| ther night I was in a workshop with a lovely lady | | | | much of anything before that, I was pleasantly |
| we'll call Marie who was a cancer survivor. She | | | | surprised at how easy it was. My life is comprised |
| began to tell different stories about her life - not | | | | of a series of events which I turned into a book |
| just about her journey with cancer, but other | | | | which is a reflection of my contemplation of what |
| parts of her world that captivated me and | | | | that all means in today's working environment. |
| everyone else in the room. I said, "You should | | | | That was a mouthful! |
| write a book!" Marie replied, "That's what people | | | | Once you feel your book is ready to show a |
| tell me." But it was clear Marie had no burning | | | | publisher, I suggest you first give it to someone in |
| desire to go do that. | | | | your inner circle to proofread. We get so close to |
| This was an unusual exchange, since most people | | | | our own product that it helps to have new eyes |
| I encounter can't wait to pick my brain about how | | | | look for spelling and grammatical errors. Nothing |
| I wrote and published my book. Everyone I meet | | | | drives publishers and their editors crazier than to |
| these days seems to want to write a book. The | | | | receive a manuscript that is riddled with |
| other day, while having a routine exam, my | | | | misspellings! Nowadays with computer spell check |
| dentist told me his wife wanted to write a book. | | | | programs as part of all word processing |
| How did I go about getting it published, he | | | | programs, there's no excuse to ever send out |
| wondered, as I opened my mouth to say "Ah." | | | | any written piece with errors. |
| It seems to me that it's natural for people to | | | | Now that you've written your book, checked it |
| want to put down on paper (or in these modern | | | | over for errors, and maybe gotten feedback |
| times, on computer) their story. With the ease of | | | | from the friends you've given the manuscript to |
| finding out anything we want to know about | | | | read, you're ready to submit it to a publisher. |
| anybody by just a click of our computer mouse | | | | Being published by a traditional big house publisher |
| on a search engine, comes a desire to be part of | | | | is a great goal. If you're luck enough to snag a |
| the global community. If they can blog about topic | | | | contract with a company, be prepared to wait to |
| x, so can I. Yes you can! | | | | see your book in print. Most publishing companies |
| The first thing to do is to get clear on your topic. | | | | once they sign an author to do a book with them, |
| Take a stroll through a book store and notice all | | | | schedule the book release for 2 years or more |
| the different headings: fiction, self-help, sci-fi, | | | | from the date of the signing of the contract! |
| biography, music, health, cooking, love, history, | | | | You're put at the end of the line of the other |
| success, psychology, literature, etc. The variety is | | | | authors that already signed up ahead of you. |
| endless. Once you've chosen your genre, just | | | | The more realistic goal is to publish it yourself. |
| start to write. Try to write at the same time | | | | Personally, I highly recommend going directly to a |
| every day. This is training yourself to spend time | | | | print on demand publisher. There are many |
| just for you and your book. This is the step that | | | | different self publishing companies. The cost is not |
| most people never take! They have a great idea | | | | as much as you might think. All have professional |
| and can tell you all about it, but when you ask if | | | | staffs that guide you through the steps of having |
| they've started writing any of their thoughts | | | | your book edited, a cover designed and finally |
| down, the usual response is "Oh, I don't have any | | | | printed. From start to finish, my book took less |
| time." | | | | than a year from the time I submitted it to my |
| Years ago I worked for a very successful | | | | publisher to the time it was on available on |
| businessman who had also written a very | | | | Amazon. |
| successful book. It had been translated in many | | | | Nothing is more thrilling than the day your |
| different languages. If he wished, he never had to | | | | published book arrives and you're holding it in your |
| write another book again. However, he got up | | | | hand. The process may seem daunting – |
| every morning at 6:00 am and wrote for one | | | | doing the research on your subject, getting up |
| hour, then came into the office. Writing was his | | | | every day and writing, getting up every day and |
| passion. I admired his tenacity. | | | | not writing, agonizing as you wait to hear what |
| If you're writing about a certain period of history | | | | your family and friends think about your book, |
| or a particular part of the world, you might want | | | | finding a publisher, collaborating with editors to |
| to do research about that time or place to help | | | | make changes to make your story more |
| bring out the spirit of that atmosphere in your | | | | readable, writing marketing material, choosing a |
| writing. Research can also inspire you and help you | | | | cover design, and finally, having the book printed |
| see your story from a different perspective. | | | | – but if you keep your eye on the prize: |
| The old adage that you should write about what | | | | you’re sense of satisfaction for having |
| you know isn't so far off the mark. I recently | | | | followed through with your dream - it's all worth it. |
| published a book about my experiences as a | | | | Go for it! Start writing today. |
| celebrity personal assistant. Having never written | | | | |