To write your own book, follow 10 steps: find an idea, outline it, do your research, start writing, write every day, revise the outline, edit, format, proofread, and publish. The step that matters most is the fourth one: getting started.
If you are like most people, you have said "I should write a book" at some point in your life. Maybe you want to tell your fascinating personal story, the history of your family, what you know about your business, or how to train a dog. Or maybe you are simply a great storyteller with the next great novel in your head, waiting to get out. Writing a book is no longer only for "real" writers who work with publishers: you can write your own book and publish it yourself.
Write your own book in 10 steps
1. Find an idea
Every great book starts with a great idea. Your first step is to brainstorm ideas for your book. Even if you already know your general topic, think about how you will make your book different from the others out there.
2. Create an outline
Once you have a clearly defined topic, the next step is a rough outline. Don't worry about making it perfect the first time: chances are you will revise it a lot as your ideas come together and you start to see your content as a whole.
3. Do the research
Depending on your topic and on what you already know, research may not be necessary. If it is, try to do it before you start writing. Once you are in the flow of writing, you won't want to break it because you have to stop and look something up. Here are 3 good places to do research.
4. Start writing
Now it is finally time to start writing your book. The important part is to get started. Many people struggle with this because they want it to be perfect, and if you wait for perfect, your book will never get written. If you find it hard to begin, write whatever comes into your head, even if it's bad. You will probably rewrite most of your first draft anyway, so getting something down on paper is what counts.
5. Write every day
Once you have started, commit to writing every single day, even if it isn't much. If you write only half a page a day, you will have more than 180 pages after a year. Don't worry yet about whether what you write is good. First get everything down on paper; then you can start fixing it.
6. Revise your outline
Next, review your original outline. In most cases, you will find that you need to add, remove, and move some items. Update your outline, and then rearrange the content of your book to match it.
7. Edit the content
Now that you have a final outline, it's time to review what you wrote. This step is usually much easier than the writing, because you now have something to work with. You can fix everything you didn't like the first time.
8. Format the book
With the content set, go through the book once more and look only at the formatting. Don't try to do this while you edit or read for content, because you will miss things. Focus on consistent chapter titles, paragraph spacing, indentation, and bullet points.
9. Proofread
Next, proofread your entire book. Be very critical at this point and look for every single thing that doesn't look right. It is also a good idea to have someone else read your book. Run your chapters through the Spell Checker, too: simple spelling and grammar errors put readers off. A proofreading checklist helps you cover everything.
10. Publish
The final step is to get your book published. You can send your manuscript to literary agents or publishers, or publish it yourself, as an ebook or as a printed book. Either way, your book needs a good title, and how to pick a title for your new book helps you find one.