The 13 Step Process To Write A Book in 2024 [Free Templates]

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably always dreamed about writing a book.

Well, in this post we’ll show you everything you need to know about how to write a book using a thirteen-step process.

But first… why would you want to write a book in the first place?

Because it’s an amazing accomplishment to see your words in print.

To hold a copy of your finished book in your hands.

To show it to your friends and family.

To see your book on bookshelves and in book stores.

But it’s also a frustrating and lonely process.

You’ll have ups and downs, and you’ll probably want to give up at least a dozen times.

You’ll wonder if you have anything of worth to say and if it’s worth all the self-doubt.

Is what you are writing good enough?

Should you even publish it?

The key is to plan your book and keep plugging away at it.

They say Rome wasn’t built in a day.

So too goes with writing a book.

I know this is true because I’ve written a few books myself.

In fact, I’ve also worked with hundreds of authors developing their books, and over time I’ve learned the process and I’m going to share a little bit of it here.

In this blog post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about writing a book so you can have success.

What is the Book Writing Process?

As you become more of an experienced writer, the way you write changes.

Also, the method you use to write is different depending on the kind of book you’re writing.

The way you write a business book is different from how you write a self-help book and that’s different from writing science fiction.

For a more in-depth look at how to write a business book click HERE

There are distinct stages of the writing process to follow, and each has its particular challenges.

It’s not always a straightforward process.

Sometimes you need to go back and rewrite or you may throw out complete chunks of the book.

Thankfully it does get easier the more you write.

But before going through the steps, let’s learn the tools of the trade.

The Writing Tools

We will start off with talking about the writing tools.

Having the proper writing tools is essential to success.

At one point it may have been best to simply use a pen and paper (although I hear that Neil Gaiman still writes his first draft using pen and paper) for most of us, it’s best to have the right setup in order to be successful.

Thankfully, you don’t need much.

I would recommend a computer with the latest Microsoft Word with a relatively fast computer.

It doesn’t need to be top of the line but I would recommend a computer with at least 8 gigabytes of ram and an i5 processor.

It can be tempting to buy a cheaper computer but I would caution against it.

You’ll just end up banging your head against your wall as you wait for your computer to boot up.

If you’re a mac person, you’ll have fewer performance problems.

If you’re doing a lot of interviews or you are a person who likes to talk out their ideas I would recommend you use some sort of transcription tool.

To transcribe, there are a lot of different tools and programs out there.

I use a program called Scribie which is a cheap transcribing tool with two settings.

The first is the machine automated transcription which charges $0.10 a minute and can be done in a matter of minutes.

The other option is a little more expensive at $0.80 a minute but you have a human transcribing it.

To keep the costs affordable, I use a combination of both depending on the quality of the recording and the technical difficulties of the subject matter.

Another good transcription tool is Descript which is a powerful tool that can do a lot more than just transcribe.

What I like about Descript is that it’s easy to automatically filter out any filler words like ‘uh’ or ‘like.’

In the past, I have used voice recorders to capture my subject, but these days, I simply use my smartphone which does an excellent job of picking up sound and voice.

I then upload the transcriptions onto Google Drive for safekeeping.

Editor’s note: Always backup your work, no matter what. Whether it’s notes, interviews, drafts etc. I keep my writing on the computer’s hard drive, Google Drive, and an external hard drive. You never know if you’ll have a fire, a computer virus or a system failure. 

Once you have a working document, I use two programs for spelling and grammar: Grammarly and ProWritingAid.

I find both have their pros and cons in terms of style and catching mistakes.

I rely a little more on Grammarly since it has a larger vocabulary and therefore seems to catch more mistakes.

I guess that’s not surprising since it has over a hundred million daily users.

The free version covers the basics, including grammar punctuation and spelling, which is often good enough for a lot of people, but I would highly recommend professional writers grab the premium version.

I have the premium version of both Grammarly and ProWritingAid, which allows me to work efficiently and effectively.

And they aren’t too expensive. Grammarly costs $144 if you buy a year’s subscription or $30 a month if you don’t want to commit to the entire year.

ProWritingAid is a little less expensive (but as I mentioned not as robust) at $20 a month or $79 a year.

However, they also have a lifetime option which is $399 which is a steal for any writers.

Because I know I will be writing lots, I’ve paid for the entire year of Grammarly which saves some money and with ProWritingAid, I bought the lifetime membership.

While Grammarly is great, it is no replacement for a human editor who can catch mistakes that fall through the automated cracks. (More on that later.)

As somebody who writes and edits for a living, I’m always surprised at how many spelling typos and mistakes can occur, even to the best of us.

The other tool I like to use is Dragon Dictate which is sold by Nuance.

(No… Not that kind of dragon!)

Now, this might be a preference for you because at $250 for the basic version, it isn’t cheap but it can improve productivity, especially on that all-important first draft.

But when I’m feeling fatigued, Dragon Dictate can help me accomplish more.

And while I definitely prefer to write the old-fashioned way (as I’m doing right now) if you are someone who likes to process thoughts and ideas verbally then Dragon Dictate might be a good investment.

Regardless of which tools you decide to use, think of them as an investment, not as an expense.

If Grammarly or ProWritingAid cut your editing time in half then you can go on to spending your time on more worthwhile activists (like spending time with your family or building a business.)

And if Dragon Dictate cuts down the time it takes you to write your book it will decrease your frustration and make it more enjoyable.

Remember, the goal of any tool is to free up your time as much as possible so you can be fast and efficient.

Book Length

Before you start writing, you need to think about the length of the book you want to write.

The usual non-fiction book is around 200 to 300 pages which works out to between 50,000 and 60,000 words.

Now, with the magic of the e-book, writers have experimented with different book lengths and a lot of books are shorter these days as tastes change and people find they have less time to consume the written word.

Just like how technology has changed the length of television shows (without commercials), books can be printed in any kind of length and there is nothing stopping us from experimenting with different lengths and forms.

But nevertheless, you should know the typical book lengths that traditional publishers are looking for.

However, these are just guidelines and if you really feel passionately that you want to write a longer (or shorter) book then by all means don’t let these guidelines stop you.

Here is the typical book lengths:

Fiction

• Literary Fiction 50,000-60,000 words
• Romance: 70,000–100,000 words
• Science Fiction / Fantasy: 90,000–150,000  words
• Historical Fiction: 80,000–100,000 words
  Thrillers/Mysteries 60,000- 80,000 words

Non-Fiction

• Lead magnet books 5,000-25,000 words
• History 70,000-80,000 words
• Business book 60,000-70,000 words
• Memoir: 80,000–100,000 words
• Biography: 80,000–200,000 words
• How-to  50,000-60,000 words
• Self-Help: 40,000–50,000 words

It’s essential to consider your audience and why you’re writing this book.

Will they want to read a longer book or would a short book be just as impactful?

Don’t fill your book with fluff just because you think it should be longer.

People’s attention span tends to be less so I would tend to cut out as much as possible while still being impactful.

The Author’s Mindset

How many people have an unfinished manuscript in their draw or tell you about this awesome idea they have for a book or screenplay?

Far too many…

Now before we go any further I want you to repeat after me: “I’m an author… I’m an author.”

Complete that mantra over and over again until you believe it.

Stare at yourself in the mirror if that makes it easier or say it over and over again before you get up for breakfast.

I know it may seem silly but it works.

Trust me!

Visualize what success looks like.

Imagine yourself at that book signing.

Picture yourself up on stage in front of thousands of people chanting your name.

See your name on the New York Times’ Bestsellers List

Whatever your goal may be…these images will keep you going in your darkest hours.

Writing a book takes great mental fortitude and if you don’t believe in yourself it can be difficult to find the motivation in order to struggle through the difficult parts of the writing process.

To overcome this, I recommend that you get some writer friends.

You can either join a creative writing class of some kind, a writer’s club or if you prefer online, there are plenty of Facebook groups out there that can help.

I can’t overestimate the importance of having a community.

While having friends and family is great, there is no substitute for befriending people who are struggling with the same thing as you are.

You can help each other through the rough parts together.

Many people will skip over this section but I encourage you to take your mindset seriously.

Often times it isn’t about the book itself but how you think of yourself as an author that makes the difference between success and failure.

Study Other Books In Your Niche

You should always be learning about what other authors are doing in your field.

If you’re planning on writing a self-help book then read everything Tony Robbins, Dale Carnegie, and Eckhart Tolle have written.

Study them like you need to write a paper about them.

Find out what you like and don’t like about them.

This will help you immensely as you sit down to write your own book.

You would be surprised at how many people tell me that they want to write a book about a specific topic but they don’t read books in that genre.

To be a good writer, you need to be a good reader.

Keep an eye on the bestsellers lists for what’s new in your field.

If you’re a business owner, you keep tabs on what others are doing in your field, right?

Why should it be different when you’re writing?

Lastly, since you aren’t going to be able to read everything, you should read the reviews and see what people are saying.

Reviews are an incredibly helpful way to find out what people like and don’t like and you can adjust your own book accordingly.

1. Create a Writing Plan

Now you know the tools, the first step to writing a book is to create a plan.

This is where many writers fail.

They state their intention to write a book, but never sit down and create a plan for getting this done.

Some things you should consider:

• How often will you write?
• When will you write?
• What is your daily word count?
• When do you feel most creative?
• How will you organize your day to weave in your writing?
• What will you do the days you get stuck?

Writing a book may be creative but you won’t feel creative or motivated every day so planning will help you get through those slumps.

Momentum is extremely important when writing a book so I would highly recommend that you at least try to work on your book 5 to 6 days a week, even if it’s only for thirty minutes.

Next, you should set some daily, weekly, and monthly targets for yourself.

Now, I know… I can hear the groans already but this will help keep you motivated and on track.

For myself, I usually aim to write around a thousand words a day.

This keeps me in alignment with my target. If I know that I can write a thousand words a day, I can finish the first draft of a 60,000 book in around two months.

You should also track your process to see how many words you are writing a day.

You can do this on a simple excel spreadsheet or a piece of paper.

Lastly, you need a dedicated writing space, free from distractions.

If you’re working from the kitchen countertop, you are just setting yourself up for failure.

It doesn’t matter so much where it is so long as it’s comfortable and you can get work done.

Ideally, this should be a spot of your own that you don’t have to share with anybody.

A place you can leave empty coffee mugs without worrying about offending somebody else.

You might want to consider putting up inspirational quotes from famous writers or people you admire. (I know it sounds cheesy but trust me, it works.)

Having your own, dedicated space won’t only make you more productive, it will help with your creativity, giving you the freedom to come up with new ideas that wouldn’t be possible otherwise.

2. Create a Marketing Plan

This is traditionally the last step of the book writing process but I will challenge you to do it before you start writing.

Why?

Because if you want to be a professional you need to act like a professional.

I’m sure you know the importance of marketing and salesmanship.

If you want to send your book to a publisher, they will ask about your marketing potential ie how many books can you sell.

They’ll look at your social media outreach and engagement and make a decision based on that.

Not on how good or bad your book is.

I know it’s a sad comment on the state of the book publishing industry but those are the fact.

Besides, you don’t want to leave marketing until the end or treat it as an afterthought anyways.

And marketing is way… way… way too important to be treated as an afterthought.

Half the battle is writing the book.

THE OTHER HALF IS MARKETING IT!!

You’ve slaved so hard over your book.

It would be a shame if nobody read it, wouldn’t it?

By starting a marketing plan and creating a budget early you will have greater success when you launch the book.

When it comes to marketing, you have two types of marketing energies, time and money.

Start a fresh Google Calendar and plan out where and how you’re going to put your marketing energy.

Are you going to spend your energy on social media connecting and posting?

Are you going to spend money on social media, Amazon ads or guest posting on other blogs?

One great (and free!) way of marketing is getting on podcasts and sharing your message that way.

There are a ton of free resources and podcast directories that can help you find the right audience.

Here are just some examples:

1. Google podcast
2. Podcast Guests
3. Tunein
4. Podcastbookers
5. Matchmaker.fm
6. The Podcast Host

Remember: DON’T WAIT UNTIL YOU’VE FINISHED YOUR BOOK TO REACH OUT!

I know I’m yelling but this is important!

You want to build anticipation up to the release of your book.

And the only way you’ll do that is if you start marketing today!

And I mean TODAY!

However, a word of warning here about overwhelm.

You can’t do everything at once!

You’ll want to pick three marketing channels, preferably ones you’re already familiar with and push your book through those channels.

Many authors mistakenly try to market everywhere and hence get lost or push their book through channels they are unfamiliar with.

If you hate a particular social media channel, don’t ever post there.

You’re not going to be able to sustain an online presence if you hate doing it.

So make it fun.

If you got a dollar of energy or a dollar of time to spend, you always want to spend it on your existing clients.

I know what you’re thinking right now.

I’m not a business person.

I don’t’ have any existing clients.

Those are your friends and families.

People who you already have a relationship with will bring you the highest rate of return because you maintain those relationships regularly.

They will be your evangelists, helping spread the word about your book, posting it on social media and telling their friends and their customers. Don’t underestimate their importance.

Next, you might want to consider who you know that might benefit from your book and target them.

This might be an old customer who you need to reengage or somebody you’ve met at a networking event or through some other business channel.

Not only can you discuss your book but some other business might appear as well.

It’s a win-win.

3. Create An Outline

To outline or not to outline… that is the question.

Many writers have struggled with this eternal question.

And yes, you can be incredibly successful without creating an outline.

A lot of the best authors don’t use an outline… Stephen King, Lee Child, Isaac Asimov, and many others.

But the difference between you and them is that they have the experience to get themselves out of a hole they dug where you might not.

And once you’re in a hole, it’s very easy to just give up.

Authors who don’t write outlines believe that it kills the creativity, the spontaneity of the process but that’s simply not the case.

Just because you have an outline doesn’t mean that you have to follow it.

It is just there as a guide to help you through the rough patches.

And as a newbie or newish writer, it definitely helps to have a framework that will guide you through the process.

Now that you’ve established outlining is a good practice… how do you go about creating one?

It doesn’t matter what form this takes but ideally, it should be something that is easy to adjust as you come up with new ideas.

That’s why I like to use Google Docs. It allows me to add notes, add things as I go or revert to past documents as needed.

Outlining starts with figuring out how many chapters you want in your book and what the chapter is about.

For example, if I was going to write a book about science fiction I would write it out like this:

Chapter 1: History of Science Fiction

Then you should put bullet points of all the aspects you wish to cover in that chapter.

Chapter 1: History of Science Fiction

• Was Frankienstein the first sci-fic novel?
• Why the 1950s were the golden age of sci-fi
• The first robot to appear in a short story
• The influence of Star Trek in pop culture

…And so on.

You should do this until you have finished your outline.

Now, how many chapters should you have?

The answer is obvious if frustrating… as many as it takes to cover whatever subject you are writing about.

But as a general rule, I would say the minimum number of chapters you should have is 10 and the most is 30 unless you are trying to write the next Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

4. Your Target Market (Your Fans!)

Just like you target your clients, you’ll need to target your book audience.

Who exactly are you writing this book for?

Some examples of your readers may be:

• Friends & family
• Clients or potential clients
• Genre lovers
• Readers looking to learn or be inspired
• Someone looking for entertainment
• People looking for a connection

Are you targeting someone who wants to exercise more or someone who wants a little entertainment?

Your target will also likely define your tone and voice.

It may be even useful to write out your avatar.

• What do they do on a daily basis?
• What are their interests and hobbies?
• Where do they work?

Picture them in your head as you write.

As creepy as it may sound, you should have a conversation with them as you write.

Stephen King writes to one person… his wife!

He has millions of fans, millions of readers but when he writes, he doesn’t picture them.

He pictures his wife reading his book and writes it for her.

Think about what would help them and what actionable advice they need.

One of the most rewarding aspects of writing a book is that it will get read by thousands, hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions of people around the world.

It is a great piece of evergreen marketing content that you can use over and over again.

5. Come Up With A Title

Coming up with a book title is often harder than it looks, so start thinking about it early.

The first thing you will need to understand is the genre you are writing in.

For example, a mystery novel has a much different title than a self-help book or an autobiography.

You probably can’t get away with naming your memoir “And Then There Were None”

(Unless of course, you are a retired LAPD detective!)

So what goes into a good book title?

It’s a difficult question to answer because there isn’t a formula you can use to come up with a good book title.

(For the love of all things sacred, please don’t use a Title Generation tool!)

There are so many different elements and a lot of it is just gut instinct and experience.

So to help you out, here are some of my favourite titles to give you some inspiration:

• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K Dick
• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
• Everything I Never Told You by Celete Ng
• Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
• The Electric Ook-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe
• The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
• The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time by Mark Haddon
• Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
• The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris
• Eat, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss

A good title should both tell the reader what the book is about but also pique his or her curiosity enough that they want to pick up the book and start reading.

The classic “How To Win Friends and Influence People” is a perfect title because it tells the reader exactly what is inside but also asks the question: “what are the exact steps I need to take in order to achieve that outcome?” 

Tim Ferris’ book is also a great example of this.

Who wouldn’t want to work only four hours a week?

It solves a problem that millions of people are trying to figure out.

Lastly, you should definitely make the title unforgettable.

“The Devil Wears Prada” is a perfect example of a title that brings up such a perfect visualization that it sticks in your mind.

Take your time with your title and test it with some of your friends and family and sees if it resonates with them.

Don’t settle on something just because you can’t think of something better.

It’s going to be one of, if not your primary, tool to sell your book!

6. Plan Your Cover Design

A good cover is one of the most important aspects of your book.

And yet most authors don’t even think about it.

You might want to consider hiring a designer to create your book cover first.

Why?

The book cover will motivate you to finish your book.

It makes the book real and tangible.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve felt demotivated or defeated and staring at that cover design with my name on it motivated me to keep going.

There are tons of ways to find freelance graphic designers on websites like Upwork, Freelancer or 99Designs which offers you a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

It’s a little more expensive than your typical freelancer site but the result is definitely worth it.

I’ve used all three websites and they are all excellent.

With Upwork and Freelancer, you might have to dig around until you find the right freelancer.

Many of these freelancers charge little and work on volume so they aren’t always responsive but one you find the right one, they are worth their weight in gold.

99Designs is a little different because you can create a contest and choose the cover design you like the best.

This is great especially if you’re not experienced with graphic design and aren’t really sure what you want.

If you are planning on a traditional publisher, you don’t need to create a book cover.

The publisher will likely have an in-house graphic designer who specializes in book designer who will create the cover for you.

Best of all, it’s on the publisher’s dime!

However, I would still encourage you to spend $50 and get a cheap version of how you’d like your book to look.

Writing is a lonely process and it can be difficult to get through the downtimes and having something tangible can really help.

7. Post on Social Media and Your Website

We’ve already spoken about social media but I want to touch on it once more but for different reasons.

You’ll also want to post on social media that you’re writing a book because it will hold you accountable.

Do a weekly post about the process of your book and if you hit your goals for the week or not.

It’s like having a free writing coach!

Your friends will cheer you on and having that social pressure might be uncomfortable but it will definitely give you the motivation to get up an hour earlier and write instead of sleeping in.

If you have a website you should also write a blog post about it.

(If you don’t have a website, you really should get one.)

Your website doesn’t need to be anything fancy.

All you need is a one pager with the title of the book (if you have one) and an email intake form so when the book is released, you can send an email blast for them to buy the book.

When your friends and family keep hounding you about your book and when it will be finished then you’ll be much more likely to finish it.

Trust me on this one.

8. Plan Out Your Writing Schedule

Once you have a plan, start writing.

I like to write while listening to Spotify.

In fact, as I edit this I’m listening to a 90s playlist.

(What can I say? I’m a 90s child!)

I know some writers who like to write to the sound of the ocean.

To each their own. Find something that works for you.

Also, figure out where you write best.

Is it in a coffee shop or do you need to be home or at the office? My wife only seems to be able to write between the hours of midnight at twelve o’clock.

Go figure.

I work best first thing in the morning because that’s when I’m most creative but you might find you work best in the evening or late at night.

Regardless, you must decide when you want to write and most importantly  BLOCK THAT TIME OUT!

Sorry for shouting there but it’s important.

If you don’t schedule the time and focus on your writing, it won’t get done.

Trust me as a procrastinator in chief, I know all about trying to avoid the hard work!

Remember that Google Calendar that you used to plan out your marketing? Use it to schedule your writing time.

And don’t do anything else!

Even if you just stare at your computer, don’t be tempted to pick up your phone or check your email.

Eventually, you’ll get into the groove and you’ll start to write.

9. Defeat Writers’ Block

You know I used to not believe in writers’ block.

I thought it was a myth.

But then I experienced it myself and I just couldn’t write.

My writers’ block came about because I was overwhelmed with everything that was going on in my life. I became incapable of blocking the world out.

Do you know how I solved writers’ block?

I started to meditate first thing in the morning.

Mediation helped me but it might not be the right tool for you.

You need to reconnect with yourself and the reason why you want to write this book in the first place.

If you’re experiencing writer’s block take some time for yourself.

It’s likely your mind’s way of saying that you need to take some time for yourself.

Here are some of the ways you can defeat writer’s block

• Take a vacation
• Meditate
• Read for fun
• Exercise
• Take up a hobby

If you’re not taking care of yourself, it’s hard to be creative.

Burning the candle at both ends may increase your productivity in short spurts but remember life is a marathon, not a sprint so play for the long run.

If you are still suffering from writers’ block then read this full post HERE

10. The Editing Process

You’ve done the first draft of your book.

Congratulations!

You should pop open a bottle of champagne (or at least sparkling wine!) and celebrate.

Take some time off and do something you love.

But when you’re ready to come back to work, you’ll need to edit your book.

You’ll want to first edit your own book.

The first step is to edit for content.

What do I mean by this?

Don’t worry too much about spelling or grammar at the moment.

That will come later.

You’ll want to ask yourself:

• Does the book flow?
• Does it even make sense?
• Does it drag at any place?

Get some beta readers to read your book next.

Beta readers should be people who are familiar with your genre but aren’t too close to you that they won’t tell you the truth.

If your book sucks then they should be able to tell you!

(If your book does suck, please don’t despair. It’s alright. It’s much easier to fix the book once it’s out of your head.)

Take the advice of your beta readers into consideration.

You don’t need to change everything that they say, but most likely they have more than a few good suggestions.

Next, you’ll want to pick through your book with a fine-tooth comb for grammatical and spelling mistakes.

However, you won’t catch everything with is why you want to hire a professional.

Again, you plan to go the traditionally published route, you might not need to hire an editor but be warned that how professional your book appears when the agent reads it will factor in to rather he or she picks you up.

You’ll want to find someone who will read the book, suggest edits, proofread and make it professional.

Editors are not 100 percent perfect, but in many cases, they will do a better job editing the book with fresh eyes than you could.

11. Publishing Your Book

These days you have a lot of different options to publish your book.

These are just a few self-publishing options you can choose from.

Amazon

Amazon allows full control of your book which is a fresh alternative to traditional publishers where you have no control and are at the whim of some person in New York who thinks they know what is best for your book.

With Amazon, you can set the price of your royalty rate and where your book is published.

You’ll also want to publish an ebook. Most writers these days make a lot more money with their digital sales than print.

Kindle uses the MOBI format while Kobo uses EPUB.

I use a free online conversion tool to convert my word document into these formats so it easy enough to switch between formats.

All these platforms are free to join an offer anywhere from 35% to 85% of the royalties, which is a much larger percentage when you look at traditional publishing models.

While Amazon is a great tool that allows you to upload your manuscript easily, format it correctly, and check for errors, the book cover process can be a bit frustrating.

In the past, I have found when the image on the cover bleeds over onto the edges, it can give you error messages and it can be unclear how to fix them.

Lastly, Amazon allows authors to purchase their books at a heavy discount, so the book usually ends up being only a couple of bucks for each copy.

It usually turns out that shipping is usually the most expensive aspect.

iBooks

Apple’s iBooks is the second-biggest ebook distributor after Amazon.

Its more than 40 country-specific ebook stores give unique benefits to authors: They can price their books differently in each country depending on the prices of comparable books, and even set prices in the local currency.

Moreover, authors can schedule free book and discount offers anytime, and there is no exclusive distribution contract.

To publish directly on iBooks, you must have a Mac device; else you will have to go through an ebook aggregator.

Apple offers a flat 70% royalty rate.

IngramSpark

IngramSpark is a self-publishing service established by Ingram, the world’s leading distributor of print books connected to around 40,000 bookstores, libraries, and online retailers in more than 150 countries.

IngramSpark charges a 53% commission for sales to bookstores and 30% to online retailers, after deducting book production costs.

They also charge a $49 set-up fee and a $12 annual fee.

Smashwords

Smashwords is another large platform from which you can easily publish on other platforms including Apple iBooks, Barnes & Nobles, Scribe and more.

Kobo

For Canadian audiences, there is, of course, Kobo which is a little bit harder to navigate and needs different formatting than Amazon but is a great option for authors who want to sell to a local audience.

I personally own a Kobo and love it.

12. Traditional or Self-Publish Your Book?

No matter whether you decide to publish a book through a traditional publisher or on Amazon, you will have to be prepared to do the marketing for it.

Don’t expect some large publisher or marketing agency to swoop in and save the day for you.

A common complaint about traditional publishing is that authors have to do the bulk of the work promoting their own books.

Unfortunately, that is the reality of the modern world.

With the industry in its current state, marketing staff are almost non-existent and publishes have to make strategic decisions what how many resources they put into a book.

That means unless you are Elon Musk or Sheryl Sandberg you will likely have to do most, if not all, the marketing yourself.

That doesn’t mean that traditional publishers can open doors that would normally be shut to you but you need to do most of the heavy lifting and you need to take the lead on marketing for yourself.

13. Your Book Launch

This is another time for you to celebrate.

Most likely you’ve spent hours, if not years of hard work writing your book so you should celebrate your achievement.

Now it’s time to plan some fanfare around the launch of your book.

You should have planned this way back in step two when you decided on how to market your book.

Now is just time to execute your plan.

Remember there are between 600,000 and 1,000,000 books published every year and so you need to think about ways to stand out from everyone else.

Here are a couple of options on how you can promote the launch of your book.

One option is a launch party.

Here are some aspects you should consider when planning your launch party:

1- Find the right venue

Consider the location, number of guests, and atmosphere you want to create.

Some authors like the intimacy and accessibility that a small coffee shop provides. Others prefer more open space and host their launches at a bookstores .

2- Invite anyone and everyone you know (and we do mean EVERYONE!)

A book launch is a unique opportunity to market, sell, and promote your book to a large audience. Even the people you barely know may show up, buy a book, then tell all their friends about it. Comb your email lists, Facebook friends, and social circles for people to invite.

3- Use social media to your advantage

We’ve spoken a lot about social media in this post and for good reason. It’s a cheap and effective promotional tool. Make a Facebook event for your book launch and add all your friends. Use Twitter to announce the time and location of your launch with a picture of the venue and your book.

Lastly, make an eye-catching video promoting your book and post it online to draw attention to your launch. Try to post every day for the two weeks before the event to remind your followers. Don’t worry about overpromoting! You might annoy some of your followers but it’s better than having an underwhelming launch!

4- Bring a LOT of books

One of the biggest mistakes authors make is to bring too few books. It’s better to overestimate the size of the audience and have books left over than to run out of books at the biggest sales event you may ever have.

5- Prepare something to say

You don’t need to give a long speech, but your guests will want to hear from you during the event. If it’s a large venue, make sure you have a microphone available. When you speak, address those who have come to support you and briefly describe what this book means to you. Your audience will appreciate a funny anecdote about the process or a sweet dedication to someone who contributed to your journey. Keep it light but make it memorable.

You can be creative in how you plan it.

Give incentives for ordering your book.

If it fits into your branding, you can offer a complimentary speaking gig to organizations that order your book in bulk.

And yet another option is to provide a free coaching call to those ordering copies in advance or some extra chapters.

Everybody loves bonuses and extras. Give people a reason to order.

You can either do a physical book launch or an online one. (Hint: doing both can double your impact.)

With the pandemic everybody is online so you definitely need to find several ways to push it through social media channels.

You should do a Facebook Live event or a Hangout, but if you serve people in a specific area, have a physical launch where you read and sign copies of your book is also a really good idea.

Who Should Hire A Ghostwriter?

It may seem like a miracle that athletes, actors, celebrities, entrepreneurs, and business executives find time in their busy schedules to also write best-selling books.

While these Type A personalities are usually masters at multitasking, writing a book takes hundreds of hours.

How can they do it all?

They may in fact just be great at leveraging their time to produce a book that will help them achieve their goals.

Behind the story of these men and women, is usually a ghostwriter who gives them a little bit of help focusing the story and doing a lot, if not all, of the writing for them.

By some estimates, as many as 60% of the nonfiction books to hit the bestsellers lists are written by ghostwriters.

Many people who employ a ghostwriter are in fact, great storytellers and great writers, but they just don’t have the time to pen their story.

Sometimes the ghostwriter will write just a simple column for a newspaper and other times an entire book.

For most CEOs and entrepreneurs, they most likely did not need the income generated from a single blog article or even royalties from a book, but they need a ghostwriter to build up their personal brand.

For example, Donald Trump successfully launched his career as an international celebrity through his book the Art of the Deal.

The book was ghostwritten by Tony Schwartz who has since then famously distanced himself from Trump and the book.

Before that Trump was simply another wealthy New York real estate tycoon.

The book allowed Donald Trump to build the Trump brand, which he was then able to leverage to develop joint ventures with real estate partners across the world to build huge skyscrapers, golf courses and resorts and of course.

After that, he became a reality T.V host which, of course, was the springboard to his successful bid for President of the United States.

The Bottom Line

The mechanics of storytelling hasn’t changed even though the way we consume books has.

The lives of people have gotten more chaotic and challenging which is why you can have the privilege of helping, informing and entertaining people.

When you write a book you should consider it as a global tool that leverages your brand which can be read by people in many different countries.

Well beyond the actual book sales, your ideas in the book will spread and people will email their friends about it and post on social media as well as connect with you in person.

No matter what you do in your life, you’ll always be a published author. It is an accomplishment that nobody will ever be able to take away from you.

Ever.

Books encapsulate your ideas and make them last for generations.

Think of it. We’re still reading books that were written hundreds of years ago.

Perhaps your book will be the one that school children read in class.

Perhaps someone many years from now will be curling up in bed and reading your book before they fall asleep.

Isn’t that the coolest thing?

Further Reading

How To Build Your Author Platform

Top 10 Best Books On Writing

Tips On Hiring A Ghostwriter 

10 Steps to Launching A Successful Book

The Complete Guide to Publishing Your Book