Do you want to write a book, and get it published? Many people do. In this article, you’ll learn some confidential secrets about the publishing industry which will help you to get your book in bookstores.

My own career as an author started over three decades ago, and I wish I’d known then what I know now. I would have avoided a lot of heartache and frustration.

Here’s the first secret: successful authors think in terms of several books, never of just one, because this is the way publishers think. It takes time to build your name, and win readers. When you’re a complete unknown, a publisher is counting on you to build your readership with each book. Publishers need to know that you will write a second, third and fourth book, not just one.

Here’s another secret. It will take time to sell your first book. It may take a couple of years, and then another year or two while it progresses through the publication process. Use this time wisely. Write more books.

You need to believe in yourself to become a bestselling author. Therefore, think in terms of three or four books, right from the beginning.

When a publisher is considering publishing your first book, your work habits will be a primary consideration. Publishers expect that they may lose a little money on a first book. If they’re convinced that you can and will write more books, and that you’ll win readers, you stand a great chance of getting a publication contract.

Yes, I know that it can be a challenge to think of your next books before you’ve completed your first one. However, if you do, you’ll stand a better chance of being published. Always be writing. An agent will consider your work habits before he agrees to represent you. Any publisher considering offering you a contract will also consider what you’ve written in the past, and what you’re writing now.

Successful authors line up their second book before they complete their first one. A book is just a book. It may or may not be successful. Publishers and agents know this. You should know it too — it should inspire you to keep writing.

Most aspiring authors worry about the publication of their first book while they’re writing it. This is a mistake. Focus on completing the book, and then on completing the next one.

Before you know it, you’ll be offered a publishing contract for several books, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a successful author.

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Want to write a book in just 20 minutes a day? If you’re been putting off writing because you “don’t have time”, consider that bestselling author John Grisham wrote his first book during his morning train commute. You can accomplish a great deal in short blocks of time.

Here’s a secret: I’ve always written my books in 20 minute sessions. Initially, when I wrote novels, it was because my children needed me. I got into the habit.

Although I’m a full-time writer now, I still write books in 20 minute blocks of time, because it’s efficient and eliminates procrastination. There’s a lot of theory around why working in short sessions is so effective, and I won’t bore you with it, just know that it does work.

1. What Do You Want to Write About? It’s OK if You Don’t Know

If you’d love to write, starting presents such challenges that many people wimp out.

So how do you start a book? You sneak up on it. It’s fine to start without knowing more than the simple fact that you want to write… something. Sit down. Do some free writing, or some writing exercises. (I post daily writing exercises and tips to Twitter, if you’d like to join us.)

Do this for several days; never force. You’re training your subconscious mind to be creative on demand, and this takes a little time.

2. Schedule a Time to Write Your Book

We’re all so busy these days that everything needs to be scheduled. Schedule the 20 minutes you’ll work on your book. It can be any time at all; even your lunch hour at work. Just schedule it, down to the minute, and when that time of day arrives, start writing.

3. Relax: Creativity Is Playful

I can’t emphasize enough that your creative inspiration is playful. You can’t force it. Write however, wherever and whenever feels good to you (as long as you schedule it). Fifteen years ago, I went through a phase of writing book-length material on a Palm Pilot. I know writers who favor a certain type of paper, a special fountain pen and color of ink. One writer I know writes in the bathtub.

Whatever your own creative self demands, give in to it.

4. Write Whatever Comes to Mind: Don’t Expect to “Know” Too Soon

If you’re writing nonfiction, even a creative form of nonfiction, you’ll usually know what you want to write about before you start — although you may not.

Fiction is different. Many novelists start off writing with nothing more than an image, or a feeling. Be relaxed about this. Your left brain is logical and wants to know exactly what you’re writing. However your creative right brain isn’t verbal, and doesn’t care. Trust your right brain: your innate creativity will deliver.

So: start to write your book in your spare time. Everyone can spare 20 minutes a day.

Have fun when you write your book with Angela’ Booth’s great tips

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All books, whether fiction or nonfiction, for print or digital delivery, need editing. If you realize this before you start to write your book you can relax during the writing process, because you know that you’ll fix problems in a later draft.

Although you can hire an editor — if you’re submitting to a major publishing house an editor can be very useful — you should do the editing on the first and second drafts yourself.

This is because you know your book. You know what you want to say, so hiring an editor before your book is ready can cause damage — there’s every chance that you’ll lose your vision for your book.

So, let’s assume you’ve written a first draft, and are ready to edit.

1. Create an Outline from What You’ve Written

Your first step is to read through your book, and create an outline from what you’ve actually written. Create the outline in another document, and print it out.

If you see gaps in the structure where you need material, mark these areas on the draft.

2. Use Index Cards to Rearrange the Structure of Your Book

It’s a rare book which doesn’t need major structural changes. Get a stack of index cards, and if you’re writing fiction, write a sentence for each scene on a card.

Lay the cards out on a large table, or on the floor, and move scenes around.

3. For Fiction: Is There Suspense?

Rearranging your scenes is essential if you’re writing a novel. You don’t want to reveal too much too soon. Your book should keep up suspense until the final page.

4. For Nonfiction: Do You Deliver on Your Promises?

If you’re writing nonfiction, decide whether you deliver on the promises you made in the title, and in your book proposal.

This is easy to miss, believe it or not.

5. Cut Away the Undergrowth

Now you’ve got the structure of the book the way you want it, it’s time to take a machete to the undergrowth. This can be hard, but steel yourself.

If you’re writing fiction, eliminate characters who aren’t necessary. If you’re writing nonfiction, cut everything which doesn’t contribute to what you want the book to deliver to readers.

6. Rewrite

All done? Great. Now rewrite, tightening as you go.

Once you’ve done the rewrite, you’ve completed your second draft, and your book is close to ready to send out.

Have fun when you write your book with Angela’s great tips

The tips in Angela Booth’s free report, Write a Book: Powerful Writing Tips to Help You to Write YOUR Book, will teach you the strategies of a professional writer.

Do you want to write a book? Let’s look at three tips which will help you to success.

1. Write What You Know

“Write what you know” is time-honored advice which is given to many writers. Of course, you’re not limited to what you know from personal experience, you can do research.

However the closer your book is to your own experiences in life, the easier it will be to write, and the greater the likelihood that you will be published. Having experience in an area makes you credible to publishers.

This applies to fiction as well as nonfiction. For example, if you’re writing a novel about a medical examiner, then it’s advisable to get some experience in this area before you start writing about it.

Similarly, if you’re writing nonfiction, if you want to write about parenting it’s best to start out by being a parent — or at least an academic who’s done studies on parenting.

2. Write What People Want to Buy

Is your idea sales-worthy? It can be hard to estimate what will sell, because the books which are currently on the bestseller list were written 2 to 5 years ago. However, you can learn a lot from bestseller lists in general. Study the bestseller lists, and visit your local bookshop as often as you can.

Books which sell have a great deal in common: they’re written about topics that people care about. And again, this applies in both fiction and nonfiction.

Try using Google’s keyword research tool, to check how many searches there are on the topic of your book. If there are no searches, or just a meager four searches a month, this means that your topic isn’t of general interest, and it will be just about impossible to get publishers interested.

3. Sell Your Book Before You Write It

This tip applies only to nonfiction. If you’re writing a novel, you’ll have to complete your book before publishers will agree to give you a contract. (However, looking on bright side, if you do get a contract, it may well be a multi-book contract.)

If you’re writing nonfiction, write three chapters, and an outline of your book, and then try to sell it. Most nonfiction is sold on the basis of a proposal, which includes an overview of the book, a marketing plan, and several chapters and an outline.

Write more – become a pro writer

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

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Do you want to write a book proposal that sells? Here’s the answer: realize that it’s a sales document. You’re writing to persuade publishers that your book is worth investing in. You must persuade publishers that your book will make a profit, because too many books don’t.

1. Your Book in a Nutshell: Create a Blurb

Go to your local bookstore.

Spend half an hour or so there, reading the back cover material of books in both the fiction and nonfiction sections. You’re reading blurbs. The book’s author wrote the blurb and wise authors start a book by writing their blurb before they write anything.

Yes, your blurb needs to be written before you start writing your book: it encapsulates the book. Essentially, it’s a description.

The reason you write the blurb first is because any book morphs as you write it. As long as you have a blurb, you have a direction and a goal. Without a blurb your book starts of with a bang but never goes anywhere. I won’t say that it’s impossible to write a book without writing a blurb first half, but it’s much more difficult than it should be, and it will take longer too, because you wander down too many sidetracks.

Therefore your first step in writing your book proposal and indeed your book, is writing a blurb. Your blurb should encapsulate your book in no more than 100 words.

2. What’s Your Competition? (Competition Is Good)

Your book isn’t published in isolation. Around 1000 new books are published in English each and every week. Many of those books won’t make back the money that was invested in them. You can imagine that no publisher is interested in publishing duds. Therefore your publisher is very interested in the “competition” section of your book, as indeed you must be.

Write down five books, preferably bestsellers, which will be your book’s competition. Can’t find five books? If you can’t find at least five top-selling books in your subject area, then find another. Your book must have competition — competition shows that people are spending in that area.

Now, while competition is good, your book must not be an “me too” kind of book. It must have a point of difference. It must be appreciably different from its competitors, as well as compelling in its own right, before a publisher will consider it.

3. Build Your Platform: Marketing Is Everything

It comes as a horrible shock to most new authors when they discover that their publisher is not in the least interested in marketing their book. Even when you have a publisher, it’s up to you to market your book.

Marketing starts before you write your book.

These days, with the prevalence of blogs, marketing your book is easy.

Big tip: if there’s no interest in a blog on the topic of your book, find another topic. Start your blog before you write your book, and work hard to get readers. The more readers you get the more likely it is that a publisher will be interested in your book.

Your book proposal determines the fate of your book: it needs to be a professionally written sales tool. You can get help from Angela Booth. Not only is Angela a top copywriter, she’s also an author who’s been published by major publishers. Angela offers a complete book proposal service, as well as writing coaching. Discuss your project with Angela today.

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