You’d love to learn how to write a bestselling book, right? Problem is, it’s scary. You’re not even sure what goes into writing a book, let alone a bestselling one. The good news? Below you’ll find 31 fantastic resources to help you write a bestselling book. (If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by how many there are, just commit to reading one each day for a month!) Table of Contents
Stage 1: Develop a Book Idea That’s Practically Guaranteed to SellYou can’t have a great book without a great idea. I’ve written a lot over the past eight years, and one thing I’ve learned (the hard way!) is that the ideas that I think are great aren’t necessarily the ones my audience will want to buy. The following resources will help you come up with ideas and road-test them so you’re sure the book you’ll be spending months of your life on will be one that people actually want to read: #1. Got a Book Idea? These 4 Steps Reveal if It Will SellAuthor: Dave Chesson This post is all about creating a book that people already want. It’s a guide to doing market research on Amazon, with lots of handy links to free and paid tools you can use.
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#2. Writing: How to Get to Know Your Target Readers Better and Craft Your Self-Published Books to Resonate with ThemAuthor: Dan Blank In this post, Dan explains how you can take very specific steps to find out exactly what your ideal audience likes, based on the books they’re already reading and the authors they’re already following.
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#3. 9 Essential Tips for Researching Your Nonfiction Book IdeaAuthor: Debbie Reber Although this is a short, succinct post, Debbie offers great practical tips for digging deeper into your idea — for thinking not only about how to position and sell your book, but also about what to include in your outline and plans.
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Stage 2: Create a Rock-Solid Structure to Make Your Book Easy to Read and WriteOnce you’ve got an idea that you’re confident will sell, it’s time to figure out the structure of your book and create a full chapter-by-chapter outline. Your outline is particularly essential if you want to submit a book proposal to agents or publishers. But even if you’re self-publishing, having a solid structure means you’ll end up with a much better book as a result. These resources will help you corral your ideas and outline like a pro: #4. How to Get Started Mind Mapping Your Book (and Everything Else)Author: Roger C. Parker Before you start your outline, you should get all your ideas down on paper through mind mapping. This post explains what it is and how it’s done, and offers some suggestions for making the most of mind mapping software.
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#5. The No-Stress Way for Writers to OutlineAuthor: David Carr If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the idea of outlining, or if your mind goes blank whenever you sit down to plan out your book, David’s post breaks things down into simple steps — with a focus on gathering your ideas then getting them into a logical order.
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#6. Using Scrivener to Outline Your Non-Fiction BookAuthor: Lise Cartright This video and accompanying post explain how to use a writing tool called Scrivener to outline a book by using its corkboard view. In case you’re not already familiar with Scrivener; it’s a paid-for piece of software that many fiction and non-fiction writers use as an alternative to a word processor. It’s highly recommended; see next resource)
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#7. Scrivener [Software]Source: Literature and Latte Writers love using Scrivener to write their books because it creates a much more organized writing experience. It’s not only beneficial for outlining, but will help you keep track of everything once you write the book. The more of your book gets written, the harder it becomes to navigate in tools like Word. Scrivener fixes this problem. If you want to give Scrivener a try, there’s a free 30-day trial (it only counts the days on which you actually use the software, so you could use it 3 days per week for 10 weeks). After that, it costs $45 (Mac) / $40 (Windows) to buy. It has a bit of a learning curve, but it’s worth it (and you can find video tutorials on its website). Stage 3: Research Your Book as Efficiently as Possible, Without Spending Hours Lost in an Internet Rabbit-HoleNote: Although I’ve put this as Stage 3, there’s no rule saying you need to do all your research before you begin writing. Some authors prefer to draft first, leaving gaps or sections to come back to at a later stage. The idea of “research” can conjure up images of dusty libraries, complicated trawls through obscure online archives, or daunting conversations with experts. If you’ve never done much research before, the idea of it can be enough to put you off writing altogether. Research doesn’t need to be difficult, though. All of these resources demystify the process: #8. How Real Online Research WorksAuthor: Paul Gil This excellent post isn’t aimed specifically at authors, but at anyone conducting research online. It distinguishes between “hard research” (when you’re looking for objective, scientific facts) and “soft research” (when you’re looking for subjective, opinion-based sources), and offers specific suggestions on the types of sources to turn to.
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#9. Journey into the Hidden Web: A Guide for New ResearchersAuthor: Ryan Dube This is a fascinating, very in-depth look at the “hidden web” (or “deep web”, “invisible web”, etc.): the huge volumes of online information that are not accessible via a standard search engine. While some of this won’t be relevant to authors — e.g., the first section is more focused on personal, family research — it also offers a look at academic research, particularly academic databases and search engines like JSTOR.
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#10. Writing a Book? 9 Killer Research TipsAuthor: Chandler Bolt This post takes a closer look at the idea of writing first, then researching. Chandler focuses on efficient research: making sure you find out what you need to know to write a great book, without spending too much time bogged down at this stage.
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#11. Help a Reporter Out [Email List]Source: Help a Reporter Out This huge mailing list is a fantastic resource for researching pretty much anything. You can send out a message saying what you need and find loads of great sources: individuals who’ve signed up to receive messages about their particular area(s) of expertise. Note, though, that HARO requires your website/blog to have an Alexa ranking of one million or less before you can send out a request for sources. (To give you some idea of rankings, Smart Blogger is at 47,868 and my own site Aliventures is at 639,675.) You can sign up to HARO as a source, if your book’s topic is your particular area of expertise. That way, you can get quoted in other people’s articles and books — which is a great way to market your own. Stage 4: Find the Time, Energy and Focus to Actually Write Your BookOnce you’ve got an outline and you’ve done enough research to at least begin — it’s time to write! One of the biggest struggles that authors face, though, is actually getting their writing done consistently. Maybe you love coming up with ideas and even writing outlines and noting down interesting bits of research … but when it comes to the actual writing, you end up stalling. Whether your problem is a lack of time, or you’re simply struggling to focus when you sit down to write, these are some great resources to help you: #12. Use the Two-Hour Rule to Make Progress on Your Creative ProjectsAuthor: Charlie Gilkey In this post, Charlie explains why it’s difficult to get into creative projects in very small chunks of time — and why a two hour block of time works better.
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#13. 10 Ridiculously Simple Steps for Writing a BookAuthor: Jeff Goins This post offers a lot of excellent tips and many are specifically about finding the time and keeping up motivation to write. It also includes a handy chart of roughly what word length equates to what type of book (e.g. “20,000 words = short eBook or manifesto”).
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#14. 12 Time Management Tips for WritersAuthor: Michelle V. Rafter Michelle takes a look at some key difficulties that writers face (like managing their own expectations and the need to work on multiple projects), and offers practical tips for staying productive. While some of these are familiar ones (like “turn off distractions”), others might be newer to you.
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#15. Free Planners and Worksheets Designed to Help Creatives Stay Focused and Productive [Free Downloads ]Author: Charlie Gilkey These excellent planners come in various different flavors depending on what you’re trying to accomplish. Some help you plan over a long-ish period of time (the Momentum Planners) and others are good for breaking down tasks (the Individual Project Planner) or are designed for specific aspects of your work (the Blog Post Planner and Calendar). Stage 5: Get Your First Draft Down on the PageWriting a book can seem like a daunting project and at this stage you might start questioning whether you have it in you. But you just need to get that first draft out of your system. If you can write a blog post, you can write a book too! You can even structure your book chapters like blog posts. Many non-fiction books use the same direct, conversational tone you’d use on your blog. Some even use blog posts as the basis of a book (e.g. Michael Hyatt’s Platform and Darren Rowse’s 31 Days to Build a Better Blog). Use the following resources will help you get the words out of your head and onto the page: #16. How to Dictate Your Book With Monica LeonelleAuthor: Joanna Penn There’s no rule that says you have to type your book … if you prefer, you could write by dictating it. Many very prolific authors (including freelancers and “indie” fiction authors) are huge fans of dictation. This podcast — with full transcript — takes a look at the process and how to get started.
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#17. Concentration: 22 Ways to Stay Focused on WritingAuthor: Matthew Stibbe If you find your attention wandering as you write, this list has lots of great ideas to try — from the super-practical, like using “TK” to mark facts to look up, to the more inspirational, like the “rock and river” principle.
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#18. Practical Tips on Writing a Book from 23 Brilliant AuthorsAuthor: Steve Silberman This huge post is packed with great advice from non-fiction authors writing on a wide range of subjects. Some of the tips deal with the pre-writing and editing, but there’s a lot of focus on the writing itself and how to get the words down on the page.
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#19. Dragon NaturallySpeaking [Software]Source: Amazon While there are free dictation options out there, many authors recommend using Dragon NaturallySpeaking — which you can use not only to dictate but to browse the web, edit your text, and more. The most recent “home” (not premium) version is currently $39.72 on Amazon. Alternatively, if you’re on a tight budget, Google Doc’s “voice typing” feature has a decent reputation and is free. Stage 6: Turn Your Rough Draft into a Polished Book to Be Proud OfOnce you’ve finished your first draft, take some time off from writing and celebrate! Many would-be authors never get this far. After you’ve set your work aside for a few days or weeks, though, it’s time to read it through and start making notes about everything you need to change, cut, or add. If you can afford to bring in a professional editor, do! But before that, these resources will help you shape and prune your own work: #20. The Three Stages of Editing (and Nine Handy Do-it-Yourself Tips)Author: Ali Luke This post explains that when you edit, you’ll want to make changes in the right order: there’s little point perfecting a sentence or paragraph that you later cut completely. Work on big-picture revisions first, then smaller edits, and finally proof-read.
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#21. Self Editing Basics: 10 Simple Ways to Edit Your Own BookAuthor: Blake Atwood Even if you are using a professional editor (or turning to beta readers for help), you’ll want to give your book an initial edit yourself. This straightforward post offers practical and realistic advice on how to do just that.
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#22. 5 Ways to Find the Right Freelance Book EditorAuthor: Stacy Ennis Finding the right editor for your book can be tricky; in this post, Stacy outlines some key things to look for — not just an editor who’s experienced, but also one who works well with their clients.
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Stage 7: Take a Deep Breath and Send Your Book Out into the WorldIf you want to go for traditional publication, it’s normal to approach publishers once you have an outline and a sample chapter or two. Some first-time authors prefer to write the full manuscript first, though, so they’re confident they can complete it. These days, more and more authors self-publish (for full creative control and a bigger share of the royalties). This may be a good route for you if you already have an established audience. The three resources that follow cover the different publication routes. #23. Start Here: How to Write a Book ProposalAuthor: Jane Friedman While your outline is part of a book proposal, it’s far from the whole thing. This post explains what you need to include — and emphasizes the importance of making a strong business case for your book.
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#24. How To Self-Publish An Ebook and #25. How to Self-Publish a Print BookAuthor: Joanna Penn These two excellent, detailed guides from prolific indie author Joanna Penn explain in very straightforward terms how to go about self-publishing in both ebook and print formats. They look at a lot of practical, tactical considerations (like “exclusivity vs. going wide” and whether to use print-on-demand).
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#26. 8 Self-Publishing Secrets for Designing An eBook CoverAuthor: Rob Nightingale If you’re self-publishing, you need a professional-quality cover. It’s always best to hire a professional, but if you’re determined to design your own cover, read this article first. It’s packed with great tips, with lots of examples and links. If you’d rather bring in a pro, this post is still useful because it tells you what to check for once they’ve completed their design.
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#27. Monthly e-Book Cover Design AwardsAuthor: Joel Friedlander One of the best ways to see what works in book cover design is to look at lots of different examples. Each month, Joel publishes a whole load of ebook covers (mainly fiction but some non-fiction) that have been submitted to him — along with his comments.
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Stage 8: Get Your Book in Front of (the Right) Readers Without Spending a Fortune on AdvertisingPublishing your book is far from the end of the process of creating a bestseller: you need to market, too. This is the case even if you traditionally publish. Unless you’re already an established name, your publisher will not have a huge budget for promoting your book — and you’ll be expected to do a lot of the work yourself. Marketing can seem a bit daunting or mysterious at first, but these resources break down the process and make it much more straightforward: #28. The Author’s Guide to Building an Email List (and Selling More Books)Author: Tom Morkes This very thorough guide explains how to market a book effectively, explaining why you need an email list and how to go about setting one up. Tom includes case studies, screen shots, and lots of links. You may well want to bookmark the post so you can refer back to it.
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#29. 15 Tips for Promoting Nonfiction Books SuccessfullyAuthor: Nina Amir This round-up post brings together lots of excellent advice from different authors: some of the suggestions are high-level strategic ones and others are very specific, like suggestions on what to include in your online media kit.
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#30. Should Indie Authors Put Endorsement Quotes or “Puffs” on Self-Published Books?Author: Debbie Young The use of “puff quotes” (endorsements on the cover of your book) is a divisive one. Some authors feel they’re a huge boost to sales and marketing efforts, and feel they’re useful for adding extra information on the cover … but other authors think they could be actively off-putting.
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#31. Self-Publishing Success Stories: How I Do It — with Joseph AlexanderAuthor: Joseph Alexander This post doesn’t just cover marketing; it also looks at some other areas like integrity and quality, prioritizing, and moving into publishing other people’s books as well as just publishing your own.
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What’s Stopping You from Writing a Bestseller?Writing a book isn’t easy. Writing a bestselling book is considerably harder. Of course, nothing can guarantee success. But if you start with a great idea and a strong sense of your target audience, come up with an outline that includes exactly what that audience wants, get your first draft down, edit carefully, publish in a professional manner, and put some energy and thought into marketing … … then you’ve got as good a chance as anyone. If you’ve never written a book before, it might feel like an almost impossible task. It isn’t. Take it step by step, and you will do it. When New Year’s Eve rolls around, will you be entering yet another year with your book still unwritten, or will it be out there solving problems, bringing in a steady income, and even changing lives? You’ve got all the resources you need at your fingertips. The rest is up to you.
About the Author: Ali Luke blogs about the art, craft and business of writing at Aliventures. If you’re worried that you’re not cut out to be a writer, or if you’re going through a difficult writing time right now, check out her post Seven Things to Do When You Feel Like Giving Up on Writing.
from https://smartblogger.com/how-to-write-a-bestselling-book/
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