Do you want to become an author and finally learn how to write a book?
First off…congrats future author — you can absolutely make it happen!
Publishing a book on Amazon helped me earn almost a $1,000 in my first month as a full -time blogger. Self-publishing is a great side hustle and is an incredibly rewarding way to share your work with readers worldwide.
Thankfully, it’s never been easier to publish a book. Ten or twenty years ago it was nearly impossible as you had to land a book deal, work with an artist, editor and maybe even find an agent.
None of that is needed anymore. With a few clicks, you can easily publish your work.
I was able to publish my first book at 29-years-old and have published several of them since. Here’s the step by step process to learn how to write a book so you can become a self-published author.
Table of Contents
My Author Story
I started writing my book, Advice for My Younger Self, in 2015.
At the time, I had no clue what I was doing. I was just writing about personal finance and topics that interested me. (Hint: this is a bad idea, I’ll show you why in a second).
It took years from when I first started writing to actually getting it published. One of the biggest reasons it took so long was because of lack of planning.
I had no structure to writing, no deadlines, and zero sense of urgency. Then in 2017, I decided I had to publish it before my 30th birthday.
I did meet my deadline but still disappointed it took so long to get it published. But, better late than never.
Let me help you speed up the process so you can write your book and have it published much sooner!
How to Write a Book – 10 Simple Steps
Step 1: Pick Your Topic
Before we get into the ins and outs of how to write a book, you need to decide on your topic and format.
Ask yourself…will this book be a guide, story, how-to manual, or a fiction book?
Once you figure out what type of book you want to write about, I recommend asking yourself this question:
What do I want readers to get out of this book?”
Do you want readers to help with something in their life?
Do you just want to entertain them (in the case of fiction)?
Or do you want to share your story with in hopes that it will inspire change in the reader’s life?
There is no right answer. Asking yourself this question will help you find clarity on your book and ensure you don’t waste any time writing.
Writing a book is definitely a huge accomplishment! I’d love to one day be able to write one as well!
Thanks Rachel, much appreciated! If you have any questions in the future please let me know so I can help speed up the process 🙂
THANK YOU SOO MUCH THIS WAS VERY HELFUL FOR ME
Awesome glad to hear it!
Congrats on the book! That has been something on my list for years but I haven’t worked up the courage to start working on one yet.
Look forward to following along with your journey. You’re killing it so far!
Thanks Derek much appreciated. You can definitely do it with a plan and mini-deadlines.
Just start writing 30 mins a day and see where it goes, no downsides!
You make this look like an easy endeavor!
Haha! Trying to simplify the process into baby steps for little victories 🙂
wow some good tips in here! Congrats for writing the book! Maybe one day that will be me too
Thank you! I’m sure you can do it, keep it simple with min deadlines and you can make it happen.
This is so comprehensive! I would love to write a book in the future. Definitely will be referring back to your simple guide when its time!
Awesome so glad its helpful and good luck on your future book!
Writing a book is definitely a huge accomplishment- congrats on achieving this at such a young age! I love how you broke this down in such easy to understand terms.
Thanks I really appreciate it! I’ve found any big goal is achievable by breaking it down into little steps to gain momentum from each victory.
Planning is the first step to success right? Kudos on your Book!
Gayathri @ Musings Over Nothing
Great saying, very true. Thanks for reading 🙂
Writing and producing a book is something I have recently researched myself. It is something that I want to get around to in the near future and this article has definitely provided me with some things to think about that I previously hadn’t considered. Thank you for this article.
No problem you can do it! Thanks for reading!
Thank you for this article! I have 2 books written but haven’t done anything with them. The editing advice was awesome! I will be saving this for future reference. It seems more doable to me now. Thank you again!
Great to hear it was helpful Tina! You can do it 🙂 good luck!!
Congratulations on your book. I am in the process of writing a book but I do not know what my next step should be. Can you give me some pointers please
Congrats Shelly! Once it’s done I recommend doing 2 edits yourself and asking a friend or hiring a professional editor. Then get out and start promoting. Writing is part I but promoting is another thing entirely.
Congrats! I’m still young but I am trying to write a book, I’ve been writing for myself for a few years now. One day I want to be able to get an actual book published.
Nice Job Kayla — congrats on getting started! I was there for a while too, I recommend setting a deadline so you can create some urgency and stick to it. Have a draft, edited, and final deadline. Let me know if I can help!
Hi Michael –
This is a great post! Thank you so much for sharing! Did you have a word count that you tried to hit for each time you sat down to write? I have started writing, but I just have a hard time sticking with stuff, so I am trying to give myself something to work towards! Thanks for any info you can provide! 🙂
-Lindsey
Hey Lindsey,
Sometimes I did, not always though. I def would recommend scheduling it out, working for 25 mins then taking 5 mins off (Pomodoro technique), and try to do it daily at the same time if possible. That will help create it a habit.
Thank you for sharing your ideas in becoming a published author. I’m excited to write my first book. I can do it.
Hi Michelle…you can absolutely do it! Let me know if I can help with your book at all.
Remember, make sure to get the outline done first and set deadlines to hold yourself accountable. Good luck!