NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month

If you are participating in NaNoWriMo next month then now is an excellent time to start planning. As this stage you can plan and develop your idea, identify your main characters, plot your novel and set aside your writing time.

Remember that you are aiming for 50,000 words. This is a first draft so you do not need to worry about typos, grammar, finding just the right word or sparkling dialogue - you can work on these when you edit.

Start with developing an idea - you might already have one in mind, if not take some time to explore sources of ideas including newspapers, historic events, existing novels, traditional children's stories and personal experience. Once you have a basic idea you can explore other aspects such as setting, characters and motivation - use "what if?" at this stage - what if the male character was female?, what if a specific historic event occurred today?, what if there was a thunderstorm instead of sunshine?

Once you have developed your idea look at plot and characters - which you work on first is likely to depend whether your novel is plot driven or character driven.

Plan a scene by scene outline of your novel - include as much detail as you need ensuring you highlight aspects that are imperative to your story. For example a sudden rainstorm may result in a character being late for a meeting and losing an important contract.

Create character profiles - the better you know your characters the easier it will be to write about them.

You will find many posts on this site detailing how to create character profiles and how to plot a novel, you could also look at Write it! How to write your book in 30 hours or less (just right for NaNoWriMo).

Writing a first draft in one month is an excellent way to kick-start your novel and take you a step closer to completion.

Happy writing.

Free eBook Available from Amazon

The ebook version of Daily Writing Prompts is available as a free download today and during this weekend. It contains thirty prompts for you to practise your writing and help you develop the habit of writing every day. If you prefer you can purchase the paperback version which has space for you to write your responses to each prompt, you can take it with you wherever you go and use those free moments to practise writing

Click here to download from Amazon.

Happy writing.

Format your Book for Print or eBook

In the second book in the Write It series - Publish it! - there is step by step instructions on how to format your book correctly to ensure it either looks the way you want it to when printed or displays correctly when read on a Kindle or other reading device. If you want your readers to enjoy your book then it is important to get the formatting right and makes changes to the formatting when preparing your work for different publishing options.

I was reading this article on why you should care about formatting and found it answered many of the questions often raised or mistakes made including using hard returns to add spacing or force text onto a new page. It is well worth a read. Click here to read the article.

If you would like more information on formatting have a look at Publish it! How to publish your book for free using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), CreateSpace and Smashwords. You can download a sample for free and check out the content.

Happy writing.

The Snowflake Method

If you follow the Write it! Publish it! Sell it! Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/writepublishsell you will know that I regularly recommend books on different aspects of writing. I while back I downloaded a sample of Randy Ingermanson's book How to Write a Novel with the Snowflake Method. Before reaching the end of the sample I had purchased a copy. I had come across this method before and liked the approach however what prompted me to recommend the book was the way the technique was woven into an entertaining story using familiar characters.

At the time I bought this book I was partway through writing a novel (I had an outline as that is the way I prefer to work) so I attempted to apply this technique to my work. It really helped me to focus on the purpose of each scene and I ended up cutting out some large chunks before I had spent hours perfecting these scenes and then cutting them in the final edit.

Yesterday I came across this interview, it is well worth listening to.  Randy Ingermanson interview. 

If you are an aspiring or established author have read of this book and give the method a try. It won't take up too much time and you could find it genuinely helps you progress your writing. Click here to see book on Amazon.

Writing Competitions

Writing competitions are a great way to practise writing within constraints such as theme and word count. Many competitions have prizes such as cash, books, publication deals or writing courses. Some competitions provide feedback on the quality of your entry. Even if you don't win you will have a completed story, article, poem or start of a novel that you can submit to printed publications, online magazines or even self-publish (always check the terms and conditions to ensure you retain the rights to you story if you are unsuccessful). There may be a cost to entry although this need not be expensive.

To get you started take a look at the TXTLit Micro Story Competition at http://www.txtlit.co.uk/ and Literature Works' First Page Comp at http://www.literatureworks.org.uk/

Happy writing

Your Writing Place

You may read many articles and blog posts, including posts on this site, on setting up a workspace that supports your goal of becoming a productive writer. The advice given is valuable and will make a positive difference, however it is important that not having an ideal workspace does not become a barrier to achieving your goals or an excuse not to write regularly even when you do have the time.

One effective approach is to identify a space that you use only to write and nothing else. No checking emails, no research, no catching up on social media, no admin and no planning. Just writing. It does not matter where this space is, although minimising distractions will be an advantage. It could be a desk in your bedroom, the dining table, a fold-up table and chair in your sitting room, or even a lap tray used whilst sitting on the sofa or bed. It does not matter if you use this space for other writing or non-writing activities at other times as long as this space becomes your writing place, and nothing else, as soon as you open your notebook, laptop or tablet. If you do undertake other writing activities in this space then use a prompt to ensure your mind knows this is writing time and not admin time. This could be something as simple as placing an object – a stone, notebook, inspirational quote, or photograph of a favourite place – on the table.

Once you have decided on your place then develop the habit of writing continuously at least once a day, before long your mind will learn to automatically switch into writing mode as soon as you sit down. When you sit down ensure you know what you are going to write, not necessarily the actual words but which scene or article you will be completing. Don’t worry about getting the words exactly right at this stage, that can come when you edit. Just type, or handwrite, whatever comes into your mind. You might start off thinking you are writing rubbish – just keep writing. Amongst the words will be some real gems, everything else can be polished.

Adopt this approach and, within thirty days, you will find that every time you sit down to write your mind will switch off from all the other things that need doing – real or perceived - and you will be able to focus entirely on getting those words written, in other words you will be in flow. 

Summer Writing

There’s a good reason I’m writing this post today instead on getting it done three days ago as planned – today it’s raining. Yes I too wanted to make the most of the recent, albeit short-lived, good weather. I’ve been walking, gardening, and barbequing. Of course I always believed it would eventually rain and I could catch up with my writing however what happens if we have a fantastic summer, how can we ensure we write every day and meet our deadlines.

Below are a few quick tips to help you remain a productive writing whilst the sun is shining.

Get up a little earlier and write before doing anything else. It will be cooler, quieter and you’ll feel less guilty if you spend the rest of the day outdoors.

1. Create an outdoor writing space. If you are writing for a long period or using a laptop then a shaded area is usually better.
2. Set daily targets. When you have achieved them reward yourself with your preferred outdoor activity.
3. Plan ahead. Check the weather forecast and diarise your writing and other activities to ensure you get your writing done and are still able to enjoy the sunshine.

Summer is a great time and should be enjoyed. With a little planning you can enjoy the weather and still be productive. You never know you may even be inspired by all your new experiences.

Happy writing.

Zero Cost Marketing

Promoting your book or yourself need not be costly, in fact you can successfully promote your book for no cost other than your time, obviously this has a value however use it wisely and the returns can make it worthwhile. There are both online and offline opportunities available, you could even make some extra money. Give them a go and you could get your book in front of even more real buyers.

Website/Blog

Setting up a website or blog is essential as once you have engaged new readers they will want to find out more about you and your work. There are lots of free options available including Moonfruit, Blogger and Wordpress. Include an author bio and details of books you have written including how to buy them. Have at least one section that you update regularly, a blog is good for this, so readers have a reason to revisit your site.

Initially you may not get a lot of visitors to your site, don’t worry about this as the purpose, at this stage, is to have somewhere to send your readers. Longer term you might choose to invest some time in Search Engine Optimisation or drive traffic to your site.

Facebook

Set up a Facebook page that is separate to your personal profile and page. This page could be named after you the author, a book series, a character in your book, or the topic you write about.  Use this page to promote your book, provide updates on what you are doing related to your writing, give additional information about your characters or locations or give hints and tips related to your topic, in fact post about anything that will keep your readers engaged with your page.

You could also post on other Facebook pages. If you find a page that has fans who could become your readers, like it and comment on posts. After a while make a relevant post and include a link to your page or website.

Give a talk

There are lots of organisations that welcome speakers; consider your own community and think about all the different groups that meet regularly. It is highly likely these groups will have members who could become your readers, or perhaps purchase your book as a gift. You could talk about the subject of your book, give a reading, talk about the writing process or even select an entirely different topic and somehow relate it to your work. Consider these topics, time management for the self-employed, cooking meals for one, travelling with pets or making the most of social media. As long as you are introduced as an author and have the opportunity to mention the books you have written the subject of the talk doesn't really matter. And, as an added bonus, you may even get paid!

For further ideas on promoting your book and making those sales have a look at Sell it! The complete guide to marketing, promoting and selling your book, it is available on Amazon as a paperback and Kindle ebook.

Happy writing.

Make the most of your writing time

Does this sound like you? You work hard to carve out some writing time. You then sit down at your computer and the words just won’t come. Any words that you write are rubbish and you spend more time rewriting, deleting and editing. Twenty minutes later and you only have ten words written and are beginning to think that you will never be able to make living as a writer.

First of all don’t panic. Many new writers believe that “real” writers produce first drafts that are close to perfect, this just isn't true. Whilst a few writers do produce high quality first drafts most produce something that requires considerable rewriting and editing.

You can improve your output during your writing time by taking two simple steps before you start a writing session.

Step One – Plan what you are going to write

If you are clear about which section or scene you are going to complete before you sit down you can increase your word count considerably – no more wondering what happens next or which facts and opinions to include. When writing only do what you plan to do, if you think you need to do some additional research make a note to do it later. Techniques to try are:

• Create a complete outline for your work whether a book or an article. This could be a detailed plan or brief scene or section notes.
• At the end of a writing session make a note of what you are going to do during your next session. This enables you to think through the scene or section in between your writing sessions, you may even find the scene is written in your head before you sit down to transfer it onto your computer.

Step Two – Silence your inner critic

We all have one, that voice in our head that tells us our work isn’t good enough and surely we must realise by now that we will never make it as a writer. Whilst this voice has its uses you do not want to be listening to it whilst writing your first draft. Try these simple techniques to silence your critic whilst writing:

• Keep writing – if you are tapping away with your figures getting those words down as fast as you can there will be little opportunity for your inner critic to get a word in.
• When that voice says you could do better just respond by saying, “I know it can be improved and will do a rewrite at a later date.” Then keep writing.
• Complete your writing goals - this can be a great motivator as you are telling your inner critic you have what it takes to get the job done.

Start your next writing session with a clear idea of what you are going to write and then just write. Before you know it you will have a completed first draft.

Happy writing.

Engage with your readers online

Extracts from Sell it! - The complete guide to marketing,promoting and selling your book 

Many, possibly the majority, of your readers will engage online whether shopping, social media, viewing TV and videos or searching for information.  These same readers are likely to turn to the internet if they have an offline engagement with you and want to find out more. Even if your readers rarely engage online you will need a minimum presence, possibly a website, in order to meet their expectations, some people do actually believe that if they can’t find you online then you don’t really exist!

There is a vast array of opportunities for you to engage with readers online however what you select depends on both your personal preference and that of your readers so do remember to check your reader profiles and ensure you go where they hangout. Once they have become your fans they will be happy to go where you hangout.

YouTube

YouTube enables you to upload and share your videos with others. Initially you may think that creating a video is not for you however, think again, video is for everybody and, considering the number of people using YouTube, it is likely you can find some of your readers here.

If you are not yet familiar with YouTube then go to the website and do a search on any topic, perhaps something you want to know how to do. Whatever it is you will find several videos, there are lots of funny, how to, academic, learning, promotional and other types of videos.

You can create a video using moving images, a series of still images, text, voice and music. You could even create an animation. If you have yet to develop your skills in this area then start by creating a presentation style video – using presentation software – with a series of slides containing images and text and then add music or voiceover. Save the presentation as a video and upload.

There are lots of possibilities for your video - you could give a reading from your book, create a book trailer, give a talk or demonstration on a topic in your book, develop a video course, create a tourist information video of the locations in your book, get someone to interview you, or create a video blog.

You can share the link to your video on your Facebook page, in your newsletter, on your website and in your books.

As an alternative to YouTube take a look at Vimeo; you could post your videos on both platforms.

Webinars

Have you considered running a webinar – or a web based seminar? These provide massive opportunities to engage with your readers. If you have written a non-fiction book then why not run a webinar on this subject. For a fiction book you might discuss the process of developing your characters or locations. Create a presentation prior to the event and include video, audio, links to websites in fact anything you can show on screen or hear through audio.

You can choose how much interaction your audience has – typically the audience will type in messages and questions which you can then answer live or save until later and provide a FAQ page on your website or through email. You can also record the webinar so that you can make it available after the event. You could run a webinar to a small, perhaps personally selected, group and then make the recording available after the event.

If you are inviting comment and questions during the event you might like to have an assistant who can group the questions together or draw your attention to those that you could answer live during your session.

Consider offering attendees something special as a thank-you for attending, you could include a download link to free content such as an ebook that is available for 24 hours only.

There is a wide range of online webinar providers available including free, free trial, and paid for services; some free and trial versions will have restrictions. Take your time to find a service that meets your needs. You need reliability so check recommendations, the ability to accommodate your chosen audience size, and the ability to record – I would recommend this function as you then have the files for later use.

First time around can be nerve wracking especially if you haven’t given a presentation before or don’t feel comfortable with technology – try attending an online webinar first so you get a feel for how they work.

Online radio show

Did you know you can broadcast your own online radio show? There are a number of online radio services and apps you can download to record and broadcast your show. Have a look at blogradiotalk.com and spreaker.com to see what is possible. You could interview guests, give a talk about your book or have a discussion about the topic of your book. The show does not have to be related to your book, you could be promoting yourself. There are free and paid for options available so you can give it a try without any outlay and later, as your fan base grows, pay for additional features as you want them.

Happy writing.

Publish a short piece of writing

I have written in previous posts about the ease of self-publishing however, you still have to write your book first and this can take some time. If you are starting to feel that you’ll never quite get there then why not write a shorter piece – fiction or non-fiction – and get it published. Completing a piece of work to a publishable standard will train your brain to complete work and also motivate you to continue with longer works.

If you are publishing an ebook then length does not matter although it is important to be clear in your description that this is a single short story or report and consider your price to ensure readers’ expectations are met.

If you publish a printed book you may find that a single short story of 1000 words will cost the reader more to buy than they might reasonably expect to pay. You can overcome this by publishing a collection of short stories or reports.

Now is a great time to complete and publish your work whatever its length. If this is in a similar genre or within the same topic area as other books you are writing then you can start to build up a following and, with non-fiction, establish yourself as an expert.

Allocate some time today and complete a short piece of work. This time next week you could be earning from your writing.

Happy writing.

Roll the Dice or Create your own Story Generator

If you are looking for story ideas or some exercises to warm up your mind before starting on that big project then use this simple method of selecting characters, locations and themes that you can then use to start a short story.

For each of these headings list six possible results numbered one to six, if you prefer you could set this up as a table. If you would like more options you could use two or more die and therefore list twelve or more possible results.

Character

Situation

Location.

Below are some examples:
Character

1 – Teacher, female, 40 years

2 – Doctor, male, 32 years

3 – Doctor, female, 45 years

4 – Shop assistant, male, 62 years

5 – Child, female, 7 years

6 – Hiker, male, 22 years

Situation

1 – Minor car accident

2 – Taking an exam

3 – Planning a holiday

4 – Applying for a new job

5 – Cooking a meal

6 – Taking a gym class

Location

1 – Busy street

2 – In a bank

3 – On a beach

4 – In a forest

5 – At the swimming pool

6 – In a restaurant.

Roll the dice to select a character, roll again to select a second character, it’s OK if they are the same. Roll again to select the situation and again for the location. You now have two characters, a situation and location. Write your story using these elements. Remember this is to help you generate story ideas or to warm up your writing muscles so do not feel constrained whilst writing; if you decide you want your doctor to become a café owner then do it – it’s your story.

You can add to or change your lists to suit your needs or interests, you may also decide to add additional headings such as theme, gender, age, conflict or barrier. Over time you could develop quite a large number of possible story ideas.

Happy writing.

Free book available this weekend - Sell it!

Sell it!: The complete guide to marketing, promoting and selling your book, is the latest in the Write it! Publish it! Sell it! series. It is available as a free download today and over the weekend.

Product description

It is never too soon to start marketing your book. If you have published a book or are in the planning stages of writing your book you can start building a relationship with your readers.

Whether you are self-published or traditionally published developing a marketing plan and actively promoting your book will help you reach your potential readers and make those sales.

Marketing and promotion need not be expensive, in fact the majority of the ideas in this book have no cost attached or have free alternatives.

Follow the suggestions in this book and you will discover how to:
- Develop a marketing plan that results in sales
- Maximise results from your budget and time
- Identify who your readers are – even if they don’t know it yet
- Create “curb appeal” with your cover and title
- Ensure readers can find your book when searching online
- Write a description that leaves the reading thinking “I must read this now”
- Engage with your readers online
- Create a book trailer on YouTube
- Meet your readers offline
- Get interviewed on local radio
- Hold a launch party
- Make changes to your book to attract even more readers
- Make use of online publisher and retailer promotional tools
- Monitor and review your activity to ensure your efforts bring you the greatest returns
- Add value with online content and freebies
- Develop effective time management skills
- Create a brand
- And finally! Have fun.

From the writer of Write it! and Publish it! comes the latest book in the Write it! Publish it! Sell it! Series. This complete guide to marketing, promoting and selling your book will ensure you make best use of all the tools available to you. Read through the ideas, plan your strategy and start marketing your book today. 

Happy writing.

Free book available for Kindle - The Productive Writer

The Productive Writer: A collection of blog posts, articles and extracts on writing, publishing and selling your book is currently available to download from Amazon for free.

Description

If you are looking for inspiration, information or an enjoyable read on everything writing you are sure to find something to tempt you within this book. 

A collection of blog posts, articles and extracts on many aspects of writing including: 
- Developing a writer’s mindset 
- Igniting your creativity 
- Planning a novel 
- Creating characters 
- Working from home 
- Time management 
- Selling your work online 
- Creating a writer’s space 
- And much more. 

Wherever you are in your writing journey you are sure to discover something that will take you towards your ultimate writing goals.

Download today.

Happy writing

Show don't tell

Show don’t tell is advice you’ll often hear or read. Showing your readers what is happening and how your characters are feeling will engage your readers with the story enabling them to become part of it; when your characters feel scared, jubilant, or jealous your readers will feel it too.

It is important to say that when you write your first draft do not worry about whether you are showing or telling – just get your story written using the techniques that suit you best – polishing your writing, including converting any telling into showing, comes with the rewrite (or rewrites).

So what is showing and telling?

Jason was upset, is telling.

Jason felt that familiar lump rise in his throat, as he swallowed hard he felt the tears form in the corners of his eyes, is showing. Note how use of the word familiar also shows something – Jason has been upset before, probably on several occasions.

It was raining, is telling.

George opened his umbrella, is a move towards showing however this could be improved e.g. George stood in the relative shelter of the doorway as he fumbled with the catch of his umbrella.

In essence telling is you, as the author, talking to the reader – telling them what is happening, the readers focus is on what you have to say next. Showing is allowing the reader to see and experience what is happening and make judgements about the characters as a result – the reader engages with the story, cares about the characters, feels the emotion and will keep turning the pages until they reach the end of the book; you, as the author, are not part of the story.

There are occasions when you have to tell the reader, or narrate, some vital information; this might be setting the scene or providing some factual information, e.g. the year was 2027 and the young men who had survived the war were beginning to return or 10 years later. Consider what the readers need to know that is not a direct part of the story however has an impact on it. In the first example the reader needs to know there has been a war, only young men fought in this war, not all survived and the war was now over. The story starts at the end of the war when the men are returning, the war itself is not part of the story although the impact of the war is very much part of the story. The second example tells the passage of time, you could show this by ending one chapter with the birth of a baby and starting the next chapter with their tenth birthday party – you have to decide which is most effective for your story.

As an exercise take a piece of your own writing or that from a novel you have enjoyed. Identify where there is showing and where there is telling. Try rewriting a paragraph or two converting any telling into showing.

Happy writing.

New book published - Sell it!

The next book in the Write it! Publish it! Sell it! series is now available in both printed and Kindle format. Sell it! The complete guide to marketing, promoting and selling your book by Adam Jackson covers developing a relationship with your readers to ensure they want your book now.

Description

It is never too soon to start marketing your book. If you have published a book or are in the planning stages of writing your book you can start building a relationship with your readers.

Whether you are self-published or traditionally published developing a marketing plan and actively promoting your book will help you reach your potential readers and make those sales.

Marketing and promotion need not be expensive, in fact the majority of the ideas in this book have no cost attached or have free alternatives.

Follow the suggestions in this book to discover how to:

 - Develop a marketing plan that results in sales

 - Maximise results from your budget and time

 - Identify who your readers are – even if they don’t know it yet

 - Create “curb appeal” with your cover and title

 - Ensure readers can find your book when searching online

 - Write a description that leaves the reading thinking “I must read this now”

 - Create a book trailer on YouTube

 - Get interviewed on local radio

 - Hold a launch party

 - Make use of online publisher and retailer promotional tools

 - Monitor and review your activity to ensure your efforts bring you the greatest returns

 - Add value with online content and freebies

 - Create a brand

 - And finally! Have fun.

This complete guide to marketing, promoting and selling your book will ensure you make best use of all the tools available to you. Read through the ideas, plan your strategy and start marketing your book today.

Link to Amazon

Happy marketing

What do your characters know about each other?

There is much written, including blog posts on this site, about really getting to know your characters. However, what do your characters know and think about each other?

It is a really useful exercise to write descriptions about your characters from the viewpoint of each of your other major characters. You could free write a description or use question and answer.

Ask your hero a number of questions about your villain and then repeat this exercise for other characters. You could ask:

• Describe them physically
• What do you know about their background?
• What do you like about them?
• What do you dislike about them?
• What do you think they would order for lunch?
• If you were to get stuck in a lift together what would you talk about?
• What do you think their goals are?

You can add questions as you plan and write your book and need to understand more about your characters and how they view each other.

You could do the same exercise for significant people that do not appear in your book, for instance question the mother of your hero. Whilst the mother may not be a character in your book, and may not even be referred to, she might be able to provide an intriguing insight into your character’s motivations.

Have fun with this – the results will help you develop characters with real depth and also work out the intricacies of the relationships between characters.

Happy writing.

Your self-publishing options

Extract from Publish it! How to self-publish your book for free using Kindle Direct Publishing, CreateSpace and Smashwords

You first need to decide which self-publishing options best suit you and your book. Start by asking yourself the following questions and come up with a publishing plan that meets your needs.

Do you want to see your book available as an ebook, printed book or both?
The quickest way to publish your book and start selling is to publish an ebook. Many writers publish an ebook first and then publish a printed version at a later date. Of course if you work as a trainer or public speaker you may well want printed copies of your book to sell at events.

Do you have a budget for publishing or have you decided to undertake all of the tasks yourself?
You may decide to undertake all publishing tasks yourself which will enable you to publish your book and make it available to readers in both printed and ebook formats for no cost. You may decide to buy in services, these can include proofreading and editing, cover design, and storage if you decide to commission a print run. Make a list of services you would prefer to buy in and then prioritise them.

How much time do you want to allocate to publishing, sales and distribution?
The actual publishing process can be fairly quick, it can take less than an hour, however managing sales and distribution can take up significant time. Decide whether you want more time writing and less time on administration tasks or prefer to undertake much of the work yourself. If you choose to take on sales and distribution you will need to ensure you have storage space for printed books, have time to keep up to date with orders and are able to create a website from which readers can order your books, download your ebooks and make payments.

Where do you want your book to appear for sale? Amazon? Your local book store?
If you want to sell through Amazon, iBookstore, Barnes and Noble and others you will find this easier if you publish using both Amazon and Smashwords.

What quality of printed book do you want?
Some self-publishing services offer limited or no choice in how your printed book will be produced. CreateSpace, for example, enables you to produce paperback books only, whereas Lulu offers a range of binding options. Decide what you want and then compare your options.

How much do you want to charge for your book?
This might have an impact on your publishing choices – ebooks are straightforward as there are no printing costs to consider – just decide on the price and look at the services and retailers that support your choice. On Amazon there is a minimum selling price of £0.75/$0.99 however you can make your book available from your own website or Smashwords for free. Print on Demand (POD) books will have a higher per copy production cost than printing multiple copies, if you want to keep the price low you may need to consider paying upfront for a print run.

How much time do you want to allocate to promoting your book?
You may enjoy the promotion and marketing side of self-publication or you may prefer to allocate your time to writing. Some self-publishing services provide you with inclusive promotions. Whilst you can choose to publish to all of the available platforms there may be some restrictions, e.g. if you choose to enroll into KDP Select (Kindle) you cannot offer your ebook for sale elsewhere.

Publishing an ebook
In recent years there has been an ebook revolution; readers are consuming ebooks at a phenomenal rate and there is no sign of this trend slowing. Readers can settle down with their ereader, browse books online, make a purchase and start reading within minutes. We live in an instant society; when a buyer makes a purchase they want their item now.

Publishing an ebook is probably the quickest, easiest and cheapest way to get your book in front of your potential readers. There are many other advantages to publishing an ebook; royalties are higher than for printed books (mainly due to cheaper production and delivery costs), readers have instant access to their purchases and publishing is quick and easy.

Ebooks can be read on a computer, laptop, tablet, ereader and mobile phone. Just think of the potential readers you have available to you. With ereaders now available with internet access and a wide range of apps, essentially putting them into the tablet category, they are only going to become more popular.

Ebooks tend to be reasonably priced, even cheap; the result is that readers will give little thought to making that £2.99 purchase perhaps in the same way they give little thought when deciding to buy a cup of coffee. For the writer this means more books sold.

With a number of publishers offering publishing, promotion and distribution services for free, two popular ones are Amazon's KDP and Smashwords, you can literally publish and sell today.

Publishing with Amazon’s KDP provides you with up to 70% royalties and some free promotional activity including emails to readers recommending books based on their previous purchases and a “customers also bought” feature.

Publishing with Smashwords provides you with up to 85% royalties and also provides the opportunity to make your book available on Apple iBookstore, Barnes and Noble and other online retailers.

If you wish to sell your book as an ebook through your own distribution channels you can format your book as a pdf file (see chapter 4) and sell through your own website or through an online retailer of digital products.

Publishing an ebook has much to offer both the new and experienced writer. Now is the time to benefit from this digital revolution.

Publishing a printed book
For a writer there is nothing quite like holding a physical copy of your book in your hands. Even better is seeing copies of your book on the shelves of bookstores. There are many advantages to publishing a printed book; you can use features that may not display correctly on ereaders, e.g. tables. You control much of the formatting including text type and size. You can sell your book in locations not suited to the sale of ebooks such as your training events or high street stores; and, as with ebooks, you can publish for free.

The cost of producing a printed book is higher than an ebook so you will need to consider your pricing strategy. It is perfectly OK to charge different prices for printed and ebook versions of the same book. In fact there is an advantage to this – readers see the ebook at a significantly lower price and perceive that they are getting excellent value for money.

There are several ways to approach publishing a printed book.

Print on Demand (POD)
This is a quick, easy and often free way to publish a book; as you do not need to invest in a print run you can also test the market. There are many advantages to POD including no storage considerations, no upfront payments for print runs and the ability to change the content of your book without waiting for previous stock to be sold. The main disadvantage is that printing costs can be higher than other methods meaning you may need to charge a higher price for your book or be prepared to take a lower profit margin.

CreateSpace (Amazon) provides writers with a free service which includes promotion and distribution. They will keep an amount of money from the sale of each copy sold; you can set the book price accordingly and so determine your profit.

Lulu is another popular POD service that is easy to use; they will also sell your book from their website. Lulu has the additional advantage of offering you a range of binding and paper options.

Both Amazon and Lulu have additional distribution channels you can buy into.

Print run
Commissioning a long print run (1000+ copies) can significantly reduce the cost of each book. You can either use a self-publishing company or organize the printing yourself through a local or specialist printer.

Which self-publishing service?
Amazon's KDP – a free to use service that enables you to publish your ebook and make it available across all of Amazon’s territories; they manage sales and distribution and offer different royalty options based on your pricing. KDP also have a range of promotional tools that support increasing your sales including a “customers also bought” section. If you enroll into KDP Select you can promote your book as free for five days in every ninety and you will earn income each time your book is borrowed by Amazon Prime members.

Smashwords – a free to use service offering a range of distribution channels including iBookstore and Barnes and Noble. They will manage sales and distribution and offer royalty options based on distribution channels.

Lulu – a popular free to use POD service that offers you, the writer, a range of binding options. Lulu is a popular POD service that enables you to create a printed book that meets your requirements. Lulu provides a range of options including paper grade, paperback or hardback, colour or black and white. You can choose to pay for the global reach option which will make your book available to bookstores.

Amazon's CreateSpace – another free to use POD service that prints your book as a paperback and makes it available on Amazon. They also offer expanded distribution channels for which there is a cost.

Self-publishing companies - a number of companies offer self-publishing packages. It is important to consider all aspects of printing and selling a printed book in order to decide on the best package for you.

There are some excellent self-publishing companies out there as well as some who charge a lot of money for a poor service (vanity publishers). Good companies will work with you to provide professional advice and services resulting in a package that is tailored to meet your needs.

Typical packages include editing, cover design, ISBN, ebook conversion, promotion to booksellers, managing storage and distribution, and printing an agreed number of your book.

It is worthwhile spending some time getting recommendations, visiting the company premises and inspecting samples of printed books before deciding on which self-publishing company to use. Always check the contract before signing.

Managing the publication process yourself - you can of course manage the whole process yourself and buy in the services you need from separate sources. You might even decide to set up your own publishing company. If you choose this route consider the time you will need to invest managing the publishing process, and sales and distribution. Of course this could be the start of a whole new business, one you enjoy as much as writing.

The choice is yours. Decide on the best approach for you and then start preparing your book for publication.

Writing prompts

I have just published a book of writing prompts to help you develop the habit of writing everyday. Available in paperback format making it easy to keep by your bed or carry with you. No need for a separate notebook as you can write directly into this book.

Write every day and you will achieve your writing goals. This book will help you develop a daily writing habit. It contains 30 writing prompts (it takes 30 days to form a new habit) and space for you to free write in order to warm up your writing muscles, ignite your creativity and ensure you ward off any signs of writers block.

Once you have warmed up those writing muscles and unleashed your creativity you can easily tackle those bigger writing goals.

Use the writing prompts again and again. You may even decide to develop some of your scribblings into a complete piece.

Click here to see this book on Amazon, use the Look Inside feature to explore this book. 




Happy writing.

Step Five - Writing the First Draft

You have your characters, you have your locations and you have your plot. You are now ready to write your first draft. What’s important is that you just write, do not spend time thinking about the perfect word, spelling, whether or not you have too much description or if your dialogue sounds natural, all of these will be perfected when you edit.

At this stage it is better to type your first draft directly onto a computer or to dictate it using a voice recorder or speech to text software; this helps you stay in the flow as you can get the words down fairly quickly and not worry about how neat your writing is. Turn off the autocorrect feature as, when typing at speed, you may make typos that are corrected incorrectly!

Realistically you will be able to type at 30 words a minute minimum as long as you just tell the story. Aim to write in 20 minute spurts completing approximately 500 words each session. Do just two sessions a day and you will complete 1000 words each and every day. Add in additional sessions and you can increase your daily word count considerably.

Depending on how you write your first draft you will either have too many words that you will reduce or your writing will be more in note form which will need expanding. Either way is fine, what you want to end up with is a completed first draft that you can then edit and polish.

Once you have completed your first draft congratulate yourself and put your work away for a week or two – keep writing during this time, perhaps enter a writing competition. After two weeks start editing and rewriting, take your time working on one scene at a time until you have a novel that is as good as you can get it. Once you have completed your novel why not self-publish your work and make it available to readers.

Happy writing.

Step Four - Plot

You now know what your book is about, where it is based and you have extensive knowledge of your characters. Now is the time to plot out your novel.

Take a scene by scene approach to plotting as you can work out your timeline and inclusion of significant details before you start – this can save hours of rewriting. If you want to group more than one scene into a chapter you can do this after writing the first draft – again much easier as you may want to add scenes or reorder them.

If you like using a computer you can plan your scenes using a word-processor or, if you prefer, use a set of index cards.

At this stage you don’t need to worry about where you should start your novel; you don’t even need to create your scenes in order – you could start at the end and work backwards or create your major scenes and then fill in the gaps.

If using index cards using a separate card for each scene; if using a word-processor leave a space between each scene. Do not number them at this stage as you may decide to add, remove or move scenes.

For each scene use the following headings and then complete the details:

Scene title:

• Purpose:
• Characters:
• Location:
• Description:
• Hook:
• Notes:

Your details might look something like this:

• Scene title: Susan meets a prospective new client.
• Purpose: To create tension between Susan and James (her fiancée) which could jeopardise their wedding
• Characters: Susan, Peter (new client), James
• Location: Cafe
• Description: Susan meets Peter to discuss what her company can offer; if he agrees to work with her this could bring her company back from the brink of collapse. Susan has never met Peter before however the conversation and comments seem to suggest he knows a bit about her. Peter agrees to come to her office to further discuss her proposals. As he get up to leave he leans towards her – at that moment James walks past the café window, he knows Peter very well and suspects Susan of having an affair.
• Hook: How does James know Peter? Why does James despise Peter? How will James behave when he next sees Susan?
• Notes: Include a scene prior to this one where James catches a fleeting glance of Peter.
• Complete the details for all of your scenes, use the notes section to ensure you have included all of the information your readers need to keep them hooked and not feel cheated because you neglected to share with them some important detail. Use your hook to ensure you keep the readers engaged and that all questions are answered before the end of the book.

Look at the order of your scenes, do you need to move things around. If you do ensure you keep related information in the correct order – this might mean scene rewrites. In the above example you need to ensure that James spots Peter before the café scene.

Check that all scenes are necessary – if they serve no purpose delete them.

Check for missing information – either add this into an existing scene or add a new scene.

Decide where your novel starts and ends – this may mean deleting scenes.

Do a last check for flow, timelines and continuity – you don’t want an eleven month pregnancy – and you’re ready to start writing.

Next week you will be writing the first draft.

Happy writing.

Step Three - Location

Locations often become additional characters in your novel – they can become incredibly important to the reader, often generating emotions and feelings that might usually be reserved for your main characters. Imagine a building facing demolition or a forest about to be felled, your reader may well invest a huge amount of their emotions into willing them to survive. You need to know your locations intimately, you can share this with your readers.

Make a note of all the locations in your novel; break your locations down from big to small -  country, city, street, outdoor space, room and chair in the room. You may have only one location in your novel – perhaps a hospital ward or mountain. Again you can break this down from the vastness of the mountain to the confines of a crevice.

Write out location profiles including:

• Physical description
• History – when created, did it have an important role in significant events
• Importance to main, or other, character
• Distinguishing features
• Consider how your location is effected by the weather
• Has the location undergone any changes – even minor ones
• The purpose of the location
• Reasons for and barrier to the success of the location.

Once you have detailed location profiles you will be able to write about these with feeling and give each one a purpose.

Next week we will consider plot.

Happy writing.

Step Two - Characters

If you are writing a novel then it really is worth spending time getting to know your characters before you start writing; if you don’t you may find yourself making your characters do something that they really wouldn’t do – and your readers will notice. If this happens you will have to do a major rewrite. Now this isn’t to say that your characters shouldn’t do things that surprise or is out of character, however when they do surprise it will remain believable because the reader will understand why even if they didn’t see it coming (which is usually a good thing).

Start by creating character profiles for all of your characters, for minor characters these can be brief however for your major characters you need to know everything about them even if you don’t use all of the information in your novel. This knowledge will help you understand how they speak and how they are likely to react to any situation you write them into.

At this stage you do not need to name them – you can refer to them as main male character, the CEO etc.

Start by writing a brief description of them – their looks, age, race, dress, job etc. This will give you the details such as hair colour, height and a brief overview of them that enables you, and your readers, to create a mental image. This will also help you visualise your character as you ask them questions.

Next interrogate them, ask a series of questions that will tell you everything you need to know – imagine you are interviewing them with a view to writing their life story or making a film. You could use a voice recorder and type up your answers later.

Your questions might include:

• What were your parents like?
• What is most important in your life right now?
• What are your dreams and goals?
• What makes you sad?
• What has been the highlight of your life so far?
• What about the biggest tragedy?
• And finally – what is your name?

Once you have this information you can establish their agenda and motivation within your novel.

Build up a set of character profiles and interviews and you can ensure that the plot you develop enables your characters to behave in a way that is consistent with their characteristics, background and experiences. If you do find that you plot a scene where you need a character to act out of character, ask yourself “what would make this character behave in this way?” Once you have the answer you can go back through your plot and write this into your story at an earlier stage (it may need weaving in rather than a one off back-story experience).

Start creating your character profiles today.

Happy writing.

Publish it! available for £0.99/$0.99

Publish it! - How to self-publish your book for free using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), CreateSpace and Smashwords - is currently available on Amazon at the reduced price of £0.99/$0.99. 

Description
Self-publishing offers incredible opportunities for all writers regardless of the genre, subject or word count. You can write and publish short stories, poems, reports, novels; in fact whatever type of book you have written you can make it available to readers who are actively seeking new and exciting fiction and non-fiction books. The traditional gatekeepers of published works can no longer restrict what is available to the reader. 

The benefits of self-publishing are so great that this option is now the first choice for many writers. As the writer and publisher you keep control of price, distribution, cover design, promotion and updates. 

Using online services you can publish a printed or ebook for free and have it available to readers in as little as 10 minutes. 

Follow the step-by-step instructions in this book and you will be able to: 
- Select the best publishing option for you and your book. 
- Prepare your book for publication. 
- Publish your book for free. 
- Select your distribution channels. 
- Sell on Amazon, iBookstore, WHSmith, Barnes and Noble, and through other retailers. 
- Start selling you book in as little as 10 minutes. 
- Keep the profits from your book - royalties can be as high as 85%. 
- Maximise sales and income using an effective pricing strategy. 
- Write a description to ensure readers find your book online. 

There is a huge demand for books by previously unpublished writers; tap into this market and develop a following of readers who will come back time after time to purchase and read your latest work. 

This is one market where you are not in direct competition with other writers; if readers enjoy books written on a particular subject or in a specific genre they will look for, and buy, more of the same.


Happy writing.

Step One - What is your story about?

During the next week spend some time thinking and making notes about your novel. You might find it useful to write a description to help you focus on the important aspects. There is no need to develop details of characters, locations or even plot at this stage, these will be developed later.

Your notes might contain details of some key aspects e.g. throughout his life his father tried to prevent his success (names of characters are not required at this stage). This raises questions such as why does his father want him to fail? What lengths will he go to? What will happen to his father if he is successful? The questions should be recorded in your notes however you can decide to whether or not to answer them at this stage, you may prefer to do this as you develop your plot.

Once you have your notes aim to write out the theme or premise of your novel in one or two sentences – you might write something like this – A rags to riches story about how a young homeless man rose to become the CEO of a multi-national company.

Next week we will look at developing your characters.

Happy writing.

Five steps to writing your novel

Each week there will be a short article on developing your novel from conception through to first draft. This series will cover:

• What is your book about
• Characters
• Location
• Plot
• Writing the first draft.

Look out for the next part and start on that novel today.

Happy writing.