How to Write a Book After You Retire

Rate: (0 Ratings)

You have just retired after living a life filled with experiences that are truly unique. Why not turn those experiences into a book? Read on for some helpful hints on how to get started.

Flag Article

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Food memory
Flair for expression
Computer
Time and discipline

Step1

Decide what readers should learn from your book. Only then can you begin writing your thesis statement. This first step is difficult; but once you have decided on it, all of your book's chapters will spring forth from it. Think of it as your book's road map.

Step2

Develop a working title for your book. To do this in earnest, you probably should develop two are three dozen titles until one jumps out at you. Even then, it is still a working title, subject to revision as you begin knowing more about what your book will contain. By forcing yourself to do this, the content of your book will be much more focused.

Step3

Find a niche for your book to fill. Is it a book someone will want to read? Does it provide information that is hard to find elsewhere? Will it hold the reader's attention? Do you have an angle that's unique to the subject? Will your book improve the lives of its readers? These are some of the questions that will help you decide what niche your book will fill.

Step4

Determine who you want to read your book. To do this, you might consider developing a profile of your reader, including age, sex and level of expertise. For example, if you expect that your book will appeal to younger readers, you might consider writing a shorter book.

Step5

Decide on your book's format, then keep it constant from chapter to chapter. For example, you may want your book to be chronological. Or you may plan to divide the subject matter into self-contained sections. Once again, the actual writing will be a lot easier if this decision is made at the beginning of the process.

Tips & Warnings

If you are writing the book with the hope of making money, realize that only a small percentage of all books written are ever published. Therefore, you should embark on the venture realizing that you are writing for the pure enjoyment, not for profit.