We all have a great book idea burning inside of us.

In fact, most of us dream about learning how to write a book.

We imagine how writing a bestseller will change our lives. How it will advance our careers. How it will make us an authority on a topic we enjoy.

A 2021 poll conducted for National Novel Writing Month showed that 54% of people would love to write a book about their own life story. But, only 15% have been able to get started, and still more struggle to finish.

The truth is many of us don’t actually make it to the writing phase.

The epic ideas, thoughts, and stories we wish to tell don’t come to fruition because of the inability to act on this dream.

This inability to act can manifest as writer’s block, but could also be more deeply rooted in limiting beliefs having to do with readiness or imposter syndrome.

As a New York Times bestselling author with numerous published books, I understand how hard it can be to take that first step to start writing.

I also know that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. When you know how to write a book and have the right tools and support to get through the book-writing process, your dreams of writing your first book can come true.

Use the following book writing and publishing guide of the 12 most important steps you can take to plan, produce, and launch your own book.

Find Your Why: Reasons to Write Your Book

If you have a great idea of what to write about for a book, you should write it. It’s as simple as that.

Not only are you doing your future readers a disservice by not sharing your creations, but you are also holding yourself back from reaching your full potential.

You will stay motivated through the process as you remind yourself of the reason you are writing a book. What is your why?

Here are just four of my favorite reasons why you should write your first book and how writing will change your life in ways you never even imagined:

1. Writing a book provides a great opportunity to share something meaningful with you.
2. Writing a book is a way to help others improve their lives.
3. Writing a book is one of the best ways to gain lasting credibility.
4. Writing a book helps you discover who you are and ignite your passions.

This sounds simple enough, right? So then the real question becomes, “Why don’t more people start writing?”

This is a tough question to answer, but I believe much of it has to do with direction…or lack of it.

For most people, writing and publishing a book may seem like an insurmountable task. Figuring out how to stay motivated when writing your book can be challenging, especially if you do not have the right processes and guides in place.

However, just like any other seemingly insurmountable task, the journey from start to finish is best handled one step at a time. Through regular, focused writing practice, you can begin to put pen to paper to compile your piece with a step-by-step process, one page at a time.

Set Up Your Writing Space

One of the most important steps to how to write a book begins before you put any words on paper. Take the time to set up a proper writing space so each writing session can be productive.

As you create a dedicated space, your goal is to minimize distractions and maximize inspiration.

If you have a spare room, turn it into your dedicated writing space. If you do not, find a space that is comfortable and as free of distractions as possible.

Some successful writers prefer writing in public spaces like coffee shops, libraries, or parks. The white noise of coffee shops can keep your mind focused on your writing. Writing your book in a library can prevent you from the distractions of your cell phone or being at home. An outdoor area not only gives you healthy natural sunlight but being among nature can also be inspiring.

The best writing location for you is a personal choice, and it does not always have to be the same place if you find you need a break from your normal writing environment.

If you are setting up your dedicated writing space at home, add a desk and supportive chair. A sit-stand desk and an ergonomic chair can counter the effects of sitting for long periods of time and invite you to your writing space.

Small touches like adding plants help you create an inspiring writing environment. Add your favorite artwork, photographs, or books, but keep it simple. You want each of your writing sessions to be productive and free of distractions.

Many successful writers prefer writing on a computer while others always start with pen and paper. You might begin writing in your notebook at a coffee shop and transfer your notes to your laptop. If you are more productive spending all of your writing time on a keyboard, do so.

Book writing software can help you streamline the writing process. It cuts down your writing time with helpful tools like spell checkers, auto-save, grammar tools, plagiarism checkers, and ways to organize your chapters.

Some book writing software has built-in productivity features that help you stay free of distractions. Others can help you publish your book. If you decide to use book writing software, choose one that is user-friendly and meets your needs.

Dedicate the Time to Be a Better Writer

The next step to how to write a book is to set aside time to develop your writing skills.

Writers come from all walks of life, and some of the most successful authors in the world often lived half their lives with no real intention of ever writing a book.

Although there is no set formula for how to be a good writer, the difference between average writers and good writers comes down to the way they approach their craft.

Being a good writer requires you to write often, read more, and polish your writing skills.

Write Often

Great writing stems from consistency and regularity. If you can establish a daily writing routine with regular writing sessions, you will be well on your way to making significant strides toward finishing your book.

The best way to get started is to find a structure that works for you.

First, set the scene.

Set up your writing space where you will be able to do your best work, whether that is in your home office, a corner of the living room, your local coffee shop, a coworking space, or your back porch.

Second, choose an ideal time to write. If you have the most unstructured time available to you in the early morning, perhaps that timeframe could be devoted to your craft.

On the flip side, if the idea of putting pen to paper before winding down for the evening seems more appealing, an evening writing schedule might be more suitable.

And, last but not least, set a goal for how much actual writing you’d like to accomplish every day.

It doesn’t have to be a lot. You might also aim to give yourself a target word count to hit, perhaps something between 250-500 words.

Regardless of the structure, you create, make sure that it provides you with the most freedom and flexibility to succeed at writing more often.

Read More

The fuel for writing books comes largely from reading good books.

Whether you love horror or hate it, Stephen King is widely recognized as one of the most successful authors in the genre.

With almost 70 novels and hundreds of short stories under his belt, King has built a life on the foundation of sharing spooky stories that have captivated millions.

In his book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, King describes his writing process and offers tips for aspiring novelists. One of the biggest pieces of often-overlooked wisdom he offers focuses on the importance of being an avid reader in order to be a sensational writer.

On this topic, he says, “Can I be blunt on this subject? If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”

I honestly couldn’t have said it better myself.

But, if you don’t want to take King’s word for it, here are some other reasons why reading more makes you a better writer:

• It is a learning opportunity to study the works of other professional writers in the same field.
• The more writing styles you read, the more you’ll be able to recognize and borrow certain strategies and weave them into your writing process.
• It can help you source ideas for different languages and vocabulary to use.
• It can help you fine-tune your own unique writing style and voice.

And as a final note, walking a mile in a reader’s shoes can also help you feel more connected with your audience.

If you invest your time in reading more of your genre, you will begin to understand firsthand what motivates readers to continue reading.

You’ll discover the answers to questions like:

• What answers are they searching for?
• What problems do they hope to resolve by the end of the book?
• How do specific sections of the story mirror pieces of their own life?
• What makes the information or the characters so relatable?

Take a Writing Class

While you certainly do not need a degree to be a professional writer, learning good writing skills and how to make best use of writing tools will help you tremendously to learn how to write a book.

Whether you are writing fiction or writing nonfiction–or even just starting out with a blog post or short article–learning the tools of the trade will boost your writing career.

And this is not just my opinion. Studies show that being a good writer depends on repeated practice. 

Many writing classes are available online for free, so it is easy to fit them into your schedule.

Taking the time to learn effective writing skills will not only help you strengthen your writing muscles, but you will also gain a community of other writers who can inspire you with fresh ideas.

Get to Know Your Target Audience

To be a successful writer, choose a story to tell and learn how and who to tell it to.

First, you need to identify what story you will tell. A lot of great book ideas come from brainstorming what you are interested in. Make a list of things you enjoy doing, things you know how to do, topics you are an authority on or at least know a lot, and things people come to you for advice or help with.

Once you’ve decided on your topic, knowing how to write a book that will reach the people you want to read it depends on getting to know your target audience.

It is important to understand your audience in order to continue to successfully create new pieces of your work they can’t wait to get their hands on.

This is perhaps the most important step in the process of how to write a book. Because when you write, the book is never about you. It’s about what you can share with the audience you wish to serve. 

To determine your target audience, it is first important to consider:

• Which genre you’d like to write for
• Which books within that genre you want to be compared to
• Who your ideal reader might be

Once you’ve determined your unique answers to these questions, you can begin sourcing information from people within your network.

There is a chance that your personal or professional network could be very closely aligned with the audience you wish to reach. You could even begin with this audience and expand or revise it as you continue to edit and change portions of your soon-to-be bestseller.

All in all, it is a writer’s job to get to know their audience. It takes work, but all of that work is what will make your book great.

Choose the Right Book Topic

My next how-to write-a-book guideline is to choose your topic wisely.

Once you have committed to being a better writer and have identified your target audience, now it’s time to choose an appropriate topic or a story for the audience you’ve selected.

It is critical that the topic be unique enough to set your book apart but general enough to appeal to a wider group of people that still fall within the same umbrella as your audience.

Take the idea of writing a book on social media marketing, for example. It’s general enough for your audience to understand, but you need to pitch it from a different perspective.

Perhaps your book could be focused on a specific theory on why you should only post to social media on Tuesdays. Now, this is a very unique train of thought, so if you choose this route, be sure that you can back up your ideas in grounded evidence as to why you believe this…but you get my point.

And most importantly, choosing the right book topic for your audience is meaningless unless you are passionate about the topic yourself.

Not only is it much easier and more natural to write a book about something you actively believe in, but it is also more entertaining for your readers because they’ll be able to feel your level of involvement and interest in the topic just by scanning a couple of sentences.

Simply put, your audience won’t believe what you’re saying unless you believe it first.

Know How to Make Your Book a Bestseller

Along with choosing the right topic that you are passionate about and will keep your reader’s interest, knowing how to write a book also involves understanding key concepts that turn good books into bestsellers.

Network With Other Published Authors

Since fellow writers have been through the process of taking a book from ideation to creation numerous times, they are a wealth of knowledge and can offer you expert guidance and tips about any step in the writing process and publishing process.

Assuming they are a talented, successful writer, this is almost always a good thing and will put you on track to becoming a bestseller yourself.

Plus, reading and familiarizing yourself with the works of other bestselling authors that you look up to is one of the best ways to develop your writing skills.

By getting to know the works of authors in your own genre, you’ll develop a knack for understanding different successful writing formulas and be able to begin piecing together engaging stories that readers cannot wait to get their hands on.

On top of that, you’ll also begin to recognize stylistic patterns that specific authors use to define their work and stand out from the crowd.

Best case scenario, you will pick up some of their writing tips and tricks to use in your own works. Worst case scenario, you may be struck with some additional inspiration on how to approach and alter your own writing techniques and style choices.

Either way, you can’t lose.

The more people who know about your book, the greater chance it has of becoming a bestseller. The word will spread when readers find a good book, but there are also things you can do to bring attention to your book.

The best way to get the word out about the great work you have created – or are in the process of creating – is to network with other seasoned authors.

Determine What Bestseller List You Want To Be On

So, you want to be a bestseller. But do you know what kind of bestseller you want to be?

For example, do you see yourself topping the digital charts on Amazon? What about clinching the top spot on the New York Times list? Or perhaps sitting pretty high up the book list that is put out by the Wall Street Journal?

There are so many bestseller lists that it is impossible to track how many there are. To make matters more confusing, each one also has different criteria for determining which books make the cut and which do not.

Some bestseller lists measure the number of sales of a certain book over a specific period of time, while others are curated by a certain group of people responsible for choosing which titles should make their list.

In any case, if you are trying to be recognized as a bestseller, you should come into the process of book writing with an idea of which list you’d like to be on. From there, you can perform research to better understand the qualifications you will need to meet to be considered for a ranking.

Other Bestseller Considerations

While the above considerations should be the main priority when thinking about ways to make any bestseller list when writing a book, you’ll also want to keep a few other things in the back of your mind while creating.

One of those things is the quality of your writing. To make a book a bestseller, it is essential that your writing is both clear and captivating so your readers do not lose interest. While the story you tell is certainly important, so is the way you tell it.

Your prose doesn’t necessarily have to sing like Shakespeare’s, but it does need to be polished enough that people thoroughly enjoy reading what you write.

You’ll also want to take a look at your marketing strategy. Is there anything you could change to get more eyes on your work?

Consider what places your audience usually shops for books of this nature, if your potential buyers are on social media, or if they prefer to see most of their ads via billboards, fliers, or in a newspaper.

Create a Book Outline to Begin the Writing Process

A successful journey starts with a good road map. A bestselling book begins with turning a good book idea into an outline you can follow before the actual writing begins.

Finding a way to organize all of your thoughts at the front end of writing a book will guarantee your success later. This sounds like a tedious step, but trust me, knowing how to write a book outline can make or break the direction you take your piece or how much time it will take you to complete.

A book outline is essentially a map that guides authors to the end of their book-writing journey as smoothly and seamlessly as possible. A good outline should help set the stage, organize the scenes, and clarify how the entire story or message comes together.  It also will eventually form the table of contents for your book.

How much planning you end up doing is largely up to you. Some authors prefer to have a detailed outline that is well fleshed out from start to finish while others create a basic outline, preferring instead to let the book unfold as they write it but having the foundational structure in place.

Regardless of the outline you choose to create, once you build your outline piece by piece, you will then be ready to write your book page by page, and, eventually, you’ll progress from one sentence to your first drafts to a finished product ready for publication.

How to write a book outline is slightly different when your write fiction versus writing a nonfiction book. Here are some guidelines to follow:

Writing fiction

When you write a book on a fictional topic, your outline helps you plan out your characters, scenes, setting, plot, climax, and more. You can approach writing your novel outline in many different ways, but whichever approach you choose, include these essential elements:

• Craft your premise by writing a one-paragraph summary of what the novel will be about.
• Decide on the setting of your book and do your research so your writing will be accurate.
• Determine who your characters are and write detailed profiles about what they look like, who they are, what they are interested in, and what their personality traits are.
• Lay out your plot by creating a timeline of events that includes the beginning, middle, and end of your story.
• Add pivotal scenes into your plot so you will know what needs to happen where. You might add these as you go along as well when the inspiration hits you, including dialogue and other details.

Writing non-fiction

Writing an outline for your non-fiction book involves identifying the purpose of your book and writing down the main ideas, principles, and concepts you want to convey. Nonfiction writers include these elements in their book outlines:

• Identify the main idea or purpose of your book. What problem are you trying to solve that the reader has or what do you want them to know or do?
• Create a structure for your book that will lead to the solution to the problem. You might need to set up background information first, for instance, or you might outline a step-by-step process. This structure will lend itself to forming chapters after you start writing, or you can include your chapters in your outline.
• Revise as needed.

The purpose of your outline is not to write an entire manuscript but to create a structure you can follow to get from your big idea to an entire first draft, all while heading in the right direction that will keep your reader’s attention.

Dedicate Extra Time to Working on Your Book Title

When you pour your heart and soul into writing a book, you want people to read it. Often the first impression readers get of your book is its title. You want to craft a title that will encourage someone to open the cover and read the entire book.

Assume 80% of people will read your title, while only 20% will end up reading your book. That means you should spend extra time working on an emotional and impactful title.

You might have a great title for your book long before you write your rough draft, or you might until you finish writing or are even in the editing process.

Regardless, aim for a title that grabs attention, is easy to say, gives an idea of what the book is about, and is memorable.

Make a list of 20 or so book ideas. If you are writing a fictional book, think of the names of your characters, places, memorable phrases, and plot twists in your book for inspiration.

For your nonfiction book title, think of your target audience’s pain points and how you are solving them. Unlike fictional book titles that can be more inventive and imaginative, the title for your non-fiction book should give the reader a clear idea of what the book is about.

While it is usually not against copyright laws for your book to have the same title as another book, you want to avoid this confusion, especially with popular titles. You can do this with a deep search on the internet. Book titles can be trademarked, however, such as the Chicken Soup for the Soul and the Dummies series.

Check the database of the US Patent and Trademark Office online to ensure your book title has not already been trademarked.

Consider adding a subtitle as well. This can help your title stand out by allowing for a short title but clarifying with a longer subtitle.

Learn How to Fight Writer’s Block

Nearly anyone who tries to write a book knows that writer’s block can hit and put up a roadblock to your progress.

Writer’s block can sometimes come from self-doubt. You might stop writing because you fear no one will want to read your story. That is simply not true. Write it anyway, you have something important to say and people need to hear it.

You might also get writer’s block from not hitting your daily word count goal or being overwhelmed with how many words need to be written to complete your first draft.

Don’t allow discouragement to keep you from doing a great thing. Everything worth doing takes time and effort. Renew your motivation by taking a break, reading motivational quotes, or talking to a trusted, inspirational friend or family member.

You might also lose interest in your book idea. If this happens, whether after just writing the first few pages or deep into your book, you may need to revise your approach.

First, be sure what you are writing about is interesting to you. If not, it will be very difficult to stay motivated when writing a book. Second, determine if there are parts of your outline that should be omitted. If you are bored writing it, chances are your readers will be too.

Head over to my blog post for more tips on overcoming writer’s block.

Create Your First Draft

Use your outline to craft your first draft. Don’t worry about how perfect it is or if you are including everything you need.

As you get into the writing habit, you will find you are inspired by ideas you may want to insert into an earlier or later part of your story. That is what a first draft is for, to allow your book to be a living, thinking, changing document.

Use your personal writing voice for your book. Do not try to write like other authors, although you can learn from their good writing habits as well. But make sure your first draft captures who you are and what you want to convey. Chances are this will not be your only book. You will want your voice to emanate from and be recognizable to your readership.

When you feel you have written the particular story you want to convey in your first draft, you will then focus on editing and revising.

Edit Your Book

When I write a book, I write quickly and leave the editing process for later. This strategy has helped turn my book ideas into over 70 books.

My motto is to write feverishly and edit meticulously.

When you get into your writing routine and first start writing a new page or a new chapter, it should come as an uninterrupted flow of conscience.

Don’t worry about how good it sounds or how many mistakes there are – simply write. Write feverishly until that page or chapter or whatever section you are working on is done. This is also a good way to combat writer’s block.

Later, you can go back and carefully edit your work, pruning away unnecessary content, polishing your writing, and weeding out mistakes. In the beginning, though, it’s getting your thoughts onto paper into a rough draft that is the most important.

Self-editing, hiring an editor, or combining both processes are options for you.

It’s always best to review your work yourself first, to ensure you have addressed all of the ideas you want. If you continue solely with self-editing, use one or more of the many writing tools available to you. These will help you catch spelling, grammar, and technical errors, and some can give you advice on voice and tone.

You can also hire a professional editor to make sure your entire book is polished from cover to cover. This is especially helpful when you are self-publishing.

Publish Your Book

Learning how to write a book will turn your big idea into a bestseller. Once you finish writing, it is time to get it in front of your readers.

In the past, publishing a book meant convincing publishing companies to look at your work and like it enough to publish it under their name.

Of course, this is much easier said than done, and even the world’s most successful authors, such as J.K. Rowling, Dr. Seuss, and Luisa May Alcott had to deal with countless rejections and years of waiting before they were able to finally publish their book.

In many ways, though, this process is a thing of the past. Today you can self-publish, work with a publishing company, or use a publishing service like Amazon.

Self-Publishing

Self-publishing is the practice of publishing a book without the help of a traditional publishing company. Choosing this option might sound challenging, but in fact, there are a variety of convenient options that make publishing a book quick and easy.

You can pay for and arrange all aspects of the publishing process on your own, or work with a company that handles some of these tasks for you. Just note that if you work with a non-traditional self-publishing company, you may need to pay for specific services or turn over some rights to your book.

Self-publishing is often the more affordable option for those who are focused on the financial aspect of bringing a book into the world.

The process of self-publishing a book is quite simple, and, if you take the time to do it right, the results can be just as effective and spectacular as any book published by one of the major publishing companies.

Publishing Companies

A publishing company is an entity that is responsible for handling the printing, distribution, and storage of an author’s book.

Within the publishing company, there is typically a publisher who is tasked with finding books that are likely to sell well. They act as the direct line of communication between the author and the publishing company and are responsible for creating contracts with authors they would like to sign.

Once a publisher has signed a contract with an author, the publisher will move forward with the process of printing the book and preparing it for sale.

There are two specific kinds of publishing companies that an author could consider – traditional book publishing companies and self-publishing book companies. Each operates differently and offers aspiring authors their own unique set of processes, services, and contracts for the work they are seeking to publish.

Traditional Book Publishing Companies

Traditional book publishing companies have been around for years. They used to be the sole gatekeepers that one would need to impress to get a book published. The process involved pitching your creative work to a company or publisher who would then make a final decision on whether or not to take a chance on your book.

Oftentimes, this process was long and tedious, and the author might have to pitch to multiple companies to get their book in front of their audience.

Though times have changed, and some of these companies have adapted well to the digital age, their essential roles remain the same.

Some of today’s most well-known traditional book publishing companies include Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster.

Self-Publishing Companies

Self-publishing companies are less established and take a different approach to the publishing process than traditional publishing companies.

Their primary role is to assist authors with the process of publishing books independently. These companies help with printing or digital preparation, as well as the distribution of work.

Some of the best self-publishing companies include Kindle Direct Publishing, Kobo, and Xlibris. However, many other options are also available.

How to Publish a Book on Amazon

The benefits of Amazon’s book publishing platform have appealed to many authors in recent years.

Amazon’s self-publishing has made it incredibly easy for anyone to market their book on the largest book-selling platform in the world. Through the variety of services that Amazon offers, you can publish your fiction or nonfiction book in digital, print, and even audio formats.

Really, the only parts of the process that Amazon doesn’t have a hand in are your book cover design and formatting, although it does have a built-in cover creator.

A few standout perks that set Amazon’s publishing platform apart from the competitors are:

• The ability to easily reach millions of readers
• A free way to publish e-books and paperbacks
• A quick and efficient way to publish books in only a few days

• Self-publish vs. contract with a traditional publishing company

Write Your Next Book

Now that you’ve written and published your first book, why not do it again?

Learning how to write a book makes writing the next book even easier.

Note what worked well in your first draft and throughout the whole process and what needs improvement.

Once you start getting book reviews, it is also very helpful to read these. While some reviewers will not give constructive criticism, the majority of readers will give honest and helpful reviews.

Use their words to analyze what your target audience is looking for. If they mention something they wish your book had, see if you can provide that in your next book. Try also to incorporate the positive things they raved about in your first book. It is all about finding needs and meeting them.

Start Writing Your Book Today

My final piece of advice for your book-writing journey is to tell you to go for it!

The main difference between those who are published authors and those who are not is that published authors actually follow through with their dreams, taking it one sentence at a time using a proven book-writing strategy.

If you can do that, you’re on the verge of seeing your name on the front of a bestselling book.

I’ve written over 90 books over my 40-year career, and I can tell you that as much as we would like them to, books don’t write themselves. Motivation is the measurement of the energy that is put into any endeavor.

When you write a book, you are bound to struggle with periods where you lack the motivation to write or experience writer’s block, a key challenge that writers face while lacking the motivation to write. Even when writing inspiration is lacking, it is crucial to stay committed and motivated.

To combat this, you need an arsenal of tools and techniques that you can use to help you overcome motivational issues like getting started writing, finding your message, or getting rid of writer’s block. Writing is a job and every job needs the “write” tool.

Here are a few techniques I’ve used to overcome writer’s block from time to time and really get motivated to write. I’ve used these same techniques to write 4-5 books a year.

How to Stay Motivated When Writing a Book

The hardest part of writing a book is always the first few pages, especially when facing writer’s block. No matter how strong your motivation or how compelling the topic is, motivating yourself to start is a large task.

In this video, I break  down a few of my favorite tips for staying motivate to write:

Understanding the writing process is crucial for staying motivated, as it involves overcoming fears, setting realistic goals, and finding passion in your work.

1. Write Every Day

One of the tricks that artists use and that works well for writers too is to write often. Even when you don’t want to type a single word, do it anyway… just write. It triggers something in your brain so that the pathway between your daily routine and your creative side is easier to find.

Create small writing goals that you can achieve every day. You can set goals like committing to writing a specific word count of 250 words or one page a day. At the end of 365 days, you’ll have a 365-page book.

This low word count goal is crucial for maintaining consistency and avoiding disappointment, making it easier to stay motivated and keep writing every day. Writing every day helps maintain motivation even when writing inspiration is low.

If you want to complete your book faster, you can write a chapter a day.

Make the time that you sit down to write each day a habit. If you set a time to write in the morning, sit down and write at the same time each morning.

Establishing a consistent writing routine is key to overcoming writer’s block and keeping your motivation high. It involves setting a designated time and place for writing and possibly incorporating new elements into your routine to keep it fresh.

You can also pre-release your book on Amazon and date it to give you extra motivation to have it finished by a certain date. Write down your goals and review them every day and you will complete your book in no time.

2. Don’t Edit as You Write

One of the biggest mistakes I see with writers is trying to edit their own writing as they’re drafting. It’s crucial to allow yourself the freedom to express your thoughts and ideas without self-judgment during the initial writing phase.

Save editing for the very end. Switching back and forth between being creative and critiquing your own writing causes you to lose steam.

One of the greatest tools to cultivate motivation is progress. Keep writing, focusing on the raw and real expression of your ideas, and save the editing until you finish the book.

3. Get Rid of Distractions

Get rid of distractions when you write.

Writing a book requires all of your attention.

Create a space where there are few if any outside distractions.

Put your phone on silent or turn it off.

Leave a do not disturb sign on your door.

Filter outside noise with a white noise machine.

Your goal is to eliminate all distractions and get into a state of flow.

4. Take a Break for a Fresh Perspective

Don’t be afraid to put your book aside for a few days when you’re feeling blocked, then when you are ready, resume writing. Just make sure that you specify the time that you’ll come back to writing. Give yourself a strict deadline, and adhere to it.

Changing your environment may be all you need to jumpstart your motivation. Try writing in a different room, outside, or in a different color.

To rejuvenate your motivation after a break, it’s essential to start writing again, even if it’s just small steps at first. This act of beginning anew can significantly help to regain your writing momentum.

5. Use Examples From Others

If you have had the good fortune to read Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, then you might be familiar with another useful tool for overcoming lacking motivation. That tool is the creation of analogies that support your book.

In Think and Grow Rich, Hill uses the comparisons of rich and famous people to support or outline his points. Similarly, when you are stuck, look to people you value, including other writers, for inspiration.

Learning from their experiences and the way they have navigated their writing journeys can be incredibly enlightening.

It’s important to admire other writers for their unique voice, passion, and storytelling style without falling into the trap of comparing your work negatively to theirs. This process opens up a door that bridges the gap between critical thinking and artistic thinking.

Did you know most celebrities who write a book are using a ghostwriter? Use some of their methods, to brainstorm ideas and get examples.

6. Talk it Out

If you’re having trouble writing, try talking it out. Write as if you’re talking to a friend. As you write, consider that you are telling your story to one of your friends and as you do, write it down.

When you tell your friends that you are writing a book what do you tell them? Write it down. What message are you trying to convey?

Having a conversation with your book is an excellent technique for talking through the problems that you need to solve for others in a casual manner. Talking is often easier than writing which is why this technique helps break your writer’s block. Talking out your writing problems can help overcome writer’s block.

Additionally, dedicating some time to plan before each writing session can significantly streamline your writing process, making it easier to start and keep the momentum going, effectively overcoming writer’s block.

7. Try New Creative Writing Prompts

Try creative writing prompts as a way to challenge yourself to write. Those might include: Describe your surroundings — Look out the window and describe the first thing you see in great detail.

Keep a journal of these entries as though you are Darwin traipsing through the jungle.

Try a word challenge — Open the dictionary and choose the first word you see. Use that word in a haiku or short quote that your main character might say. There are many writing prompts that writers use to jumpstart their brains and their motivation.

Find a few that work well for you. Creative writing prompts can also help spark writing inspiration when you need it most.

You might also find inspiration for this activity from this list of motivational quotes

Being motivated 100% of the time just isn’t possible for most authors. So don’t get discouraged if you’re having a hard time getting started. These tools and techniques have helped me persist many times when I simply did not feel like writing.

Keep Your Writing Motivation High

Facing a blank page can be daunting, but it’s a common challenge that many writers overcome by simply starting to write, even if it’s not perfect.

How do you motivate yourself to write?

1. Write every day
2. Don’t edit as you write
3. Get rid of distractions
4. Take a break
5. Use examples from others
6. Talk it out
7. Try creative writing prompts

You should also know:

Learning how to write a book with a proven system is also a great way to keep your momentum on the journey to publishing.

Everyone has a book inside of them. It’s your job to find out what your message is, take action, and just start! It’s normal to lose motivation at times, but knowing your purpose can help push you through those moments.

You’ve written a book that’s about to be published or an article that’s going live online. Congratulations!

But although this is a big accomplishment, your job isn’t done: You also need to write a short author biography — otherwise known as an author bio– so your readers can get to know you.

An author bio shares relevant information about your education and experience. This proves your credibility, showing that you know what you’re talking about. It also allows your readers to connect with you as a person.

Crafting your own bio can sometimes be a difficult task. These author biographies need to be short, yet engaging, so it can be hard to know what to include. After all, your bio may be one of the first things potential readers see when they pick up and open your book.

This blog post breaks down how to write an author bio and what to say in your short bio to connect best with your readers.

Author Bios: What They Include and Why to Write One

An author bio is a short paragraph that shares information about you, such as your education, your experience, and your personal life. Author bios are usually placed next to a professional photo or headshot of the author to further help humanize you, the writer.

While there’s no set word count on a bio, you’ll want to keep things short — think a paragraph or two.

The goal of an author bio is to provide a brief background about you, the author, and to show why you were qualified to write your book or article in order.

Essentially, an engaging author bio gives you credibility with your readers and allows you to connect with potential readers so you can encourage them to read more of your work.

For example, when you describe your past education, work experience, and skills in your author bio, you’re proving that you know what you’re talking about and that you are an expert in your field.

Another benefit of a well-written, short bio is that it humanizes you. Your bio should add personality and communicate to your readers who you are as a person.

For example, your author bio may include a sentence about how many books you’ve written in the past. Then, you may add another sentence about why you began writing in the first place.

Finally, you might share a bit about your family, passions outside of writing, and any formal education, awards, or certifications you’ve achieved in your writing career, like once being named a New York Times Bestselling Author.

You don’t have to be a master of creative writing to craft a well-written bio. The goal of your author bio should simply be to convince readers that you’re more than just an author or some faceless person who wrote an online article — you’re a person.

Who Needs an Author Bio?

The short answer: Every writer!

You might think author bios are only for authors — people who write novels or nonfiction books.

Whether you’ve written ten books or this is your first novel or piece of written work, you should at least have a generic bio that explains to your prospective readers a little more about who you are.

But the truth is, you don’t have to be a bestselling author to have a well-written author bio. Almost everyone who wants to publish their writing will need an author bio at some point.

This is true if you write blog posts, poetry, science fiction, short stories, thought leadership articles, or just about anything else.

There are only a couple of exceptions to this rule. The first is ghostwriting. As the name suggests, ghostwriters are anonymous writers who don’t get credit for their work.

A ghostwriter writes a work for the author. The author’s name is the only one on the cover of the book even though they didn’t actually write it.

If you are a ghostwriter, you won’t get your own author bio.

Second, some writers may want to remain anonymous, using a pen name or no name at all.

You might choose to use a pseudonym if you don’t want your boss at your day job to know about your writing, if you’re writing something controversial, or if your name is common and there are other authors out there with the same name.

If you use a pen name, you may or may not have an author bio. That choice is up to you.

When To Write Your Author Bio

You should write your author bio after you write the meat of your book. It can take a long time to write a book — months or even years.

The information that you’ll put in your author bio (such as your career details or where you live) could change during that time.

So don’t write your author bio too soon.

This is something you can leave until the end of the process of publishing a book.

However, if you’re feeling stuck with your book and you need to focus on something else, this could also be a good time to write your author bio.

It can be more inspiration and helpful to flex your writing muscles with something different.

Then you can jump back into your book or another writing project with a fresh perspective.

How to Write an Author Bio

Many people hate talking about themselves and find author bios difficult to write. Sometimes we also struggle with bios because they’re so short.

Often, the shorter something is, the harder we think it is to write. For instance, how long did it take you to write your book title?

Because of this, some authors outsource the writing of their bio to a freelance writer or work with a creative consultant so they can focus on their book sales and complete the publishing process.

However, self-publishing authors and those who prefer to control the writing process don’t necessarily need a freelance writer to whip up a killer author bio.

If you know the general formula for how to use your best writing and craft a full bio, creating your own bio isn’t as daunting of a task as you may think. Take a look at these tips to help you write a good author bio.

Write in the Third Person

Typically, author bios are written in the third person, not the first person, point of view. You want your bio to sound like someone else wrote it about you.

Don’t use “I” — just use your name and last name. For example, instead of saying:

“I’m an author and I live in Chicago, Illinois.”

Say this:

“John Doe is an author who lives in Chicago, Illinois.”

Writing your author bio in the third person sounds more professional and authoritative to most readers.

Third-person can sometimes run the risk of sounding impersonal, but you can avoid this by adding a brief detail about your life experience at the end.

Explain Your Credentials

What qualifies you to write this book or article?

Your author bio is the place to explain. Whether you have special skills, work experience, or professional certifications, here is where you’ll include them.

Don’t talk about what you would like to do in the future; this is a waste of space and doesn’t help establish credibility. Instead, talk about what you already have done.

If your educational experience is relevant to the subject matter you’re writing on, mention your degree(s) in your bio.

If you don’t have any degrees or the degrees are in a completely different field, don’t add them — save that space for something else.

You should also mention any recognition you’ve received. What awards have you won? Have you been recognized for your fiction writing anywhere?

Sharing your writing accomplishments lets your target audience know they can trust your writing skills. Adding things like if you are a Wall Street Journal or New York Times Bestseller, have won any national magazine awards, or even achieved your bachelor’s degree in some form of writing field are all great accomplishments to list in your bio.

Here’s an example of the first sentence in an author bio that explains the author’s credibility to help you understand how to write your own credibility into your bio.

“John Doe has a master’s degree in history and 15 years of experience working as an archivist. His first book, A History of Modern Japan, won a prestigious reader’s choice award.”

List Your Other Work

In addition to your work history, awards, and credentials, list a few other well-known works you’ve written

Think of this as in-book marketing or free space to share more ways for the readers to find your work.

Someone may even read your author bio and realize they’ve already read your other work, creating a feeling of trust.

If your author bio is being published online, you can include hyperlinks to your author website or to any online stores where people can publish your other books.

If you don’t have any other work to include, that’s okay. Skip this part and focus more on other parts of your bio, such as your education or any relevant experience.

On the flip side, if you have a lot of other work, don’t list everything you’ve ever published — stick to just a few of the ones that are most impressive, most relevant, or most recent.

Get Personal

When written correctly, your author bio has the potential to help you connect to readers on a deeper level.

Don’t stop with a dry list of your degrees or past positions — add some personal details to help your readers get to know you.

For example, where do you live? Do you have a spouse, children, or a pet? What hobbies do you enjoy when you aren’t working or writing?

These are simple details, but sharing a glimpse into your life experience goes a long way in helping readers remember that you’re human, too. This could sound something like this:

“John Doe lives in Chicago, Illinois with his wife and three children. He enjoys playing tennis and going on bike rides with his dog.”

Don’t mention any topics that could be divisive. Stick to hobbies that are pure fun — nothing that involves controversial topics or reflects your political views (that is, unless you’re a politician writing a political book).

Keep It Short

Your author bio needs to be short. People have already spent a good chunk of their time reading your book or your article.

They aren’t going to read a long author bio, too. The shorter your author’s bio, the higher the chance that people will actually read it.

The ideal length for an author bio is around 50-100 words. This is about 3-5 sentences.

Consider dedicating one sentence to your education and experience, another sentence to your other published work, and the final sentence to your personal life.

Be Willing to Tweak

Your author bio will change over time. As you continue publishing new writing and advancing your career, you’ll have more published works, on-the-job experience, and awards to add to your bio.

That said, make sure you aren’t married to the final version of your author bio — be willing to tweak it in the future as needed.

Your author bio also might need to sound a little different for different platforms. Many publishers and websites have guidelines for how long an author bio should be and what it should include.

Even if you’re free to write whatever you wish, you may want to highlight certain parts of your experience or overlook others.

For instance, maybe John Doe felt his experience working as an archivist in London wasn’t important enough to include in his main author bio. But for a publication that circulates in the United Kingdom, it would be the perfect detail to add in.

At the end of the day, your goal is to come up with an author bio that you can use as a template.

Save this general author bio and use it to work off of any time you have a new piece of writing published. In the future, you won’t have to start from scratch — you can simply use this predefined template and add or subtract information as necessary.

Your base author bio might sound something like this:

“John Doe has a master’s degree in history and 15 years of experience working as an archivist in London. His first book, A History of Modern Japan, won a prestigious reader’s choice award. John currently lives in Chicago, Illinois with his wife and three children, where enjoys playing tennis and going on bike rides with his dog.”

Examples of Engaging Author Bios

Here are a few different examples of author bios found on Amazon:

Brian Tracy

Helps individuals and businesses achieve goals through his expertise gained from consulting for over 1,000 companies and addressing millions of people globally. With 30 years of experience in various fields, he is a bestselling author with over 70 books translated into many languages.

Brian delivers talks on personal and professional development, leadership, sales, and success psychology to corporate and public audiences, driving immediate and lasting changes. His background includes successful careers in sales, marketing, real estate, and consulting, with extensive international experience.

Jack Canfield

America’s #1 Success Coach, is the co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, which includes forty New York Times bestsellers, and coauthor with Gay Hendricks of You’ve GOT to Read This Book!

An internationally renowned corporate trainer, Jack has trained and certified over 4,100 people to teach the Success Principles in 115 countries. He is also a podcast host, keynote speaker, and popular radio and TV talk show guest. He lives in Santa Barbara, California.

Tony Robbins

An international entrepreneur, #1 New York Times bestselling author, and philanthropist. Worth magazine recognized Robbins as one of the top 100 most influential people in global finance for two consecutive years.

Accenture honored Robbins as one of the “Top 50 Business Intellectuals in the World.” Robbins is a leader called upon by leaders: He’s consulted and coached some of the world’s greatest athletes, entertainers, Fortune 500 CEOs, and four US presidents.

Zig Ziglar

Author of the best-selling See You at the Top is an internationally renowned speaker and authority on high-level performance. His I CAN course is taught in more than 3,000 schools, and hundreds of companies and businesses utilize his tapes, books, and videos to train their employees effectively.

He has taught his biblically-based principles for becoming a more effective persuader and person to sales organizations, church groups, schools, and businesses. He has addressed thousands more through numerous television and radio appearances and his films. His Sunday school class held at first Baptist church, Dallas, is broadcast each Sunday morning, via satellite.

Grant Cardone

Owns and operates seven privately held companies, and a private equity real estate firm, Cardone Capital, with a multifamily portfolio of assets worth over $5 Billion. He is one of the Top Crowdfunders in the world, raising over $880 million in equity via social media. He is featured on Season 2 of Discovery Channel’s Undercover Billionaire, where he takes on the challenge of building a million-dollar business in 90 days.

Grant is also a New York Times bestselling author of 11 business books, including The 10X Rule, which led to Cardone establishing the 10X Global Movement and the 10X Growth Conference, now the largest business and entrepreneur conference in the world. Cardone uses his massive 15 million plus following to give back via his Grant Cardone Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to mentoring underprivileged and troubled youth in financial literacy.

Write Your Author Bio Today

It turns out that learning how to write an author bio isn’t so hard after all. By following these simple tips, you can craft a bio that’s short, snappy, and helps you connect with your readers.

And if you’re still stuck, consider using an author bio template or some of the examples listed in this blog to inspire you on how to write your own author bio.

However, it goes without saying that before you can write an author bio, you need to have written a book or other piece of writing.

If you’re still in the main writing phase or have simply thought about writing and haven’t acted on it yet, my Book Writing Template can help. My system shows you how to map out your story and then piece it all together to write the best book that you can. Click here to download the template and start writing your book today.

Many people dream of knowing how to become an author and publish a book.

You might even be one of them!

If so, you may already have a topic in mind, or you might have even started writing your masterpiece.

And if you don’t have anything in the works yet, don’t worry. Most people interested in a career as an author don’t know where to start and some may even find the possibility of becoming published out of reach.

But after years of people asking me, “How can I become an author who has published a book?” I’m excited to share with you that it is more attainable than you may think.

It just comes down to overcoming a few obstacles, such as not having enough time or feeling a lack of self-confidence.

For example, one of the main obstacles people who want to know how to become an author face is simply knowing how to get started.

Don’t let these common obstacles stand in the way of achieving your dream, though! Here’s how to get started on your journey to becoming a published author.

What Does it Mean to Become an Author?

Becoming an author is a transformative journey that transcends mere writing. It’s a path marked not just by the creation of words, but by the crafting of worlds, the shaping of ideas, and the stirring of emotions.

When you become an author, you step into a role that allows you to write narratives, share wisdom, and leave a mark on society. It’s a commitment to not only tell a story, but to resonate with the hearts and minds of readers, offering them new perspectives, profound insights, or escapism into realms they have never imagined.

Fiction vs Non-Fiction

An author’s work is often a reflection of their deepest thoughts, strongest beliefs, and most fervent passions. Whether they write fiction or non-fiction, their work is imbued with a sense of purpose and intent.

Fiction authors create characters and settings that feel real and relatable, making readers invest emotionally in the journey. Non-fiction authors, on the other hand, strive to inform, educate, or inspire, turning complex concepts into accessible knowledge or translating life experiences into valuable lessons.

Writer vs Author

But it’s also important to know the distinction between a writer and an author, though subtle, is significant. A writer is someone who writes — such as essays, articles, or even books. Writing is an action, a skill that can be developed and honed.

Being an author, however, is about ownership and artistry. It’s about committing to a project and seeing it through to completion. An author creates a narrative or a body of work that holds a unique voice and a distinctive message.

To become an author is to embark on a journey of self-discovery, creativity, and influence. It requires courage, dedication, and a relentless pursuit of one’s vision. As an author, you have the power to inspire change, evoke emotion, and contribute to the cultural and intellectual tapestry of the world.

How To Become A Successful Author: Developing The Right Skills

First and foremost, you need to have certain skills to become a successful author. Let’s start with five of the main skills you should develop to fulfill your dream of becoming a published author.

Communication

To be successful in telling your story, you need to master communication.

This means knowing how to use words to be descriptive, illustrate your main points, and motivate. As an author, you need to be able to use the written word to communicate concisely and clearly.

You also need to know your audience and their communication styles and preferences to get your message across successfully. Understand what is important to them — what are their concerns or pain points?

Communication also helps when it comes to networking with other already successful writers and authors. Being able to converse with and listen to your fellow, writing community and peers will help you figure out how to write and publish your book from those who have already done it and learned valuable lessons and information.

Spelling and Grammar

No one will read your book if they keep running into spelling and grammar issues. These errors make it difficult to make it through your work.

Authors should have excellent spelling, grammar, and vocabulary skills.

You can develop these skills by taking writing courses and basic English classes. Use a spelling and grammar checker to help edit your pieces and give you suggestions on better word usage.

However, keep in mind that when you are writing your first draft, spending too much time worrying about spelling and grammar can hinder your progress.

Instead, just let your thoughts go, and write what comes to you. You will go back later to make corrections later.

Just make sure you go back to check for spelling and grammar mistakes before publishing your work. It may also help to have someone else proofread to catch any mistakes you may have missed.

Creativity

So many people have a book idea, and likely one similar, or even the same, as yours. So you must figure out how to make your unique work stand out.  You can also try looking into what methods ghostwriters use to learn about a topic.

What do you have to offer that is unique from other authors? You have your experiences, your personality, your thoughts, and your unique outlook on life.

Use these to write a book that stands out from others. Do not simply try to imitate the success of others, though. Readers will appreciate you for your unique approach and the way you express yourself with words.

For example, if you are often humorous, use humor in your writing. If you are reflective and contemplative, let it come out in your book.

In short, let your creativity shine by being yourself. Express your thoughts or share your knowledge to either entertain or improve the lives of others.

Concentration

Honing in on concentration is going to be key to finishing your book.

Without concentration, you leave room for procrastination.

If becoming a published author is important to you, place it high on your priorities list as you would any important job. Set aside time in your schedule each week to devote to writing your book.

To help you stay concentrated try writing at the time of day you concentrate best. Is it early in the morning when your thoughts are fresh, after exercising, or later at night when the house is quiet?

Do you concentrate better in a room that is silent, or does white noise or music keep your mind more active? Are you able to focus better when you are outside? Do you prefer writing on a device, or are you more productive with paper and pen?

When working on your book, try freeing your space of distractions, including notifications and calls on your phone as much as possible.

I promise when you make an effort to concentrate, you will produce and publish your book in no time!

Research

Being able to conduct research effectively online or in the library is an important skill for any author.

While you may already have a lot of knowledge about the topic you are writing about, there may be some things you need to learn more about to make your book more interesting and complete.

A good place to start is by finding what other successful writers of books like the one you’re writing have in common. This will help give you a starting point of where to look for your research and help make your work more of many successful writers.

Then, when you are doing your research, gather your information from reliable sources so it is accurate and so that your audience can further trust the information you present in your book.

In addition to research for your book, you’ll also want to study your audience. When you know what they like and what they are interested in, you can make your book more compelling and interesting. The more interesting your book is to your audience, the more successful it will be.

Research may also help you when you’re feeling stuck. You may find something interesting that will spark a creative chord and inspire you to keep going!

Common Obstacles To Becoming An Author

Now that you know what it takes to become a published author, it’s important to understand some of the common struggles you may encounter to learn how to anticipate them, get past them, and publish your book.

Here are three common obstacles many writers and people face when trying to become an author.

Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is feeling like you don’t have the qualifications to be doing what you’re trying to do — in this case, writing a book.

But do not believe that just because you may not know exactly how to be an author you cannot be one.

You can be an author even if you feel you lack the education or experience to be one. After all, every author has to start somewhere!

To help you battle imposter syndrome, a bachelor’s degree in any subject may help you, but just having experience in writing books is the most beneficial criterion you need to be an author.  Also, once you write one book – you can include that when you write your author bio for the next book.

Plus, you get more experience the more you write. So go ahead and just get started!

Getting Started

Speaking of getting started, the best way to start writing your book is to create an outline to organize your thoughts.

Begin by writing down the purpose of your book, who you are writing it for, and what it will be about.

Determine the story structure you will use for your book and follow an outline template.

After you write down your ideas for each chapter, you will have an outline that will help you start writing your book right away.

Maintaining Motivation

Once you get started, you may find procrastination sets in or other responsibilities or distractions keep you from writing your book.

The key to staying motivated when writing a book is to use helpful strategies. One is to write every day, even when you don’t want to, and even if it is just 100 words.

Remember, try not to edit too much as you write. Editing will come later, and focusing on the little details in the first draft will slow your revision process further down.

However, remember to take a break when you need to to avoid burnout.

These are just a few tips to stay motivated when writing a book that I’ve learned in my writing career and from other successful authors.

How To Become An Author: Your Guide To Getting Started

Now that you know the skills you need to be an author and how to overcome common obstacles, you are ready to get started.

Following this guide on how to become an author will help your dream of writing and even self-publishing your book.

Polish Your Skills

Before diving straight in, fine-tune your creative writing skills to be an author to make the writing process easier.

Four ways to polish your skills are to practice often, join a workshop, take a formal writing course, and take college courses in English.

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

To expand on your writing abilities, write often. No matter what it is, write and practice. Make writing a part of your normal routine. This one writing habit will not only help you become an author but could also help you fight off imposter syndrome and stay productive.

A good way to practice is to start a personal journal and write in it every day. Write down your experiences, thoughts, questions, hopes, dreams, and funny anecdotes.

You could also use a journal that includes writing prompts — or look online for prompts to write about. Any method to practice your skills for the written word is highly encouraged. Successful writing careers don’t just appear out of nowhere. They take work, time, and lots of practice!

Writing letters and emails to friends and family members could also help improve your writing practice and spark inspiration.

Launching a blog about a topic you’re passionate about or have knowledge on that you can share with others is also a great way to practice and start building an audience for your book.

No matter what method of practice you choose, consider using different literary elements, such as alliteration, imagery, metaphors, and onomatopoeias.

JOIN A WORKSHOP

Sometimes it’s easier to practice when you follow a curriculum or have others to bounce ideas off of.

Writing workshops or creative writing programs led by published authors and those with successful writing careers can guide you through the outlining, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing stages of writing.

Other workshop participants will give you helpful feedback on your writing, and you can bounce ideas off of each other.

TAKE A FORMAL WRITING COURSE

If you want to expand the workshop experience, a writing course could be helpful on your path to how to become a published author.

Choose courses on many different topics, from grammar and composition to fiction or nonfiction writing to how to publish a book.

You can find writing courses online, or take one in person at a community college or university.

TAKE COLLEGE COURSES IN ENGLISH

If you’re interested in the university route of polishing your writing skills, consider enrolling in English and literary courses or pursuing a degree.

A bachelor of arts, journalism, or college degree in literature will help your author career as you learn how to become a successful writer and author.

Start With Shorter Works

Slow and steady wins the race. When getting into the swing of your writing process, start small.

While you may be excited to write a big chunk of your work, putting your ideas down in shorter bursts will help you avoid burnout, and writer’s block and keep you on pace to finish your work in a manageable amount of time.

Looking for small writing jobs or opportunities to write for a blog, newsletter, magazine or newspaper could also help spark creativity and teach you that writing doesn’t have to be a daunting task.

If you can write one short work and then another, you can gain the momentum you need to write your book.

Gather Support

Feedback and support will only help you grow as a better writer too.

Sometimes the best thing your writing needs is simply an outside perspective and a second set of eyes to see if your work is resonating how you intended it to to become a successful published author.

NETWORK WITH OTHER AUTHORS

Reach out to other people who are already working in the field. Get involved with a writing group or community of authors locally or online.

Not only can these individuals support you, but they can also give you guidance and advice as you work toward publishing your first book.

As you listen to or read about their experiences, you’ll learn possible lessons you may run into in the future.

Other authors can also give you tips to help you be successful and overcome issues, such as writer’s block, making your story come alive, and publishing options.

WORK WITH A PUBLISHER FOR YOUR SHORTER WORKS

Try to have your shorter writings published. If you can convince publishers to work with you on smaller projects, you can be reasonably sure that you have the resources and skills to eventually publish your book.

Publishers are a fantastic resource. Let the experts do what they do best!

HIRE A WRITING COACH

Coaches exist to help, and when you get writer’s block or feel discouraged, a coach may be able to prevent you from getting stuck.

They also have your best interest in mind. Writing coaches can help you stay motivated, give you tips to succeed and use their experience to help you head off potential roadblocks.

Brainstorm Ideas

If you’re stuck on finding the right topic for your book, try brainstorming different ideas based on your areas of interest, expertise, and what your audience would be interested in from you.

By identifying your interests or areas of expertise, you whittle down your ideas to find the best story to tell.

Another great way to brainstorm is to research other books like the one you’d like to write to understand bestselling themes.

As you brainstorm, just make sure to let your ideas flow freely without judging if an idea is good or bad.

Once you have your list of ideas, go over your list and consider who you want to write your book for. Then make a plan for writing your book that includes gathering the information you need to make it come to life.

Start Writing

Armed with the skills, support, experience, and ideas you need, now it is time to start writing your book.

Refer back to your outline or create one if you haven’t already. Remember, this is the best way to start writing your book and make it a bestseller.

How To Become A Published Author

Once you have written a book, no matter how many short stories, or long, you are an author.

However, to become a self-published, author, you must publish your book so it’s available to more people than just yourself.

There are a couple of things to consider when you’re ready to finally publish your book, so consider these steps and options to find the best method for you.

Self-Publishing Vs Traditional Publishing

When publishing a book, you have two main options: self-publishing and traditional, publishing companies.

Traditional publishing is the most common method used. With a traditional publishing deal, a publisher offers you a contract.

This book contract provides the publisher with the right to sell your book through specific retailers. It will also outline the royalties amount you will make when your book sells.

Self-publishing comes in a few different formats: completely on your own or with a print-on-demand publisher, such as Amazon. We’ll touch on these options a little later.

However, regardless of the type of self-publishing you choose, you will be required to pay all of the expenses related to the publishing of your book.

If you choose to publish the book entirely on your own, you will be responsible for paying all of the expenses related to the production, marketing, distribution, and storage of your book.

How To Get Your Book Published

So now that you’ve identified if you’re going to self-publish or publish your book more traditionally, there are a few more steps to take before you become a published author.

ENSURE YOUR BOOK IS READY

Before you begin the process of publishing or self-editing your book, ensure your material is ready for publishing.

This means you will need to review and edit your book carefully to make sure it meets the highest standards.

Proofread your book and re-read. Read it one time through, focusing on content and flow. Do your sentences make sense, did you leave any steps or information out, do you get your point across?

Read your book another time, focusing on the mechanics of your writing: spelling, punctuation, grammar, capitalization, and formatting.

It is almost helpful to have someone else proofread your book. Ask them to point out any parts that are difficult to understand or dull. Let them edit for errors as well.

While it is important to get feedback from people that you trust, do not let others edit out your voice and unique style of writing.

DECIDE HOW YOU WANT TO PUBLISH

Again, you have so many different publishing options, whether you hire a publisher, self-publish, or choose a platform like Amazon.

Each option has positives and drawbacks, so research each option and decide which one is right for you.

If you are going to self-publish your book, it is best to hire a professional editor and book cover designer. You will need to have enough money to cover these expenses and publishing costs.

If you are going to try to work with a publisher, however, you will need to convince the publisher that your book is a good investment.

This means that you must submit a draft of the book to the publisher for review. The publisher will then decide whether or not to publish your book. In some cases, the publisher may request revisions before publishing.

In other cases, the publisher may accept the book as is or reject it altogether.

If you choose a publisher, make sure you find the right company for you.

PREPARE YOUR PITCH

Whether you’re pitching to a publisher or pitching to your audience, prepare how you want to present your book.

Create an elevator pitch for your book. This is a very short summary of what your book is about. It can be one sentence or just a few.

Write a synopsis of your book as well. This is a more detailed paragraph that wraps up your entire book. If your book is nonfiction, include what you hope your audience will gain from reading your book and a summary of the content or chapters.

If your first book proposal is a fiction piece, include the main idea and characters, climax, and resolution.

When you are pitching your book, make it clear what audience your book is intended for.

SUBMIT A DRAFT TO A PUBLISHER

Once you’ve done all of your research, submit some sample chapters of your book to a publisher.

The publisher will offer you a contract if they accept your work. If they do not, submit it to another publisher until you are accepted by a publisher that you want to work with.

The publisher that you form a contract with will take care of editing, formatting, and designing your book.

Common Questions About Becoming An Author

Now that you have all the steps to becoming an author, here are a few questions you’re bound to come across.

Trust me, as a publisher of 90+ books, I’ve run into these questions multiple times and am excited to help answer them for you!

What Education Is Needed To Become An Author?

Anyone can now become a writer or an author with or without a formal education. However, a certain amount of knowledge and skills are required to be successful.

Think of it this way: Before you start a job, you need to make sure you have the right skills.

For most people who want to be an author, this will mean having a good grasp of the English language, a solid knowledge base relating to one or more specific topics, and the ability to do research effectively.

You can learn these skills through classes and online courses as mentioned earlier in this post.

If you’re not interested in going back to school, though, remember that taking online or community courses and reading books could also significantly help you become a published author.

Can Anyone Become an Author?

Absolutely, anyone can become an author! It’s not about where you come from or how much you know about writing right now. If you have a story you’re itching to tell or some wisdom you’re excited to share, you can do it without being a pro from the start. Writing is a skill, and like any skill, you get better at it the more you do it.

What Is The Difference Between An Author And A Writer?

Being a writer is somewhat different than becoming an author.

While an author is someone who publishes their work based on their ideas and desires, a writer is more service-oriented.

Writers often create works based on instructions provided by a client. To be a writer, you generally need to find clients. As an author, you often want to write stories for yourself.

How Much Do Authors Make?

The amount of money an author can earn in any given year varies considerably. While some authors may barely make ends meet, others earn millions and live very comfortably.

Most authors fall somewhere in the middle of this range.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for authors and writers (as of 2023) is approximately $91,560 per year, which translates to a little more than $32 an hour.

The lowest-earning 10% of writers and authors earn less than $35,880 per year, while the highest-earning 10% make more than $133,460 per year.

The reason for the wide range in earnings is due to the factors that influence an author’s salary:

THE NUMBER OF BOOKS YOU PUBLISH

The more books you publish, the more opportunities you have to make money on your books.

THE SUCCESS OF YOUR BOOK

If you nail down your strategy when writing your book, and it’s successful, it’ll fly off the shelves and put money in your pocket.

THE PRICE OF YOUR BOOK

The price of the books you sell will affect your salary as well.

Higher-priced books generally yield more profits per book. However, if your book is priced too high, it may discourage readers from making a purchase.

Finding the right price point for each book you publish will maximize your salary.

Think about if your book is an ebook, hardcover, or paperback when determining the price. Consider the length of the book and its features. All of these will help determine how to price your book strategically.

HOW MUCH YOU EARN IN ROYALTIES

When looking at publishers, make sure you understand the royalty payout structure.

If you publish the book entirely on your own, any profits will go directly to you.

However, if you publish your own book, with the help of a traditional publisher or another type of publisher that requires you to turn over some rights to the book, you will earn only a percentage of the profits.

The percentage of profits you earn will affect your salary considerably.

Some of the most well-known self-published authors earn on the higher end due to all of these factors, so becoming a published author certainly has the possibility of raising your salary considerably. Just make sure you put your best foot forward!

How Much Does It Cost To Publish A Book?

The amount of money required to publish a book varies considerably.

For example, if a traditional publisher accepts your book, you won’t pay the expenses associated with manufacturing, distribution, and warehousing, so your upfront costs will be minimal.

However, you will pay for these services over time through royalty rates.

If you choose to self-publish, you may spend a few hundred dollars to a couple of thousand dollars in upfront costs publishing your book. But you may earn higher sums of money over time as your book sells.

How Hard Is It To Become An Author?

All it takes to know how to become an author is to simply write a book.

This requires commitment and hard work, but you are in control of making that happen.

Becoming a traditionally published author can be more difficult.

If you are going to publish the book on your own, you will need to raise enough money to handle all of the associated expenses, which might be challenging.

On the other hand, if you are going to work with a publisher, you will need to create a book the publisher likes and convince them that it is a worthwhile endeavor.

Depending on the author platform and publisher’s standards, this can be a long and arduous task as well. Adding to the overall time it takes to write and publish a book.

However, if you are persistent and you put forth your best effort, you will find your success here, eventually.

If you’re feeling inspired and ready to start or continue your writing journey, allow me to make the process of how to become an author easier for you. Take my free training: 5 Steps to Planning and Publishing a Best-Selling Book to get you started on the right path to becoming an author of a published book today.

Aspiring authors often find themselves pondering the big question, “How long does it take to write a book?” as they seek guidance on the unknown path ahead.

I’ve walked the path myself as a renowned author and motivational speaker, having penned over 90 bestsellers. That’s why understanding the book writing process timeline is an absolute game-changer for anyone ready to unleash their creativity.

That’s why I’m going to dive into the different factors that influence the writing time of a book, explore effective strategies to optimize your writing skills and gain valuable insights into the sequential stages involved.

Whether you’re a new author, a writing partner, or simply intrigued by the inner workings of book creation, knowing the timeline of the writing process will equip you with the knowledge needed to embark on your own literary adventure with confidence.

How Long It Takes To Write A Book

Writing a book isn’t an easy undertaking. It requires time, dedication, and perseverance. But that’s why I want to break down how much time you really need to write a book.

With this guide, you’ll know how to set realistic goals, unleash your most efficient writing strategies, understand the publishing process, and conquer many of the common writer’s challenges along the way.

Factors Affecting Your Book Writing Time

When it comes to writing a book, there’s a secret code of factors that can influence the time it takes to bring your masterpiece to life. Here are some of the key elements that play a role in determining your writing timeline.

The Genre Factor

Every genre has its own set of demands, and understanding how they affect your writing plan is crucial. Some genres require extensive research, intricate world-building, or detailed development.

Whatever it is, each genre brings its own challenges and considerations that influence the time needed to write a book.

Finding Your Writing Speed

Your writing speed is as unique as your voice as an author. Some writers are blessed with the gift of lightning-fast fingers, while others savor each word, carefully crafting their sentences.

Understanding your actual writing speed and rhythm allows you to set realistic goals and expectations. Take the time to set word count goals so that you can comfortably write a book within a given timeframe—whether it’s a few hundred words a day or thousands.

Remember, it’s not a race but a journey of self-expression. No matter how many words you write a day, the key lies in the commitment and consistency you bring to your craft.

The Magical Shortcut

Your experience is the magical shortcut that can significantly impact how long it takes to write a book. Seasoned writers often possess an abundance of knowledge, writing techniques, and organizational skills that help streamline their creative endeavors.

As you gain more experience and hone your craft, you’ll discover your own unique shortcuts and methods that make writing more efficient and enjoyable.

Carving Out Moments

Time is the elusive resource we all wish we had more of is another factor. The time available for writing is a significant factor that influences your book’s completion.

Balancing your writing ambitions with other commitments in life can be challenging. But if you create a writing schedule that aligns with your lifestyle and makes writing a non-negotiable priority, you can carve out the right amount of moments to dedicate to your book.

Perfecting Your Manuscript

Writing a book is not only about the initial draft but also the art of revisions. The number of revisions your book undergoes can impact how many hours it takes to publish your book.

Embrace the process of refining and polishing your manuscript, knowing that each revision brings you closer to creating a bestseller that truly resonates with your audience.

Streamlining the Presentation

Formatting—the joys and woes it brings! Luckily, with so many modern writing tools and technology available, formatting has never been easier to write a book.

Don’t be afraid to take advantage of writing software, templates, and online resources to streamline the presentation of your book. By simplifying the formatting process, you can focus more on the art of storytelling and less on the technical aspects.

Strategies for Effortless Flow Writing

The art of efficient writing is where the magic happens. When your creativity flows effortlessly. Here are some of my secrets to optimizing your writing time and boosting your productivity.

Charting Your Course to Success

First, you need to outline. Take a moment to map out the path of your story, organizing your thoughts and ideas into a structured framework. Outlining provides a roadmap that guides your creativity, ensuring a smooth and focused book-writing process.

With an outline, you’ll have a clear direction and a solid foundation to build upon.

Fueling Momentum and Igniting Motivation

In the realm of your writing sessions, milestones and deadlines become your trusted companions. Set specific milestones that mark significant points in your book’s development.

These milestones won’t only break down your writing journey into manageable steps but also serve as checkpoints to celebrate your progress. To maintain momentum and motivation, attach deadlines to each of your milestones. Deadlines create a sense of urgency, so you can stay focused and dedicated.

As you conquer each milestone and meet your deadlines, you’ll feel the exhilarating surge of motivation, propelling you forward.

Creating Your Writing Sanctuary

Distractions can be a writer’s greatest enemy, which is why I know that it’s crucial to conquer them and create your writing sanctuary. Find a peaceful space where you can fully immerse yourself in your writing project.

Whether it’s a cozy corner in your home, a serene cafe, or a virtual writing retreat, choose a spot that fosters concentration and ignites your creativity. Equip it with the tools you need to eliminate distractions so you can meet your realistic deadline goals.

Consider using noise-canceling headphones, productivity apps, or website blockers to tame the allure of the digital world. Once you overcome these distractions, you create a sacred space for your writing to thrive.

Embracing New Writing Technique

Writing is an art, and like any artist, you have unique creative tools at your disposal. Explore a wide range of writing techniques and discover the ones that resonate with your style.

Experiment with descriptive prose, dialogue, imagery, or narrative devices to breathe life into your story. Try your hand at different storytelling structures, such as the three-act structure or nonlinear narratives, to add depth and intrigue.

Embracing writing techniques expands your horizons and empowers you to craft a compelling and unforgettable masterpiece.

Understanding Your Book Writing Time

One of the essential aspects of writing a book is understanding the writing timeframe. It provides insights into the different stages involved in bringing a book to completion.

By embracing the steps and timeframes required, you gain a map—a compass that guides you through the process. It’s like having your own personal GPS to keep you on track and ensure you reach your destination.

Planning and Writing a Book

The planning and writing phase is where the magic begins! This is when you start to breathe life into your ideas, organize your thoughts, and outline the captivating structure of your book. It’s like architecting the blueprint of your literary masterpiece.

During this phase, you lay the very foundations upon which your knowledge will flourish. And then, with pen in hand (or fingertips on the keyboard), you embark on your first draft.

The time required for this phase varies from author to author and book to book. It depends on the complexity of your subject matter, the depth of research required, and the speed at which you flow.

Editing and Publishing Your Book

After you’ve written your book, the editing and publishing phase begins. Revising, refining, and perfecting your content is key. Your editing timeline can vary depending on factors such as your involvement, the engagement of professional editing services, and the extent of revisions required.

But once your book is finalized, you’re ready to publish, and this timeframe can depend on a few things. Traditional publishing, like a grand ball, involves submitting your manuscript to literary agents or publishers, with the process often taking several months or even longer.

On the other hand, self-publishing grants you more control and offers a potentially shorter timeline. Before you start to write a book, it’s essential to research and understand the publishing options available, ensuring your choice aligns with your goals and desired timeline.

Navigating Writing Challenges

Writing a book is not without its challenges. Writer’s block, time management issues, and self-doubt are common obstacles that can hinder progress.

However, with the right strategies and a determined mindset, these challenges can be overcome, clearing the path to unstoppable writing sessions that generate best sellers.

Overcoming Writer’s Block

Writer’s block can be frustrating, but there are strategies to overcome it. One way to stay motivated is by setting aside dedicated writing time. Treat it like an appointment—your very own writing session that will help you kickstart your first draft.

Additionally, seek inspiration from various sources such as books, articles, or even conversations with interesting people. Sometimes, exploring different writing techniques can help you break through the wall.

And remember, taking a break from your writing sessions and engaging in activities unrelated to writing can sometimes spark new ideas and refresh your creativity. So don’t be afraid to step away and come back with a fresh perspective.

Managing Time and Commitments

Finding time to write a book amidst other responsibilities and commitments can be challenging. Effective time management and prioritization are essential.

Create a writing routine that fits into your lifestyle, whether it’s waking up early, utilizing lunch breaks, or setting an average writing time goal per day. By establishing a consistent writing schedule, you can make steady progress toward completing your book.

Coping with Self-Doubt and Perfectionism

Self-doubt and perfectionism are common emotional hurdles for writers. But don’t let them discourage you. Set realistic expectations for yourself and your work.

Embrace imperfections and understand that writing is a journey, and each writing session will bring you to your masterpiece. Nobody’s first draft is perfect, and that’s okay.

Seek support from writing communities or find a mentor who can guide and encourage you through the process. Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who understand the ups and downs. Before you know it, you’ll perfect your writing routine and become a self-published author in no time.

Embrace Your Writing Journey and Set Realistic Goals

With the strategies and mindset to overcome the challenges that come with writing a book always remember that it’s not just about the destination, but the journey of self-expression and creativity that lies ahead.

Set realistic goals for yourself, break down your book-writing process into manageable steps, and celebrate each milestone along the way. Progress is progress, no matter how small.

To further support you in writing a book, download our 20-Step Author Quick Start Guide. This valuable resource will provide you with practical tips and insights to help you navigate the publishing world and take your writing to the next level.

Embrace your writing journey with passion and determination. Trust in your ability to bring your ideas to life and touch the hearts of readers. Remember, you have a unique voice and story to share with the world.

Writing a book, a blog post, or a short story is a great way to get your name out there as a leader in your field. 

But before you can get started writing, you need one important thing—a topic to write about.

As an author, it’s common to experience writer’s block from time to time. While it’s frustrating to deal with, the good news is there are several steps you can take to overcome creative blocks and feel more inspired.

I’m going to talk about reasons we lack inspiration, ways to brainstorm good ideas, and how to figure out what to write about next.

Why Do I Lack Inspiration?

The Oxford Dictionary defines ‘inspiration’ in multiple ways, such as:

The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

A sudden brilliant, creative, or timely idea.

If you’re trying to figure out what to write about—a topic for a book, a blog post, a short story, or another piece of writing—you might be looking for this feeling of inspiration. 

Surely you’ll come up with that brilliant, creative, or timely idea that will serve as the perfect writing topic to hook your readers.

But sometimes, writing inspiration is difficult to find. You might feel unmotivated to sit down and work on your story. 

Maybe all of your ideas seem unexciting or overdone. If you don’t feel inspired, the way to overcome your writer’s block is to figure out why. 

Why do you feel uninspired? What is causing this “stuck” feeling? Why can’t you figure out what to write about?

Once you’ve narrowed in on the reason your inspiration is low, you can take steps to fix this and come up with interesting ideas once again.

Here are a few reasons why you might lack the inspiration to start writing.

You’re Doubting Yourself

One reason you can’t figure out what to write about: You might be experiencing self-doubt.

You may feel your ideas aren’t good enough. This can subconsciously lead to you producing fewer ideas.

How can you tell if you’re experiencing self-doubt? 

From time to time, we all feel doubt in our abilities. But this doubt might be getting in your way if you constantly second-guess your decisions; you find yourself apologizing to others and you feel like you’re never good enough no matter how hard you try.

Working to improve your self-doubt will improve your ability to come up with new ideas, too. Practice compassion toward yourself and refrain from comparing yourself to others.

Remember the goals you’ve achieved and the success you’ve had in the past. You can do it again! Ask a close friend or family member to help encourage and support you along the way.

Too Much Input

Our world is full of media stimulation. If you’re consuming other peoples’ ideas 24/7, there may not be space to come up with your own original ones.

We’re all at risk of becoming overstimulated by the sheer quantity of input in our lives. 

Did you know that every day, our brains process the equivalent of 34 gigabytes of information? 

That’s enough to overload a laptop within a week! We receive approximately 105,00 words during the 12 hours we’re awake each day (23 words per second).

Researchers are concerned that because of this large amount of input (most of which is superficial), we’re losing the ability to think and feel ourselves.

The solution is simple: Stop the scroll. Get off social media, turn off the podcast, and put down your phone.

Sitting in silence might feel uncomfortable, and there’s no way to completely turn off every voice in our lives. But cutting down as much as possible will allow you to produce original, brilliant ideas.

You Aren’t Leaving Your Comfort Zone

If you’re not getting out of your comfort zone, this is another thing that can hold you back from knowing what to write about.

When you’re in your comfort zone, everything feels safe and familiar. You feel… comfortable. 

Getting out of your comfort zone takes courage. It can be scary to do something new, but living life is what generates our inspiration and ideas.

Leaving your comfort zone boosts creativity. When you’re outside of your “normal,” you can’t live life on autopilot. You’re forced to think on your feet. And this will naturally make you more flexible, productive, and creative.

You don’t have to make big changes at first. Try doing something small. Go for a run outside tomorrow instead of going to the gym, attend a networking event you haven’t been to before, or go ahead and buy that guitar you’ve been meaning to learn to play.

Look for any way you can switch up your routine. As you get used to making these smaller shifts, over time you’ll feel more prepared for when bigger opportunities come along.

If you never leave your comfort zone, chances are your writing is going to inspire people. Getting out of your comfort zone is imperative to help you come up with things to write.

How to Get Inspired and Generate Ideas

Have you figured out why you’re struggling to find inspiration? 

The next step is to implement practices into your life that will help you find the writing inspiration you need. Here are several ideas that will help you come up with things to write.

Do Competitor Research

Who are the other voices in your niche and what are they writing about? 

This is important to know–not so you can copy their writing prompts, but for you to draw inspiration to come up with your own.

Figure out who your competitors are. If you’re an author who writes in a certain niche for a specific audience, your competitors might be other writers who write about similar topics.

Analyze your competition by looking at their website, their social media networks, and running a Google search. 

You want to figure out what topics they regularly write and talk about—and how well those topics are being received by your shared audience.

Once you know what these topics are, you can use them as a starting point to brainstorm. How can you use your own skills, knowledge, and personal experiences to come up with topics that are similar, but even better? 

That’s your job to figure out!

Meditate

If you’re trying to think of new creative writing topic ideas, meditation might not be your first thought. But meditating can help generate a book idea.

Meditation is all about clearing your mind. And when your mind is empty of the stress from your day, writing ideas might rise to the surface.

It also helps you focus on the present moment. This may enable a state of “flow,” where creative thinking comes naturally.

One study showed that as little as 10-12 minutes of meditation is enough to foster creativity and help you come up with a wide range of ideas. If you’d like to follow a guided meditation, you can simply follow these steps:

1. Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit.
2. Set a time limit.
3. Close your eyes.
4. Take a deep breath, focusing on the sensation. Breathe deeply in and out.
5. Mentally “scan” your body. Relax any areas where you are physically tense.
6. If your mind wanders, don’t beat yourself up. Return to focusing on your breath.
7. Continue until your timer goes off.

Meditation is as easy as that. Try to move directly into a brainstorming session right after you meditate. You’ll likely find that you come up with interesting topics and better ideas.

Think About Your Experience

You may feel as if you don’t have the life experience needed to write a book. But here’s a secret: Whatever life experience you have is the right life experience.

You can write about anything—ethical dilemmas, challenges faced, a childhood memory, and the list goes on and on. 

A little self-reflection on your own life can help you come up with a different angle on more ideas.

Start by considering your knowledge. Maybe you’re an expert in a certain subject and have extensive knowledge of that topic. 

Next, think about your personal life experience. This includes things like hobbies and family dynamics. Maybe you enjoy sailing. Maybe you grew up in Chicago. Maybe you’ve walked with a close family member through a difficult cancer diagnosis. 

These might seem like random topics. But each one could help you fill a blank page.

The bottom line: Don’t discount your life experience. You probably have a wealth of ideas within you without even realizing it. And there’s a reason the saying “write what you know” is so common. Starting from real-life experiences will make it easier to write without feeling stuck.

Get Off Social Media

Remember when I talked about social media stimulation earlier? We are constantly bombarded with input. And if you’re inundated with others’ ideas, it can be hard to come up with your own.

That’s why spending less time on social media can help with your writing process. But for many of us, this is easier said than done. 

You can spend less time on social media by turning off notifications, deleting the apps from your phone, or setting a time limit of 15 minutes per day. 

Alternatively, you could limit your social media use to mornings only or evenings only. 

I recommend evenings since your brain is fresh and primed to come up with good ideas in the morning. Don’t waste that time on social media.

Another idea is to get completely off social media one day a week or one week each month. If you utilize social media for marketing or networking, use a scheduling tool to schedule posts in advance. This way, you can still maintain a digital presence without having to check your account every day.

Use the 10-Minute Rule

If brainstorming seems like a tedious task to you, use the 10-minute rule. Set a timer and brainstorm ideas for 10 minutes. You can stop when the timer goes off if you want to, but commit to thinking hard about ideas for at least 10 minutes.

During these 10 minutes, write down as many ideas as you can think of. Don’t worry if some ideas don’t seem “good enough.” 

You’ll sort through them later and they may be better than you think. Once your 10-minute timer goes off, you can be done.

However, remember that the longer you brainstorm, the more creative your ideas are likely to be. It may be most helpful to set up a pattern where you brainstorm for 10 minutes, take a five-minute break, and repeat this process multiple times.

Go Outside

Not a lot of people spend most of their day outside. In one survey, 60% of adults said they spent five or fewer hours outside in nature each week (not including organized sports). For people who are trying to come up with good topics to write about, this is bad news.

When we move away from technology in favor of immersing ourselves in nature, this improves performance on tasks like creative problem-solving. Even a short 25-minute walk in a green space will increase cognitive functioning.

Being outside also boosts your physical energy and health. Plus, you’ll feel less stressed or anxious and will get better sleep after some time in the great outdoors.

Need some ideas about what to do outside? You might choose to:

• Go for a walk (by yourself, or with a friend or pet)
• Have a picnic
• Go hiking
• Go fishing
• Watch wildlife
• Go camping
• Read a book
• Go biking
• Garden

Brainstorm With A Friend

Ever heard the saying two heads are better than one? There’s a reason for this statement—it’s true. It’s difficult to be creative in a vacuum where you are the only one evaluating your ideas.

Talking to a family member or friend can help you come up with more things to write. You’ll find inspiration while discussing childhood memories or life experiences.

If you don’t have someone with whom you can bounce around ideas, consider joining a writer’s group or looking for an accountability buddy/critique partner. 

Another writer can give you feedback on your ideas while you offer your thoughts on theirs. Together, you’ll both make each other stronger, better writers.

Write Everything Down

Anytime you have an idea, big or small, write it down. You never know what it might turn out to be. 

Even if it doesn’t seem viable, go ahead and write it down so it can marinate in your mind. You might come up with a different angle that ends up being the perfect fit.

Dedicate a notebook to keep with you to create a running list of ideas. Every so often, pull out your list and scan over it. 

Jot down any additional thoughts that come to mind. It’s helpful to have all of your ideas in one place so you can reference them as you come up with things to write.

Read Books

Reading books is one of the best ways to figure out what to write about. 

Reading makes you more creative and enhances imagination because it allows us to learn from the experiences of others. It also exercises the parts of our brain that allow creativity.

You can read books in your niche and books written by your competitors to find inspiration for your own ideas. But to really get the creative juices flowing, you should also read more widely, picking up titles outside your usual genre.

In addition to reading books by your competitors or from fiction writers, you could also read books about the science of creativity or the craft of writing. 

These will help make you a better overall writer. Some books may even include a writing prompt list, serving as a great tool to help you write your own story.

Get Outside Your Usual Circles

I’ve talked about the importance of getting out of your comfort zone and brainstorming ideas with others. But I also want to encourage you specifically to get outside of your usual social circles. 

Make new friends, spend time with different people, and allow chance encounters with strangers to impact your creativity and writing.

People inspire and affect us in ways we might not fully realize. Your experiences and those of other people are likely one of the biggest factors impacting what to write about. That’s why meeting new people and engaging in conversation can spark new thoughts.

Here’s another way to look at it: When you spend time with new people, you’ll need to introduce yourself. You’ll tell stories about your life as you spend time getting to know one another. 

This might give you a different perspective on your younger self and your life experiences, allowing you to turn those things into new ideas to write about.

How to Choose an Idea

I’ve covered several methods you can use to clear your mind, foster creativity, and actively brainstorm things to write. 

Once you have a long list of ideas, how do you choose the one that’s right to write about right now? It can feel overwhelming trying to decide which idea is the best choice to move forward with.

To make a decision, organize all of your ideas in one place. Next, think about the ideas in light of your current writing project—whether that’s a full-length book, a blog post, flash fiction, or something else. 

Do you have a deadline for this project? Who is your audience? How easy or difficult would a certain idea be for you to write about? 

Questions like these will help you figure out what to write about.

Another helpful method is to get an objective opinion. Ask your best friend, one of your family members, or your critique partner to look at your writing ideas. Have them rank your ideas based on what they, or your audience, would be most interested to read.

Don’t throw away the ideas you don’t use. Just because they aren’t right for today doesn’t mean they won’t be right for a future project. Save all of your writing ideas so you’ll have them the next time you’re trying to figure out what to write about.

Get Your Idea on the Page

You have an idea and you’re ready to start writing. Congratulations! 

But this is only the beginning of the journey. See your idea through to the end with my Book Writing Template. This free resource is the jump start you need to write the book of your dreams. I’ll share my formula to map out every page of your book and bring it together into a cohesive story. 

Click here to download the template and learn how to get your idea onto the page.

Are you looking for a new career — one where you’re in control of your work and your schedule? If you enjoy writing, then becoming a freelance writer might be the perfect job for you.

Freelance writers are self-employed, working with individual clients on what is typically a short-term basis. Instead of earning a yearly salary, freelancers get paid by the hour or by the project. 

There are numerous benefits to starting a freelance writing career. For one, you can enjoy the independence and flexibility of setting your own schedule and choosing your work. You can also work from anywhere in the world and make as much money as you’d like.

But, this career isn’t for everybody — it takes a lot of work to market yourself as a freelance writer. You’ll need to hustle 24/7, staying in an entrepreneurial mindset to find the clients you need. But for anyone who is a skilled writer and a hard worker, freelance writing can be an excellent way to take control of your own career.

Here’s everything you need to know on how to become a freelance writer. 

What Do Freelance Writers Write About?

The short answer: Virtually anything. 

Freelance writers could write anything from two sentences for a social media ad, to an entire book for a client. Most writers choose to specialize in a certain type of content or copy — this will help you become more skilled at that type of writing and get more clients. 

Take a look at these statistics from a study conducted by expert freelance writer, Elna Cain:

• 77% of freelance writers create blog posts
• 30% create website copy
• 24% do copywriting
• 22% write emails
• 17% write social media content
• 8% write print pieces or books
• 8% write research papers
• 7% write ebooks
• 4% write B2B whitepapers 

Whether you’re itching to dig into a book-length project, or you think short-form copy is more your speed, there’s someone out there who’s looking for what you have to offer. 

Topics covered by freelance writers also span the gamut, covering practically anything you could imagine! But is freelance writing really a lucrative and beneficial career?

Why Become A Freelance Writer?

A freelance writing career has a lot of benefits — some that you may not expect. First, as a freelancer, you have the ability to set your own schedule. 

If you’re still working a full-time or part-time day job, you can work on your freelance writing tasks at a time that’s convenient for you. On the other hand, if you’re a full-time freelancer, you can take time off whenever you want as long as you complete your projects by the deadlines. 

Freelance writing allows you to write about what you want. 

Are you a former real estate agent? You might enjoy working with clients in the real estate industry. Have you always been interested in fitness? Work on fitness-based projects.

Freelance writing is a great way to make some extra cash on the side or to cover your entire salary. When you’re self-employed as a freelance writer, there’s no limit to your earning potential. If you work hard and focus on landing higher-paying clients, you could make as much as $10,000 per month from your freelance business!

One final benefit is that freelance writing can be done from anywhere in the world. Maybe you’ve heard about digital nomads, who put their laptops in their backpacks and jet off around the world — doing their work from a sparkling beach or historical, culturally rich city. 

While this lifestyle isn’t feasible for everyone, there’s a good deal of truth to it! As a freelancer, you can work from the comfort of your own home; from your favorite local coffee shop; from the sideline of your kid’s sports practice; or pretty much anywhere else. 

You can also work with clients from all over the world, even if you aren’t located near a large city. This flexibility is one of the major benefits enjoyed by freelance writers.

How to Become A Freelance Writer

If you think this career might be a good fit for you, here are some helpful steps to take to become a freelance writer. 

Sharpen Your Writing Skills

To be a freelancer, your writing skills need to be strong. There are plenty of online courses and other resources you can use to improve your writing. Try working through an online course, watching YouTube videos, or reading ebooks with tips for writing different types of content.

After you’ve perfected your writing, the next step is to practice, practice, practice. Do you want to write news articles? Make a daily practice of reading the news and summarizing it in your own words. 

What if your goal is writing marketing copy? Start cranking out different styles of marketing content like blogs, social media copy, or advertising. Practice is the best way to see progress in your writing skills.

You can also ask other freelance writers who are further along in their careers to read your writing and provide their advice or feedback. This might take the form of a formal mentoring program, or an informal ask for a social media connection. 

Sometimes, it makes sense for early-career freelance writers to take on a few pro bono jobs. In this case, you would approach a company or publication you’re interested in working with and offer to write an article for free. 

Many websites look for guest bloggers who write for free in exchange for a byline upon publication. This is called “working for exposure” but you don’t want to do it for long — after all, your goal is to earn money and make a living through freelance writing. But if you’re starting from ground zero, it can be helpful to get your name out there in print. 

Identify What You Want to Write

Maybe the idea of ghostwriting books appeals to you. Perhaps you have a knack for crafting short, punchy social media copy. Or maybe you’ve always enjoyed staying up-to-date on the latest news. 

There are so many options for freelance writers, that it’s important to pick exactly what you want to write. It may take you some time to figure out what you want to specialize in, but it’s good for freelance writers to have a niche. You’ll be able to establish yourself as an authoritative expert with the type of writing you do.

Once you’ve decided what kind of writing interests you most, focus your learning and practice that kind of writing. You can find courses available specifically for different types of content. Or seek out a mentor who has several published pieces in the style you’d like to write.

Choose an Industry

Next, choose an industry to focus on. Freelance writers often write in industries including:

• Digital marketing
• Bussiness
• Sales
• Tech
• Ecommerce
• Financial
• Insurance
• Legal
• Real estate
• Education
• Health and wellness
• Fitness and nutrition
• Healthcare 
• Lifestyle 
• … and more!

Whichever industry you choose (or industries — it’s okay to pick 2-3, especially if they’re related), remember that each one has a different tone and voice. You’ll need to familiarize yourself with your industry as much as possible so you can reflect that preferred voice. It’s best if you have hands-on career experience or life experience in the industry you choose. 

Once you get some experience writing in your industry, you’ll sharpen your skills as a qualified writer.

Create A Portfolio

The next step to knowing how to become a freelance writer is to create your portfolio. You should have your writing samples easily accessible. That way, when you’re pitching to an employer, you have something to show for yourself and your skills — proof that you can write.

If you haven’t been published anywhere, you can still build a portfolio using practice samples. Upload documents to your website instead of adding article links. 

Or, start your own blog and direct potential clients to your most recent post. You can find several free portfolio websites online, or create a more traditional website

Your freelance website should include additional information beyond your portfolio. Share some details about your writing experience, include your contact information, and add a few personal details to humanize you. 

This is a great place to talk about your previous career experience and explain why it qualifies you to be a freelance writer. 

Start Pitching

Once you have a strong portfolio, you’re ready to start looking for opportunities and pitching yourself as a writer. 

One way to find freelance writing jobs is to use online job boards. You can find contract opportunities in a variety of industries on these boards. While freelance writing job boards typically don’t offer the highest-paying opportunities, they can still be a good place to start.

Don’t forget to use your networking. There might be people already in your network who are looking for somebody with your skills.

Another method to find freelance writing work for yourself is cold pitching. Email companies you’d like to work for and pitch your services to them. Identify the content manager or marketing manager of the company. Then send them a friendly, professional email introducing yourself, sharing your portfolio, and explaining how you can help solve their problems. 

While you can reuse the same general template for these emails, make sure each one is unique. Mention what you like about that company, or that you noticed their blog post hasn’t been updated in a while. (Solution: You.)

Beyond that, freelance writers often use different websites like LinkedIn and UpWork to find clients. These professional platforms are great networking resources. Set up a profile that reflects your expertise as a writer and links back to your website. 

Then share articles you’ve written, and marketing tips for clients in your target audience. You should also strategically follow people in your industry and leave thoughtful comments on their posts. If they need a writer down the road, your name will be top of mind. 

Succeed as a Freelance Writer

Sustaining a freelance writing career long-term takes a lot of work. But for those who succeed, it can provide a lucrative and rewarding lifelong career.

Want to sharpen your skills for potential clients? Use a free resource like my Book Writing Template to help. This template is my personal advice on how to write the book for your (or your client’s) dreams. 

Download the template and get ahead on your freelance writing career now.

You’ve researched your book and become an expert in your field. You’ve done the hard work of slogging through your first draft, getting words on the page. And you’ve finished editing the manuscript and adding those final touches.

But as you glance back through your book, you suddenly realize you forgot one extra-important step: the table of contents! 

It’s important to add a table of contents to your book. This page gets your readers excited about what’s coming up and helps them stay organized as they jump in.

However, you might be wondering how to create a table of contents. What information should you include? How should you structure it? What heading styles should you use? And how does this step work if you’re writing an ebook?

Read on for everything you need to know about how to create a table of contents for your book.

The Importance of Creating A Table of Contents

Maybe you’re on a different page. Maybe you forgot about the table of contents completely and you weren’t planning to add one to your book at all! But this part of your book is extremely important for your readers.

Think about it: When you open a new book, you skim over the table of contents to get a birds-eye-view of what’s coming. As you’re reading, you might flip back to the table of contents if you have a question. And later, even years after you’ve read the book, you might still be using the table of contents if you’re trying to find a certain part of the book you remember reading. 

A table of contents tells your readers what to expect in the coming pages. It’s a way to organize your book — and it tells your readers the initial story to hook them into the deeper story. 

The following types of books should all include a table of contents:

• Memoirs or biographies
• Self-help books
• Books of poetry or short stories
• All nonfiction books
• Ebooks

These kinds of books may or may not need a table of contents:

• Novels (while it’s helpful to have a guide to the story, some people think a table of contents in a novel can spoil the ending if the chapters have names)

These two lists are not hard-and-fast rules. In some cases, you might need to make your own decision about what’s best. 

If you’re planning to pursue traditional publishing — where you submit your manuscript to a literary agent or a publishing company, hoping they’ll publish your book — a table of contents becomes even more important.

Your book proposal will need to include the table of contents for your book. And this table of contents could be the ultimate deciding factor for whether or not your book gets published.

Phew! No pressure… but your table of contents is important.

When to Write the Table of Contents

It’s good to start early and leave room for this page to change. As you get ready to start writing your book, use a book writing template to help you map out the potential chapters you’re going to include. Make a list of these chapters to serve as your base table of contents. Later, you can update the list by adding, deleting, or changing items as needed.

Once you add your table of contents to your finished manuscript, this page should be located after the title page of your book but before the first page. This probably goes without saying, but your table of contents will list all of the chapters in your book and the page number where they can be found. 

How to Create A Table of Contents

Ready to get started? Here are some tips for how to create a table of contents for your book.

Reference Other Books

Use other books for inspiration as you plan your table of contents. Pick up a few books from the library — books that are in the same genre as yours are ideal — and page through them, looking to see how their table of contents was formatted.

Look for things like how page numbers and heading text is formatted. Also, consider if it appears to be a basic table of contents or if a more creative spin was put on it and it’s more of a custom table of contents. eBooks may appear to have more custom styles as they have the ability to be a bit more interactive, clickable and unique than a print book.

Doing this research can help you figure out what you do and don’t like when it comes time to create your own table of contents.

There are some unique formats out there! Once you’ve given yourself a crash course in the table of contents section of a book, you’ll be equipped to create your own.

Use an Automatic Template

Microsoft Word makes it easy to create a table of contents in the document you’re drafting your book in, so there’s no need to type it out manually.

Instead, to insert an automatic table of contents in your Word document, go to Document Elements and choose the table of contents style you’d like to insert.

If you’re not interested in the idea of taking the time to figure out what your table of contents should look like and piece a manual table together, using these templates is a great way to create an automatic table of contents in just a few clicks.

Microsoft word isn’t the only system that allows you to create an automatic table with features like built-in heading styles, though.

Google Docs also allows you to insert a preformatted table of contents.

Click “Insert,” scroll down the list of choices, and click “Table of Contents” at the bottom. Similarly, Google Docs will drop a ready-made table of contents into your document, utilizing your headers to automatically update and create the contents and page numbers.

Wait until you’re fully ready before adding this in — if you make any further changes, you’ll have to manually edit the table of contents to reflect those.

There are other online tools that can help you create a table of contents, too. For example, many authors choose to draft their book in a word processing program called Scrivener. This program has a table of contents feature.

Bottom line: If you feel nervous about figuring out how to create an entire table of contents on your own, don’t worry. There are plenty of digital tools out there that you can use to help get the job done. 

Refer to Your Outline

Step one of your book writing journey should always be to create an outline.

An outline helps you stay organized, making sure your ideas flow in a logical order. It also helps prevent writer’s block because you know where you’re going when you sit down to write. You can create an outline by brainstorming ideas, shuffling them into an order that makes sense, and fleshing out the details.

When it comes time to write your table of contents, you can draw on your outline if you aren’t sure where to start. What you wrote in your outline may be slightly different than what you want to include here, but the outline will help guide you to write the best table of contents for your readers.

Should you copy your outline verbatim? Probably not. Your outline is likely much more detailed than your table of contents will be. Your table of contents should include chapter names or numbers, and potentially subheadings or subsections within those chapters — but that’s about as deep as you want to go. 

However, even though you shouldn’t necessarily copy your outline, it can serve as a helpful guide if you’re trying to structure your table of contents. 

Decide on Chapter Titles

Some authors don’t name the chapters or sections of their books. They simply list the chapters in numbers, such as:

• Chapter One
• Chapter Two
• Chapter Three

In other cases, you might decide to give your chapters names:

• Early Life
• My College Years
• Entering the Workforce

While it isn’t necessary to give your chapters titles or names, including chapter titles can be a good way to get your readers excited about what’s to come.

Think of the chapter titles as little previews of each section of the book, hooking your reader and grabbing their attention so they’ll want to keep reading. Chapter titles can also help you stay organized, serving as a benchmark or guideline to ensure the location of the chapter breaks makes sense.

If you do decide to create chapter titles, it should go without saying that these titles need to be relevant, engaging, well-chosen, and match the tone of the rest of your book. They should also be consistent with each other. If you use a long sentence for one chapter title (“The One Where I Got My First Job”), you should use similar sentences for every chapter title. Or if you title your first chapter “How to Write A Speech,” every chapter following needs to use the same how-to format. This consistency looks nice on paper and helps your readers know what to expect. 

Make Tweaks For Ebooks

Ebooks are a great way to publish your book and get your story out there. Anyone can use the Internet to easily publish and distribute an ebook. It doesn’t cost a lot of money to complete the publishing process — and your book will be highly accessible to readers all over the world.

Another great feature about ebooks is that you can use all of the cool, fancy options the Internet offers you. Add hyperlinks in your book. Include interactive elements. And consider adding a drop-down table of contents.

If your book has multiple parts within chapters, this could be a good feature for you to use. With a drop-down table of contents, a reader simply taps on an arrow and the table of contents expands. You can make your own HTML table of contents. Or, if you’re publishing via Amazon Direct Publishing, use Kindle Create to easily design a Kindle Interactive table of contents. 

An ebook table of contents should always include embedded links to each chapter. That way, all your reader has to do is tap or click on the chapter name, and they’ll instantly be redirected to that chapter. 

Like any book, your table of contents in an ebook will also help readers decide whether they want to buy that book. Platforms like Amazon allow readers to peek under the cover and take a deeper look at the book — viewing pages like the table of contents. If it’s well-written and well-formatted, your table of contents can go a long way in drawing them in.

Succeed With My Book Writing Template

Writing a book is hard. But some authors may argue that writing the book’s table of contents is harder! Luckily, neither one has to be that difficult. 

My Book Writing Template teaches you everything you need to know to write the book of your dreams. In this template, we explore how to map out your book one page at a time and how to tie those ideas together into one comprehensive story. 

Ready to see your name in print — table of contents included? Click here to download my book writing template today.

Whether you are a new or seasoned writer, odds are you have come to a point in your writing journey where the magic seems to just run out and you get writer’s block. In this article, we will discuss strategies to overcome writer’s block, ensuring you can continue to produce compelling content even when the going gets tough.

For example, have you ever faced a creative block that’s preventing you from seeing the development of a story, or even being able to start writing? Or did your ideas seem to have disappeared or have any new ones rendered creatively useless?

This type of frustration and lack of creative ability isn’t uncommon.

It’s called writer’s block, and most writers — even professional writers — experience it at one point or another.

Today, I want to talk to you about what writer’s block is and what are the common causes of writer’s block that most writers struggle with.

Then, I’ll give you eight proven ways that many writers — including myself — use to stay productive and effectively overcome writer’s block.

What Is Writer’s Block?

Writer’s block is the condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with your writing project.

It happens to writers of all kinds, whether you’re writing fiction, poetry, prose, a blog post, or an article for your website. Writers trying to finish their first novel — or their third or even their tenth — experience writer’s block.

Even those with a strong passion for creative writing experience writer’s block at some point in their writing journey.

The condition feels like a wall has been erected between the author and their ideas.

This does not mean you are a bad writer or deem you incapable of writing; it just means you are feeling stuck and forces you to take a step back from your creative work to reevaluate.

Writer’s block also does not mean you are not motivated to start or complete your work. But its power can get in the way of your goals when you do not know how to overcome writer’s block.

Say you have always dreamed of writing a book and becoming a published author or you want to become a freelance writer. However, you keep pushing it back and using excuses to justify why you have not started yet. This inability to act is a physical manifestation of writer’s block.

Writer’s block can also strike at any time. It can prevent you from starting your book, writing the next chapter, or even blocking you while you are almost finished writing it. Achieving your best writing requires overcoming these blocks, as they can significantly hinder your ability to connect deeply with your audience through vulnerability and personal stories.

Causes of Writer’s Block

While writer’s block may seem to come out of nowhere sometimes, there are a few ties to the condition to be aware of next time you run into it.

Negative Thoughts

Self-criticism and self-doubt are very common traits that many writers struggle with. Even John Steinbeck said he was overcome by feelings of inability and ignorance when writing The Grapes of Wrath. But his novel went on to win a Pulitzer Prize.

It is normal for a writer to feel their own work may not be interesting or appealing to others. Thoughts of “Who will want to read this?” or “Do I really know enough to call myself an expert on this topic?” can seize your self-confidence and creativity.

This negative mindset can lead to a point where a writer stops writing for their personal projects, which is detrimental not only to their freelance career but also to their psychological well-being. The fear of AI, striving for perfection, or facing ‘writer’s block’ are significant factors that have led many to stop writing, impacting their writing earnings and growth negatively.

The consequences of stopping writing due to these factors can be profound, affecting not just the habit of writing but also the writer’s career by diminishing opportunities to attract clients and the personal fulfillment that comes from creative expression.

Excessive self-criticism can not only cause you to stare at a blank page with a blank mind, but it can convince you to give up on your writing project altogether.

Competing Responsibilities

Most people who have a passion for writing pursue creating it while juggling many other responsibilities, including family and work obligations.

You may find yourself putting your art on the back burner, then when you do get time to sit down and write, getting the creative juices flowing just is not happening.

You might also feel guilty that you are taking time to write your story, poetry, or article instead of spending time with your family or taking care of something that needs to be done around the house.

Getting Off the Path in Your Writing Process

Perhaps you’ve taken some side roads as you’ve gone through the writing process and forgotten the purpose of your main project. This can happen when you add a new character you had not initially planned on or follow a train of thought that deviates from your original outline.

Boredom

It is possible to feel bored with your writing. You immerse yourself in it, obsess over it, write your first draft, or second draft, rewrite sentences, and even rewrite a whole chapter.

This can take the life out of your creativity and boredom sets in because you’re looking at the fine details of your work and need to step back and get a bird’s eye view again.

Perfectionism

Experienced writers and creatives know that creating the “perfect” end product does not mean it starts out perfect. To produce work you are satisfied with usually takes several pass-throughs. You start at the beginning, create, and then go back over your work to tweak words and ideas until it is precisely what you want it to be.

However, we can get stuck thinking that if something we write is not perfect, it is not worthy of finishing. While that is simply not true, it can cause you to not write down on paper the wonderful ideas that are in your mind.

Lack of Ideas

Sometimes, you might feel inspired to write and excited to write your first draft of your novel or article, but you have no idea what to write about.

This can happen when your mind is distracted and you may need prompts or other inspiration to come up with ideas. Or, it may be that you have plenty of ideas but you are dismissing them too quickly instead of mulling over each of them to see where they could take you.

Exhaustion

When your body is tired, so is your mind and it just cannot function as it needs to. Not getting enough sleep, burning the candle at both ends, not getting proper nutrition, and being sedentary can all cause a creative block that keeps you from being productive in your writing.

8 Steps for Overcoming Writer’s Block

Regardless of the cause of writer’s block, you can overcome it.

If you are currently experiencing writer’s block or looking for preventative tips, follow these steps to help you defeat writer’s block and start or finish your work.

Here are eight effective tips to boost your motivation and get your creative juices flowing again.

Consider consulting a writing tutor as part of your strategy to overcome writer’s block. A writing tutor can offer personalized advice and strategies tailored to your specific challenges, helping you to break through the barriers holding you back.

Step #1: Create an Outline

Whether you are looking for a quick writer’s block cure or how to get over writer’s block that’s been lingering for a while, the best thing you can do is start with a plan.

When writing a book, this plan usually starts with an outline. This outline will help provide structure and make the task of writing seem much less grueling. When most of your thoughts are already on paper, you can focus on developing the content around them.

If you’ve already created your outline, consider rereading it and reworking it. You may have written your outline a while back and have a different perspective now.

Or, you may have strayed too far off the path and do not know how to get back on again. This might mean that your new idea might be better suited for a sequel or another paper or creative work altogether.

Taking off the blinders and taking a few steps back from your project allows you to broaden your focus and take a better look at the big picture. This can help you develop new ideas for your work or return to the ones you had in the beginning and complete them.

Step #2: Get Inspiration From Others

If you are experiencing a loss for words, a fantastic place to look for inspiration is by reading someone else’s work.

Pick your favorite author, or find one that is writing about the topic you’re writing about and read their work. This will give you a way out of the tunnel vision you have been experiencing and help you get past your writer’s block.

Reading similar works allows you to brainstorm ideas on how to start, where you can take your piece, or even what word you want to use for a particular sentence.

Think of it as a loose roadmap to help you structure your work and see where it can go. Even if the writing is not the best, you can use it as a tool to make yours better.

Sometimes, we get really into our heads when we write. We start to overthink and overanalyze, which makes us critical of ourselves and our work.

In those instances, it can be helpful to talk to someone that isn’t yourself.

Chat with a trusted friend or family member about your thoughts and create an open dialogue for honest feedback and opinions.

This will likely help you get out of your own head. It may even help you develop a great, new idea.

Step #3: Pinpoint the Cause of Your Writer’s Block

To find a solution to any problem, it is usually very helpful to know the cause. When you understand what is causing your creativity to wane, you can address it so it is no longer a problem.

Contemplate the causes of writer’s block that we have discussed to see if any of them apply to you. If they do, decide what changes are necessary to overcome them.

If responsibilities are weighing you down, see what you can delegate to others to free up your time and mind space.

Speak to your family members about setting aside time for your writing so they can be supportive.

When you are with your family, make sure you are fully engaged so you are spending quality time with them. This will give you a sense of peace and satisfaction so guilt will not take over when you sit down and try to write.

If negative thoughts are plaguing you, use principles of positive psychology to change your thinking patterns. Practice daily positive affirmations and read inspirational quotes. Listen to motivational speeches and podcasts and read uplifting books, articles, and blog posts.

After a while, it will become natural for you to replace negative thoughts with positive ones whenever they creep in. Positive thinking will help you write the next great novel, how-to manual, self-help book, or biography.

Perhaps your writing standstill is caused by something that is not on the list. Maybe you are distracted easily, suffer from procrastination, need to settle an argument with your partner, or have a health issue that you need to give attention to, for example. Take time to figure out what is it so you can figure out how to address it.

And maybe you just have a hard time getting started. If this is the case, try the Pomodoro technique by picking one small task you are going to work on related to your writing. It may be to research a topic, create a character persona, or write a single paragraph.

Next, set a time for 25 minutes and work on that task until it rings. When your timer goes off, give yourself a 5-minute break.

Then repeat the process. After four work periods, give yourself a long time off, say 15 to 30 minutes.

Focusing on one task can help your mind zero in on what you can complete, and taking frequent breaks can boost your mental awareness, increase your attentiveness, and lower stress and tiredness.

Step #4: Move Around

Writer’s block may make you feel uninspired and underwhelmed.

While you are probably sitting by your computer waiting for a spark of creative genius, it’s important to take a step away from the screen and move your body.

Yes, actually move your whole body … not just your fingertips!

Research shows that exercise can actually improve your creativity and mood.

In fact, regular exercise seems to be associated with improved divergent and convergent thinking, which are considered the two components of creative thinking; the former involves thinking of multiple solutions for one problem, while the latter involves thinking of one solution for a problem.

Consider going on a walk or heading out to your favorite workout class. You will return to your work with more creative energy flowing.

Take a good look around your writing space too. Is the area full of distractions? Or is it too bland? Does it feel like a space that’s conducive to producing good work?

If not, it may be time to change it up.

Try writing in a different space to allow your creative thoughts to flow. If you feel inspired by nature, set up a chair outside and let the breeze guide your ideas.

Step #5: Take a Break

When writing comes easy, it feels like you’re in the zone and nothing can break your focus. You attempt to get back into the zone if you’re feeling a block, but it’s almost impossible.

When this happens, it’s best to just take a step back and give your attention to something else for a while.

Follow one of my favorite quotes from best-selling author Hilary Mantel: “If you get stuck, get away from your desk. Take a walk, take a bath, go to sleep, make a pie, draw, listen to music, meditate, exercise; whatever you do, don’t just stick there scowling at the problem.”

Don’t be afraid to give yourself — and your brain — a break. Come back to your work once you feel refreshed and relaxed.

Step #6: Use Free Writing

As writers, there is a strong desire to produce quality work every time. It’s difficult to just let go of the need for perfection and just write. However, that may be just what you need to get rid of writer’s block.

Instead of focusing on output, just put down whatever is on your mind. Whether it’s a random thought or testing new words in a sentence to try to improve and expand your vocabulary, jotting down anything can help you get past your writer’s block.

Your mind will start to get back into the groove and you’ll eventually get over the hump.

Step #7: Write Out of Order

In the same regard, do not feel like you have to start at the beginning and continue through in sequential order until you have reached the conclusion.

If you are stuck, skip to the middle of your work, work on the end, or pick any point on your outline you feel inspired to tackle.

This can not only get you moving again, but it can also help you find inspiration for the parts you are stuck on. Jot down your thoughts as they come to you, and you will have fresh content to work with the next time you sit down.

Step #8: Develop Goals and a Routine

The final step to combat writer’s block is to develop SMART goals that can help you manage your expectations when it comes to your writing process. These goals could ultimately help prevent burnout and writer’s block.

Here’s an example of developing a SMART goal to consider for writing your book:

Rather than creating a vague goal of just “writing a book,” your goal can start with, “I will finish writing the manuscript of my book by the fall of next year by writing 5 pages a day starting today.”

Here’s how to determine a SMART Goal:

• S (Specific) = You have specified the deliverable (the manuscript).
• M (Measurable) = You have a set amount of pages that you have to write per day in order to finish by next fall (5).
• A (Achievable) = You enjoy writing, have time, and are very motivated to finish your book, so writing 5 pages a day is doable.
• R (Relevant) = Finishing the manuscript will get you much closer to eventually publishing the book to a bigger audience.
• T (Time-bound) = You are working towards the manuscript being completed by the fall of next year.

This SMART goal will keep you accountable and motivated, even if writer’s block might threaten your path.

It’s also important to set goals that will help prevent it from creeping in, like making sure to take a walk every day and promising to read a new book every month.

These goals will help you stay on track and prevent creative blocks.

Beat Writer’s Block and Become a Successful Author

I hope these tips have helped you identify what writer’s block is and given you strategies you can use to both overcome it and prevent it so you can achieve your writing goals. It’s crucial to remember the importance of continuous writing practice and the risks associated with choosing to stop writing. Stopping writing, especially for personal growth, can lead to a decline in writing skills and make overcoming writer’s block even more challenging.

Having written over 90 books, I’ve experienced writer’s block before. Whether you’re tangled in the beginnings of your narrative or stuck at a complicated plot point, finding the right title can sometimes be the breakthrough you need. It’s not just a label, but it can guide your entire storytelling process.

That’s why I’m excited to offer you a special opportunity to unlock the secret to creating a bestselling book title. Join this exclusive FREE video training where you’ll learn to craft a title that captivates and sells.

Have you ever read an autobiography written by a celebrity or public figure?

The book probably talked about the person’s childhood and explained what their life was like growing up. You might have laughed at anecdotes from the person’s early career, or gotten chills as you saw a peek behind the scenes at the celebrity’s most well-known moments.

When you close the book at the end, a good autobiography will make you walk away feeling like you personally know the subject.

But what would you think if you knew that the “author” didn’t write the book at all and the author’s bio was not 100% honest?

That’s what ghostwriting is. And it’s far more common than you might think. Whether you’re looking for someone to ghostwrite a book for you, or you want to ghostwrite a book for somebody else, this blog post has all the information you need to know. Read on to learn how to get started with a ghostwriter.

What Is A Ghostwriter?

A ghostwriter is someone who writes a work for the author, as the author without credit. In other words, the ghostwriter writes the author’s story. But the author’s name is the only one on the cover of the book. 

For example, the well-known book I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban was ghostwritten.

The book tells the story of Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist who focuses on female education. But Malala didn’t write the book herself. Journalist and author Christina Lamb was the person who actually wrote the story.

Some people wonder if ghostwriting is ethical. Is it okay for one person to write a book, and someone else to claim it as their own?

The answer is yes.

Ghostwriting is not plagiarism.

The byline author is still involved in the process; they are also usually the person who comes up with the initial concept or idea. And everything is done by the book: Ghostwriters know upfront, when they sign the contract, that the author will retain the rights to whatever work the ghostwriter produces for them.

After the ghostwriter finishes the book, delivers it to the author, and gets paid, the author owns the material from then on.

Today, almost 100% of books by celebrities are written by ghostwriters or freelance writers. That might be hard to believe.

But when you think about it, the number makes sense. Celebrities are incredibly busy — they’re busy being a professional athlete, a politician, a musician, or whatever it is they do.

They don’t have time to write a book. And even if they did, they don’t have the necessary skills.

Their whole life has been based around acquiring skills as an athlete, politician, musician, or fill-in-the-blank. Many celebrities probably don’t have the first clue how to write a book — even one about themselves!

And that’s where ghostwriters come in. 

Difference Between Co-Authoring and Ghostwriting

There’s a difference between the terms co-authoring and ghostwriting. Co-authors get credit for the parts of the book they write or edit. Their name is on the cover in smaller print under the author’s name — think “with John Smith” or “and Jane Doe.” However, ghostwriters normally do not receive any byline.

These two processes work a little differently, too. Co-authoring is typically more collaborative. A co-author contributes their creative vision to the book. Their voice is a part of the story. The co-author also may want to implement ideas for marketing and selling the book. And since their name is also on the cover, they have the right to do so. 

A ghostwriter, however, does not help with the book’s concept or creative vision. Their only job is to adapt their voice to the author’s and to write the book exactly as the author wants it written. The author is in control of all decisions about the book’s ideas and tone. 

Both options have pros and cons. At the end of the day, the decision really depends on the author and how they want to tell their story — whether they’re okay with someone else helping make those decisions, or whether they have a clear vision and they simply need somebody to put it on paper for them.

There are plenty of jobs out there for co-authors and ghostwriters alike.

How to Decide If and When to Use A Ghostwriter

When it comes to ghostwriters, you’re either looking for one or looking to be one. If you’re in search of the perfect ghostwriter to tell your story, here’s how to decide if you really need one, and what to look for if so.

How to Decide If You Need A Ghostwriter

Do you really need to hire a ghostwriter? Maybe you have a great idea for a book but aren’t sure if you can write your own book yourself.

Truth is, writing a book is harder than it might seem. It takes a major investment of time. You also need to have great writing skills — even if you’re just writing about yourself.

Outsourcing the job to a professional writer who is willing to ghostwrite is helpful because it drastically cuts down on the time involved for you.

You won’t have to spend hours deliberating over how to phrase that sentence or whether to add that comma. Ghostwriters do the entire job for you. And chances are, they’ll be able to write the whole manuscript much more quickly than you ever could. You’re free to focus on your job while they do theirs.

What’s more, ghostwriters are professional writers. They’ve already been through this process several times.

There’s no one more qualified to take your idea and put it on the page. Ghostwriters are excellent researchers and writers, highly skilled at adapting their voice to make your story sound just like you. Working with a ghostwriter is a good idea if you think you might lack the time or skills to write your book.

Where to Look For A Ghostwriter

If you’ve decided that you could use a ghostwriter, it’s time to jump in and start looking for one. But you might feel unsure of where to start.

There are countless platforms online that match up ghostwriters with authors. On freelance marketplaces, like Upwork, you can post a job description for a freelance writer outlining what you’re looking for.

Then, writers who meet your qualifications will apply, and you can sort through the applications before making a final decision. This cuts down on the research time needed from your end — you just sit back and wait for the writers to come to you. 

Other websites listen to your needs and then match you up with one of their writers. Agencies like these tend to manage every step of the writing process for you.

While this can be helpful, you won’t have as much freedom as you might find with another option. You’ll also need to be very cautious because there are lots of ghostwriting agencies out there that are scams.

You don’t have to go through a ghostwriter platform if you feel like that’s not the route for you. Try using a professional website like LinkedIn to find a writer.

It’s easy to search for writers, read through their past experiences, and then reach out to see if they’re interested in learning about your project. You can also simply run a Google search to find qualified ghostwriters in your field, although this will take a lot more time and effort.

Finally, there’s a chance you may be able to hire a ghostwriter through networking at local writing groups or industry meetups in your area.

However, while this is worth a shot, you’re probably better off searching online. That way, you can easily search the entire world to narrow down the ghostwriter that’s the best fit for you.

How to Find The Best Ghostwriter

What should you look for in a ghostwriter? First, it’s important to find someone who has experience in your field.

You shouldn’t have to stop and explain industry jargon to your writer every time you use a new word. They should already be familiar with your industry — whether that’s via writing experience, hands-on experience, or both — and feel comfortable telling a story that takes place in this field.

Make sure the writer is someone whom you feel comfortable with and trust. You’re trusting them with something very important and personal. And the two of you are going to be working together on this project for a long time. So it’s essential to connect on a personal level as well as a professional one. 

Your ghostwriter should be willing to learn and collaborate. No, you shouldn’t have to teach them the ins and outs of your industry.

But a good ghostwriter will respect that this is your story. You are the expert. And instead of bulldozing over your opinion, they should listen to what you want and to what you have to say. 

Talk to the ghostwriter about their process and how they work. How many meetings or phone calls will they want to have? It’s important you both understand each other’s writing needs before diving in.

Are they used to working with authors remotely?

How long does it typically take them to finish the first draft?

Think about the kind of work process you’re envisioning and whether their answers line up with what you want. If you feel like this is necessary, reach out to some of the ghostwriter’s past clients and ask what it was like working together.

At the end of the day, the most important thing is whether the writer can adapt their writing style to capture your voice. You want someone who understands you and your story — someone who can easily put your tone of voice to paper.

This is the best way to ensure your story comes across the way you want it to. During conversations with a potential ghostwriter, you will be able to get a feel for whether or not the two of you are on the same page. Reading other books the writer has written can also help you determine their ability to capture an author’s voice and style. 

You can evaluate your ghostwriter’s qualifications by looking at things like how many books they’ve written; the quality of those books (hint: read reviews); and the level of author they’ve worked with (there’s a difference in ghostwriting books for small niche celebrities, and ghostwriting books for people who are household names).

Look through the writer’s website and social media. Make sure they have good references, too. Ideally, you want to work with a writer who has written at least half a dozen books for mid-size authors.

One final note: You might be tempted to go for the cheapest option you can find. But we can almost guarantee that this will not get you the best quality book. If you want your work to be taken seriously and want to pick from a pool of good ghostwriters, just remember that you get what you pay for.

So if you want a professional, high-quality book, you need to be willing to expand your budget and prepare to pay what the best ghostwriters charge.

How to Become A Ghostwriter

Maybe you’re not the one with a story to tell. Instead of trying to find a ghostwriter, you want to become a ghostwriter. There are a lot of benefits to this career field.

You can learn about fascinating topics and work with fascinating people while making a decent chunk of change with book writing or ebook writing. Plus, offering ghostwriting services is an easy way to get started in the field — no need for special degrees or certifications. And once you’re done writing the book, you’re exempt from the more boring parts, like the business side of publishing books. 

Sound like a winner? Here’s your step-by-step guide to becoming a professional ghostwriter for books.

Traits Every Good Ghostwriter Has

First things first: If you’re going to be a successful ghostwriter, you need to be a good writer.

This doesn’t mean you have to have a master’s degree in English (although if you do, that’s great). But it does mean you know your way around a pen and paper — or at least, a word processing software. Ideally, you’ve written some books already. At the very least, you should have a knack for storytelling paired with strong research skills.

A good ghostwriter should be able to effortlessly adapt his or her voice to any client. This is an essential skill, but one that takes some practice. Try to detach yourself from your writing; experiment with writing in different voices. Think about whether a person’s tone is more professional or conversational. Take note of any slang, jargon, or catchphrases they use. Listen to whether complex sentences or short phrases are their norm. These details will help you hone in on somebody else’s voice. 

Ghostwriters need to be excellent communicators. The process of ghostwriting a book requires a lot of collaboration with the author. You need to be good at interviewing people and asking the right questions to draw out their story. You also need to be able to communicate clearly through many rounds of back-and-forth edits, collaborating with the author to tell their story the way they want it told. 

It should go without saying that you also need to be highly professional and self-motivated. You should be able to work well on your own and adhere to deadlines. It’s also helpful to be detail-oriented — you want to make sure you’re getting all the details of your author’s story correct. And part of being professional is respecting your client’s story, having discretion as you work together on a potentially sensitive project. 

Finally, in order to be a good ghostwriter, you have to be okay with not getting credit. Remember, your name will not be on the cover of the book you wrote — and that can be a strange feeling to have. To succeed as a ghostwriter, you must be content with working behind the scenes.

Think this freelance writing career is for you? Here’s how to get started. 

Write A Book Proposal

Your first step in becoming a professional ghostwriter is to get to know the person you’d like to write for. Follow them on social media and any other channels online where they put out content. Get a feel for who they are as a person, their vision, and their ideas. You should be familiar enough that you feel like you know them even if you’ve never met them in person.

Next, reach out to this person via email and make your case. Outline why they should write a book and pitch yourself as the best option for them to choose. Explain that you admire what they do — get specific so they’ll realize you are familiar with their work — and that you would love to help tell their story. Ideally, you will be able to show them examples of past work you’ve done in their industry or field. If not, highlight any other relevant skills or experience you might have. Your goal is to start building trust, letting this person know that they can entrust you to take good care of their story.

Make Your Rate Clear

If the person is interested in working together, you’ll probably have one or more meetings to feel things out. If you reach the negotiation stage, it’s your job to make your rate clear.

Talking about money can be a tricky subject. But remember, you’re going to put a lot of time and effort into your ghostwriting services, and you won’t receive any credit. So you need to be paid well.

Be clear and upfront with the person you’re writing for. Don’t beat around the bush: Tell them exactly what you charge for ghostwritten books so neither one of you is wasting any time — whether that’s a flat fee or a rate per word.

The exact cost to ghostwrite a book can vary greatly depending on the projected length of the book; the amount of research involved; the writer’s experience level; and many other factors. But generally, you should be charging between $25,000 and $75,000 to write a single book.

Remember, a cheap ghostwriter is never a good sign. By charging the going rate for a ghostwritten book, you will not only ensure you’re setting your time and work at the best price but also establish trust and confidence, helping the author feel sure that you’ll produce a high-quality book. Now, your only job is to deliver.

Collect All Necessary Materials

Congratulations: You’ve pitched your client, they accepted your rate, and the book is a go! Now it’s time to dive headfirst into all of the research you have to do. As a ghostwriter, you will probably find yourself doing just as much research as you do writing. 

The process of ghostwriting a book will likely include multiple original interviews with the author. Depending on how close you live to each other, these can be conducted either in person, or over a phone or video call. Brainstorm lists of questions before these interviews to make the most of your time. But don’t be afraid to let the author lead the way or chase a few rabbit trails. It is their story, after all. Make sure to record these interviews (ideally, with two recorders running at once so you have a backup). It can also be helpful to interview friends, family members, or colleagues who are close to your author and were there for the big events in the author’s life. 

Next, you want the author to give you anything and everything they can that will help you write the book. These might be ideas, notes, journals — whatever they can find. You might be able to dig up some of these resources yourself by searching for videos or blog posts online that were made by or about the author. Other materials might be things from the author’s personal collection that only they have access to.

Don’t be afraid to ask for more material if you need it. You would rather have too much information than not enough. You don’t want to start writing until you have spent plenty of time researching and reading everything you can get your hands on that’s relevant to the author and to the book. Otherwise, you’ll get bogged down by having to do additional research in the writing process.

Write Your First Draft

When you have all the material you need, assemble it into an outline for the book. Making an outline is important because it helps you organize ideas for your writing journey — which will create a much better end product. Identify the main points of your book and organize them into chapters that make sense linearly. Then add the specific details you want to include in each chapter. 

When your outline is complete, you’re ready to dive in and start writing that first draft. Don’t worry about getting things perfect. Just start getting words on the page. Follow your outline as you write each chapter. If you find that you do need more information from the author, simply make a note of what you need and then keep writing. This will allow you to finish your draft in a timely manner without getting distracted.

Creating a set writing routine is another way to make sure the ball keeps rolling. Many writers also set word count goals for themselves, dividing out the total number of words in the finished book to come up with either a weekly or daily word count goal. Having a goal to reach can help you avoid writer’s block as you push through to finish your first draft. 

Edit and Write Second Draft

Now that you have all the ideas out, it’s time to clean things up. Let the manuscript sit for a few weeks; taking a break can help you stay motivated. Then come back to it with fresh eyes. Read through the book and make sure the manuscript makes sense. It should flow easily and naturally from one chapter to another. As you complete this read-through, make notes of anything that needs to be fixed. Then settle down to dig into the editing process.

You’ll want to edit both the “big” things, like the book’s pacing and the smaller things such as grammar. A big-picture edit is called developmental editing. This is the part where you ensure that everything makes sense together — that your ideas are organized well and that the overall book communicates the message you’re trying to get across. 

Line editing is the stage of editing where you get nitpicky, essentially taking your book apart line by line. Reading your writing out loud can be helpful as you seek to make sure that each individual sentence makes sense. You can also use an online tool like Hemingway Editor to help fine-tune your grammar. Software like this can act as an extra set of eyes to ensure you aren’t missing anything. 

Editing is also the time when you can ask the author for any additional information you didn’t get on the first round of interviews. In the final step before publication, the author will read the book themselves and will be able to correct any little details that slipped through. But for now, simply ask them any of the big-picture questions you might have.

Have the Author Review

Once everything is cleaned up and flows correctly, run the book by the author. They can read through the manuscript in a word processing software like Google Docs or Microsoft Word, which allows collaborators to leave comments directly on the document. Then the author will give you their final approval on the book as a whole.

The author might leave comments correcting small details that you got wrong. Or they might want you to tweak certain parts of the book to make the writing sound more like their voice. In most cases, if you’ve done plenty of research ahead of time to dig into the author’s life and get to know them, the author should be happy overall with the way you portrayed them and told their story. 

Remember not to get offended by any notes that the author leaves. After all, their name is going to be the one in the book. So while you’re free to offer suggestions rooted in your knowledge and expertise, this may end up being a customer-is-always-right type of situation.

Add the Finishing Touches

You’re almost at the finish line of the writing process to create a fantastic book. Now, the only thing left to do is to clean up those final edits. Address any comments the author made and do a final pass through the manuscript to make sure everything looks spick and span. 

Once the book is written and fully edited, your job is done. At this stage in the process, ghostwriters hand the manuscript over to the author to kick off the publishing process and step out of the picture. But what will happen to the book next?

Some authors choose to go the traditional publishing route. With traditional publishing, the author has to pitch their book to a literary agent. If the agent likes the idea, they’ll take on the book and shop it around to different publishing houses. You might recognize names like Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster. These are all traditional book publishing companies.

Other authors self-publish their books. With self-publishing, there’s no need for an agent. The author does everything themselves. Some of the most popular self-publishing companies include Kindle Direct Publishing, Kobo, and Xlibris. Other authors use Amazon’s self-publishing platform as an easy way to get their book onto the largest book-selling platform in the world.

Whichever route your author chooses, they still have a lot of work to do to publish the book, create the cover art, market the book, and get it into the hands of readers. But eventually, there will be thousands of people who read and enjoy the book that you wrote. 

Being a ghostwriter isn’t always easy. But for the right type of person, it can be a highly lucrative and enjoyable career path — and whether you ghostwrite a book for someone else or hire a ghostwriter to tell your own life story, you get the reward of knowing that people all around the world are reading your story.

Feeling inspired and ready to get started? Check out my 20-Step Author Quickstart Guide. This free resource will help you learn everything you need to know to become a ghostwriter for books and enjoy a rewarding, long-term career as a writer and author.