Are you wondering how you’ll make money while you’re writing a book? Since the writing can take several years, you need ways to survive while you’re writing. Even more importantly, you need creative ways to build buzz, so that there are eager readers waiting for your book long before it hits the bookstore shelves.

Let’s look at three ways in which you can not only make money while you’re writing your book, you can also market it. Your innovative marketing skills will make your book more attractive to a publisher, so you may even get a book contract long before your book is finished.

By the way: here’s a big tip. Realize that marketing your book is always up to you. Publishers do not market for you. While they may pay for author tours for prospective bestsellers for which they’ve paid million dollar advances, 99 per cent of authors market their books themselves. Before a publisher gives you a contract, your editor will want to see your marketing plan for your book.

Hence, if you’ve been marketing your book from the beginning, you’re much more attractive to a publisher.

1. Publish your book on your blog while you’re writing

I’ve written about blogging your book many times, so I won’t go over the same ground again: it’s essential. Moreover, your blog can earn income for you as you use it for promotion.

2. Publish magazine articles based on your book while you’re writing

Another way to build buzz for your book is to write magazine articles based on it. All magazines give you a byline, and a mini bio, in which you can say something like: “Sara Jane Masterson-Edwards currently hard at work on a book tentatively titled ________. Read her blog at _________.”

When you find checks from magazines in your mailbox every month or two, they help to defray your costs as you write, and of course they build buzz for your book, making you irresistible to publishers.

3. Publish ebooks based on your book while you’re writing

Finally consider whether you can publish ebooks based on the topic of your book while you’re writing it. Hint: fiction doesn’t sell well, so rather than publishing a chapter of your mystery novel as an ebook, publish an ebook using the research for your novel, viz: “Ten Ways to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft”. or “49 Clever Ways to Market Your Book.”

Your ebook spin-offs may surprise you: you may make more money from your ebooks than you eventually do for your book.

OK — there you have three great ways to make money while you’re writing your book, and to generate buzz too.

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Novels take commitment. A book you can read in three hours can take anywhere from three months to three years to write.

Here’s a cute idea for you if you can’t get started writing: use Twitter.

How to Start a Twitter Novel suggest a plan to write a “Twitter novel”:

“1. Throw Out The Manuscript

Twitter is instantaneous. Serializing a manuscript may be easy, but trying to contract and make logical sense of it in 140 character bursts is not. By doing this, you limit the flexibility that Twitter grants in presenting your fiction. Start fresh.”

Now, of itself, a Twitter novel may be close to useless. However, it can provide you with inspiration to write if you outline your “real” novel 140 characters a time in Twitter.

Responses from your followers will help.

Recession-proof your freelance writing career

“Write More And Make More Money From Your Writing: Develop A Fast, Fun Productive Writing Process” gives you all the tools you need for a thriving writing career, no matter what the economic climate.

Three weeks after completing the class one student wrote:

“Thanks Angela, for all your help and advice in class. I’m quitting my job next week. I printed out my letter of resignation tonight after landing a contract writing job that will pay me more for three months part-time work than I earned in from my day job in the whole of 2007! You were right – the great gigs are out there, and now I’ve got the skills to land them. Your class opened my eyes. Bless you…”

“Write More And Make More Money From Your Writing: Develop A Fast, Fun Productive Writing Process” shows you how to thrive as a freelance writer. Would you like to write five times more than you’re writing now, and sell to higher-paying markets? Take the class.

Many writers write their book, and then start to sell it. This is going about the process the wrong way.

The time to start selling your book is as you write it. This applies whether you’re writing a book for a traditional publisher, or you’re self-publishing an ebook or hardcover book.

In the article Fast ebooks — you can do it too — Angela Booth’s Fab Freelance Writing Blog I reported on the process I’m following for a new ebook I’m writing:

“1. I bought a domain name as soon as I got the idea;

2. I transferred the DNS to my Web host, and set up a ‘coming soon’ index page, with an article on the topic of the ebook. This is so the site gets indexed; I want it to be indexed before the ebook’s ready;

3. I’ve started creating graphics for the site and ebook. Yes, I could outsource the graphics. However, I enjoy doing it, and my graphics guy disappointed me with unusable graphics the last time I outsourced, so there’s less hassle in doing it myself. And, as I create the graphics, I can feel my enthusiasm building…;

4. I outlined the ebook in ten minutes. I’ve been writing articles on the topic so I already know what I want to say;”

If you want your book to sell, and sell well, you must start selling it… as you write it.

So if you’re currently writing a book, and haven’t thought about how you’ll sell it (you’ll need to sell it, even if you’re going the traditional publishing route) start today.

Write It Once And Sell It Forever

Get A Constant Flow Of Cash By Writing And Selling Ebooks… It’s Much, Much Easier Than You Think

Ebooks are BIG online. Most ebooks contain from five to 100 pages, and sell anywhere from $10 to $100 dollars, and over, depending on the information. Clever writers are realizing that there’s gold in ebooks, and that they’re well-placed to mine that gold…

Discover how you can self-publish online, and make a great income, writing and selling ebooks with “Write and Sell an eBook: Every Writer’s Quick-Action Guide To Writing Ebooks”..

Got writer’s block? If you’re writing a book, you’re almost guaranteed to get writer’s block at some stage. This shouldn’t slow you down, it’s a good thing, believe it or not.

There are many reasons you could be suffering from writer’s block, but knowing why you are isn’t as important as moving forward with your book.

The five-step process I’ve described for you below will help you to get over writer’s block. On the other hand, if you’re planning a book, it will get you started without procrastinating.

1. Write a Blurb First, It Keeps You on Track

Your first step is to write a blurb (a short, enticing description) of your book. Keep it under 75 words. Visit the bookstore or library to read the blurbs of books which are similar to yours. You’ll find the blurb on the back cover of a book.

2. Write Down Everything You Know About Your Topic

Your next step is to write down everything you know about your book’s topic. If you’re writing a novel, write down the story.

Write as quickly as you can, without taking your fingers from the keyboard.

This may take you many hours. Keep going. This engages both your conscious and subconscious mind in the project, so that your subconscious mind keeps “working” on the book for you.

3. Have Fun! Get Engaged and Excited

Are you having fun? If you’re not, your lack of enthusiasm will come through in your words. Get in touch with your original enthusiasm for the book, and remember why you want to write a book. See your book on bookstore shelves.

4. Blog Your Book — Build a Readership (Platform)

Every writer needs to market his book. A publisher will not do it for you — you’re responsible for sales of your book. In fact, the publisher will want to know what your plans are for marketing the book before you’re offered a contract.

The easiest way to market your book is a blog, so create a blog as soon as possible.

5. Get a Mentor

Your final step is to get a mentor for your book. Writing and publishing a book is a long process. You need instruction, guidance and inspiration from someone who’s done it, and who can guide you through it.

So there you have it — five steps to help you to write your book without writer’s block.

Recession-proof your freelance writing career

“Write More And Make More Money From Your Writing: Develop A Fast, Fun Productive Writing Process” gives you all the tools you need for a thriving writing career, no matter what the economic climate.

Three weeks after completing the class one student wrote:

“Thanks Angela, for all your help and advice in class. I’m quitting my job next week. I printed out my letter of resignation tonight after landing a contract writing job that will pay me more for three months part-time work than I earned in from my day job in the whole of 2007! You were right – the great gigs are out there, and now I’ve got the skills to land them. Your class opened my eyes. Bless you…”

“Write More And Make More Money From Your Writing: Develop A Fast, Fun Productive Writing Process” shows you how to thrive as a freelance writer. Would you like to write five times more than you’re writing now, and sell to higher-paying markets? Take the class.

Rejection is par for the course when you’re writing a book.

If you’re suffering rejections, here are some some suggestions which may help.

How to Cut Down on Your Rejections

1. Start by ensuring that you pay attention to publisher’s guidelines.

If you’ve written a cosy mystery, a publisher looking for literary fiction or travel guides will reject you. Publishers have guidelines for a reason. It’s fatal to think: “My book is great; EVERY publisher will want it.” They won’t.

2. Pay attention to mechanics, such as grammar, spelling and punctuation. Yes, these manuscript mechanics matter.

Publishers and agents received dozens (some receive hundreds) of manuscripts each week. This means that someone, usually an intern, has the unenviable task of scanning all those packages. A messy, hard-to-read manuscript gets dumped onto the ‘not for us’ pile faster than you can blink.

3. Query first.

Always send a query letter first, before you send your manuscript. Not only is this polite, it also gives a publisher or agent a chance to tell you what they’re really interested in.

If you get a letter, get excited. Receiving a letter, even a rejection, is a very big deal. You’ll only get a letter if someone likes your work, and thinks that you may come up with something one day they’ll be interested in buying. So read the letter carefully, and follow the instructions.

4. Revise your novel.

Writing a first novel is hard. Congratulations if you’ve done it. However, the chances that your effort is in a publishable state are slim. Don’t send your novel out in a first-draft state. REVISE.

Get someone who’s knowledgeable (that is, someone who’s in publishing) to read it, and make suggestions. You can ignore these suggestions, but they will give you an impetus (rage gives you energy ) to get to work and revise your novel.

Also, read a couple of books on how to revise a novel, and use them as a guide.

Unfortunately, no one in publishing these days has the time to coach or mentor you. Your novel must be as close to publishable form as possible, before you submit it.

Take heart. Writing your first novel will teach you a lot about writing. Revising it and submitting it will teach you too. With every word you write, you’re getting closer to publication.

5. Keep writing.

If you keep writing, you’ll sell eventually. There’s a lot to learn, and the only way to succeed, and beat rejections, is to keep writing.

Write more – become a pro writer

Yes, you can write more and become an expert writer – even if you’re a world-class procrastinator.

Did you know that when you write more, your writing improves? Many of my writing students experience this. They find that when they write more, writing is easier for them – they’re not dominated by their inner editor.

My new writing class, “Write More And Make More Money From Your Writing: Develop A Fast, Fun Productive Writing Process” is based on lessons I developed for my private coaching students to help them to write more, improve their writing, and make more money writing.

If you’re struggling with your writing, the class will help. The techniques you’ll learn in class with help you write fiction, nonfiction, and copy for business.

Discover how you can write more, improve your writing, and sell more of your writing to higher-paying markets.