book first, and then create the synopsis/ outline.

However, a blurb is your own personal map before you start writing. (The actual back cover blurb is written while the book’s making its way to publication.)

Look at the back covers of several books of the kind of book you’re writing to get an idea of what constitutes a blurb. A blurb is more than a summary, it’s an enticement for bookstore browsers to buy the book.

A novel’s blurb offers entertainment; a nonfiction book’s blurb offers benefits to the reader.

Take your time writing your blurb

Some writers find blurbs challenging. They’re inspired, they just want to start writing. However, taking a week or two to create a blurb which excites you can save you much time in writing. It’s your map. Without a map you will lose your way.

A blurb is a vital part of your preparations for writing your book. You’ll find that the time you invest in writing a blurb is repaid when you write a book, because not only does it make writing your book easier, it also increases your chances of writing a book which sells.

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Angela Booth is a writing teacher as well as the author of novels and nonfiction books by major publishers; she can help you to write your book when you subscribe to her free writing prompts and writing tips, Your EveryDay Write. Angela offers you 30 years’ of experience to help you to success as a novelist or writer of nonfiction books.

Red Christmas

Publishers look for season-themed books because the marketing angle’s built-in.

A Season for Sleuthing - WSJ.com reports: “Christmas has once again inspired mystery writers to craft season-themed stories of loss and of hope, of suffering and redemption, and even to hint, at times, at the greater mysteries of creation. Publishers, doing their part, have once again put together mystery-themed books for seasonal giving, collecting classics and offering, in book form, the backstory to the lives of classic storytellers.”

I hope this knowledge is not lost on you. Get started on a Christmas-themed book now, and your book could be the hit of bookstores in the holiday shopping frenzy of 2009.

Marketing is VITAL for your book, so always consider the marketing potential of your ideas

Publishing is a business with tiny margins. Many writers whine over this, but it’s neither good nor bad, it’s just a fact. Your publisher will love you if you acknowledge the realities of marketing.

Building in a marketing angle for you book makes your book easier to sell, all things being equal - you’ve still got to write a great book, of course.

Want to write a book? You can. You start writing, and you keep going. At around 80,000 words, you’ve got yourself a book. Now what? You sell the book to a major publisher, hit the bestseller lists, and order your new cherry-red Ferrari.

That’s how writing a book and getting published works. But if you try to follow that process - just sit down and start typing - the chances that you’ll sell the book are slim. To sell your book you need to know the kind of book you’re writing before you start, and also whether there’s an audience for that kind of book. It sounds unfair, but in order to sell your book, you have to prove to the publisher that people will want to read it.

What Kind of Book are You Writing?

Most new authors start on their book writing and publishing adventure by reading a book and getting inspired. They don’t think about the kind of book they’re writing, or who would want to read it.

There are basically two kinds of books: truth and lies, otherwise known as nonfiction and fiction (novels). Some hundred thousand books are published in English each year, both nonfiction and novels. You must know what kind of book you’re writing before you start.

Let’s imagine that you’ve read a Harry Potter novel, and you’re so enthusiastic that you’re inspired to write your own children’s novel. The words pour out of you; you’re on fire. You write and write and write, and the pages pile up on your computer’s hard drive.

This is great. While you’re writing, ask yourself: “In a bookstore, where would this book of mine be shelved?”

If you’re not sure, go to a bookstore and wander around the shelves. Is your book in the nonfiction section? In the children’s section? In the romance novel or mystery section?

If you’re inspired by Harry Potter, you know you’re writing a children’s novel. Imagine your book on the shelves, right beside the rows of Harry Potters.

This isn’t an idle exercise, or a fantasy. You must know what you’re writing, so please visit that bookstore. “What is it?” is the first thing an agent will want to know when you contact her to represent your book. It’s also the first thing an editor at a publishing house will want to know.

So, what are you writing? If you don’t know, or aren’t sure, think about it and visit a bookstore if you need to. You can write a book and get published if you know what you’re writing, and who will want to read it.

Write more with Angela’s “Top 70 Writing Tips To Help You To Write More” - you’ll find all the inspiration, techniques and motivation you need to write your book.