How to Write & Publish a Book for Dummies

Writing a book can rewarding.

Writing a book is hard work. It requires time, patience and research. Once complete, however, the finished product is rewarding. After a book has been written and edited, publishing it can be even harder. If you have a strong sense of how the industry works and how to perfect your material and your marketing pitch, your career as a writer has begun.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Red pen

Instructions

1. 

   Writing a book takes time and effort

   Write an idea chart about the book you'll be writing. List the overall plot and subplots, the characters and any motifs or symbols that the book will include. Assign a deadline for the book's completion or a word-count completion number every day. Complete the book by the deadline, and do not edit the manuscript until finished.

   According to James Scott Bell's book "Write Great Fiction: Revision and Self-Editing," writers should make sure they have strong chapter openings, chapter endings, strong, natural dialogue, important moments, a strong conflict and character development.

   According to Fiction Factor, a novel should be between 50,000 and 110,000 words. A novella, which is a smaller novel, should be between 20,000 and 50,000 words.

2. 

   Edit the manuscript carefully

   Print the manuscript from beginning to end and edit it with a red pen. Learn copyediting marks so that the manuscript can be looked at professionally. Read Wiley Press' Copyeditor's Marks for more information (see Resources). Make notes about the text in the margins and return to the book with the changes that should be made.

   Copyediting marks---sometimes called proofreader's marks---are important to learn if a writer wants to have their manuscript edited further by a professional editor. The marks are widely used in the industry and authors should have a working knowledge of them.

   According to Writer's Yearbook 2010, a good copyeditor can be an educated editor who is a friend or a hired professional. They should correct grammar, mechanics and even plot improvements. An author should always have an objective and trustworthy editor look over the manuscript.

3. 

   Query Letters Should Be Written After A Book Is Ready

   Write a query letter about the book. Read Robert Lee Brewer's "2010 Writer's Market" for more information on how to write a query letter. Develop the query letter and use the "2010 Writer's Market" to find appropriate markets and agents for the book. Send them the query according to their specific guidelines.

   A query letter, according to "2010 Writer's Market" is a short letter that is sent to agents and editors alike in an effort to gain interest in a manuscript. Typically, if an editor or agent likes the query, they may ask for a flushed-out synopsis and the manuscript or chapter samples.

4. 

   Contacting A Literary Agent May Help The Book Be Published

   Decide if you'll need a literary agent.

   Fiction authors typically benefit from an agent if they are trying to have their book published at a major publishing house. According to Michelle Howry's "Agents, Editors, And You," an agent can get editors at major publishing houses interested in your manuscript. Publishing houses do not typically accept unsolicited manuscripts, so having an agent gets a book through the publishing house's door. They also help negotiate author contracts.

   If a literary agent will not be used, send the query to publishing houses directly.

5. 

   Meet Agents And Editors

   Build a website and market the book on social networking sites. Contact editors and agents online and at conferences to spur interest.

Tips & Warnings

• Read award-winning author Ursula K. Le Guin's "Steering The Craft." The book provides writers with exercises that help develop a writer's voice.

• Writing a book doesn't equate to a full-time career. In most cases, having a published book is no reason to quit a day job. So, it is important to retain a realistic outlook on writing as a career. An author will often have to supplement their book income with other forms of employment.

• If the book has not been published, it is important to know that authors will face several rejections before their work is accepted or looked at. According to a Jan. 26, 2010 article in "The Writer's Guide to Getting Published," an author should always have a back-up plan if their work doesn't sell. This could mean marketing their own work or finding a new agent.

References

• "Agents, Editors, And You"; Howry; 2002
• Fiction Factor: Word Count
• "2010 Writer's Market"; Robert Lee Brewer; 2010
• "Write Great Fiction: Revision and Self-Editing"; James Scott Bell; 2008
• "Writers Yearbook 2010"; Writer's Digest; 2010

Resources

• Wiley Press' Copyeditor's Marks
• Agent Query