You Want to Write a Book?

So, you want to write a book? Before you begin, I hope you’ll accept some heartfelt advice. First, place a cold compress on your forehead, lie down, close your eyes, and take a nap. When you awake, if you still want to write a book, turn on your TV and watch an old movie, or take a walk to clear your mind. Call a friend on the phone and plan something fun, or make a sandwich.

If you still want to write a book after doing all these things, and the desire cannot be replaced with chocolate, cake, ice cream, or some other substitute, then your course may be irrevocable. 

O.K., are you going to write a fiction or non-fiction book? Why do I ask? Because the parameters of writing non-fiction and fiction are very different.

If your choice is non-fiction, you must ask yourself this question: Does the world need your book? Will you be breaking new ground in your book? Are you bringing much-needed information on your topic to readers eager to gain your expertise and knowledge? Have you thoroughly researched your topic to see if others have already covered your subject with their books?

Please understand the various choices for publishing your book. They range from traditional publishing, where an actual publisher agrees to publish your book because it is so good that people will buy it by the truckload, to all the other options, including self-publishing, in which you pay-to-play because large publishing companies don't even know you are alive, and they only bet on a sure thing!

The publishing world is built on success because it is expensive to create books and sell them at Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, Amazon, etc. Publishers and retailers put their money on “sure” things. People regularly seen on TV, movie stars, professional sports figures, well-know entertainers with loyal fans, and nationally known politicians are “sure” things. Most of them can’t write, so their tomes will be ghostwritten, or co-authored with their faces on the covers. These are the books featured at the front of the stores in prominent displays.

A regular, garden-variety, unknown author, in comparison, will normally not catch the attention of the big publishing houses because they prefer a guaranteed return. You must do your homework to find out everything about what you’ll need to do, and the road to traditional publishing is normally through an agent. If you can get an agent to represent you, you have “broken the code,” so-to-speak.

Oh, you want to write fiction? I'm out of time for writing about that, except to say this: If you think achieving success in non-fiction is a hard road—you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!