Writing is not for the faint of heart. You either love it, or hate it. I have an inkling that you love it, or you wouldn’t be here at Beesville Books looking for something to read, or have the book you’ve written listed.
For non-fiction, an easy start to your book is with an outline. Write chapter headings on index cards with a bit more meat to the topic on the back. Arrange them so they make sense. It’s easy to add in an index card here and there.
For fiction, I highly recommend Scrivener. It comes complete with templates to guide you and a virtual cork-board for you to “pin” your “index cards” on. It’s very affordable to as a one-time purchase.
Writing Tips
- For the writers among our readers, a good tip is to write when the urge hits. I know that sounds simplistic, but it’s true! Don’t force it. Just get out a voice recorder when something good springs to mind — that is, if you’re not close to a keyboard.
- Just write! Do not self edit as you go along. When you catch yourself doing it, STOP! Just get your thoughts down and edit later. Why? When you self edit, it’s all too easy to lose that train of thought. Ask me how I know.
- Along the same lines as point 2; just write anything that comes to mind. It doesn’t have to make sense from paragraph to paragraph. You can (and will!) rearrange it all later.
The Magic is in the Editing
We’ve all been there — mesmerized by great writing — and wrongly assume that it just fell onto the page “as is.” Never happens, well rarely. If you can afford an editor, get one. If you’re bootstrapping it, get your family and friends to read your book. I know you’re anxious to get it to market, but time spent now on a second pair of eyes, is time well spent.
A Time to Print
After all the t’s are crossed and the i’s dotted, it’s time to get your book to print. I was wrestling with Word (look, I’ve nothing against Word, only its complexity) and thought there’s gotta be an easier way to format eBooks and paperbacks. And there is.
I’ve recently come across a great software called “Vellum.” To say I was blown away with the ease of use and dependability of output is an understatement.