Most writers submit one complete manuscript to a publisher and cross their fingers while waiting for the publisher to finish reading it and hope that the publisher would like it. Well, here's a news flash publishers do not like reading manuscripts. Yes, you read it right. Publishers receive tons of manuscripts from aspiring writers all the time and they don't want to waste valuable time reading an entire manuscript only to end up rejecting it.
Bear in mind that publishers are sellers. They are only interested in books that sell. They don't want to spend lots of time reading just to decide if your book would sell because there are lots of other authors out there who could do better than you. So, you have to convince them that your book is going to sell and that your book is better than most. You can do that by writing a good book proposal.
A book proposal would contain the description of your book and its selling points. It is your tool to get your book published. Write a good proposal that says your book is a must-have and a must-read, leaving no doubts in the mind of your prospective publisher to publish your book. And you do this even before you completely write the entirety of your manuscript. This would save you time if the publisher likes your book idea but has some revisions in mind. A publisher and editor would always want to be involved in the writing process; after all, they have experience and know what sells and what doesn't. So, as an author who wants to make it big, you should interact creatively with your publisher and/or editor for a better work collaboration.
So, what does a good book proposal look like? There is really no standard format of a book proposal. The same as having different writing styles, there can also be different proposal styles of different authors for different publishers. You must take note that for anything to sell, it has to be custom-made for the intended client. So, you also have to know your prospective publishers personality and style in order for you to adapt. But for the basic requirements, a good book proposal should contain at least the main ingredients:
1. The title and the summary or at least the premise of the book
2. The distinctive selling point of your book
3. The manuscript layout or plan
4. The target market or audience with explanation and descriptions
5. The authors background and writing experience
6. Synopsis of every chapter of the book; and finally,
7. One or two sample chapters of the book
You can rearrange these factors in any sequence you think appropriate, as long as it convinces your publisher to print your book.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Writing Fiction Versus Non-Fiction
Fiction and Non-fiction have often been compared throughout the years. With each genre having its own pros and cons, people often cannot help but debate on which type of writing style is really much more easier or practical for a writer to call his or her own. Let us examine the differences of these two styles then and find out how they truly differ and what similarities hold true to both.
How Does One Write About Fiction?
Writing about fiction basically tries to reach out to an audience that has a knack for seeking entertainment on anything that can feed their imagination and allow them to be brought to different places and periods. And thus, it is only proper for any fiction writer to have a very big imagination and to be very creative.
Some of the basic requirements that any fiction writer must have to write a good story is to include a good and interesting plot, strong and relatable characters and of course, a good handle on the pen that can give them an edge and great writing style. These elements must be well developed and a writer must make sure to concentrate on answering the whys behind the events conspiring in his stories.
Most readers of fiction stories usually want to escape their realities as well as challenge their brains, and so, mysteries, conflicts and a lot of suspense are integral to include in writing about fiction. These things keep a reader enticed and glued on to events that are happening within the plot.
What most writers love about creating fiction is that because it does not have strict boundaries, they have much more freedom and control on what they actually want to include in their work, without so many people condemning them on what is factual or not. And research does not have to be as extensive and the most that is really required of them is for them to let their imaginations run wild.
How Does One Write About Non-Fiction?
On the other hand, writing about non-fiction when it comes to preparation, may not be as easy as fiction writing. After all, non-fiction writers unlike their counterparts basically thrive off what is real instead of finding entertainment through the imagination.
Writers of non-fiction must concentrate more on things that we can see and touch. Actual experience plays a major role on the substantiality of the story and readers would understandably look for vivid descriptions about events and historical references for them to remain interested.
And so, unlike in writing fiction that would only require one to have a very good imagination, this type of genre requires extensive research. And guessing to fill in the spaces within the story's events is rarely tolerated. In fact, many controversies have already sprung out about this issue time and again. Therefore one must include the exact historical information in his or her work.
Which Style Is Better To Adopt?
Because of the differences of the methods of writing in the two styles, and because they require different specialties and talents, many writers may often feel quite confusing on which writing style is better to adopt as their own.
With most writers who actually take on writing as a career, they may often claim that sticking with only just one form of writing may not be enough to actually help you earn a living. Most often than not, if you want to become known and successful as a writer, versatility on these two writing styles is essential as many different demands may come your way.
Although different, each of these styles has its pros and cons that may render them equal to each other. Although writing about non-fiction would no longer require one to do extensive research, not everyone is talented enough with a big and captivating imagination, and so non-fiction may still have its obstacles to present a writer during the creative process. On the other hand, doing extensive research for fiction can be quite draining, but at least one no longer has to worry about making up a storyline as it is already thought up beforehand by actual events.
These two writing styles may certainly be very different, and they have their own advantages and disadvantages to the writer. But being versatile in both styles can certainly do a lot of any writer and even establish his or her creativity.
Neither style is superior or inferior from the other. Both of these genres have proven through the test of time how each of them has captured the intelligence and interest of many. Thus, for any writer, can never go wrong with whichever style he or she may choose.
How Does One Write About Fiction?
Writing about fiction basically tries to reach out to an audience that has a knack for seeking entertainment on anything that can feed their imagination and allow them to be brought to different places and periods. And thus, it is only proper for any fiction writer to have a very big imagination and to be very creative.
Some of the basic requirements that any fiction writer must have to write a good story is to include a good and interesting plot, strong and relatable characters and of course, a good handle on the pen that can give them an edge and great writing style. These elements must be well developed and a writer must make sure to concentrate on answering the whys behind the events conspiring in his stories.
Most readers of fiction stories usually want to escape their realities as well as challenge their brains, and so, mysteries, conflicts and a lot of suspense are integral to include in writing about fiction. These things keep a reader enticed and glued on to events that are happening within the plot.
What most writers love about creating fiction is that because it does not have strict boundaries, they have much more freedom and control on what they actually want to include in their work, without so many people condemning them on what is factual or not. And research does not have to be as extensive and the most that is really required of them is for them to let their imaginations run wild.
How Does One Write About Non-Fiction?
On the other hand, writing about non-fiction when it comes to preparation, may not be as easy as fiction writing. After all, non-fiction writers unlike their counterparts basically thrive off what is real instead of finding entertainment through the imagination.
Writers of non-fiction must concentrate more on things that we can see and touch. Actual experience plays a major role on the substantiality of the story and readers would understandably look for vivid descriptions about events and historical references for them to remain interested.
And so, unlike in writing fiction that would only require one to have a very good imagination, this type of genre requires extensive research. And guessing to fill in the spaces within the story's events is rarely tolerated. In fact, many controversies have already sprung out about this issue time and again. Therefore one must include the exact historical information in his or her work.
Which Style Is Better To Adopt?
Because of the differences of the methods of writing in the two styles, and because they require different specialties and talents, many writers may often feel quite confusing on which writing style is better to adopt as their own.
With most writers who actually take on writing as a career, they may often claim that sticking with only just one form of writing may not be enough to actually help you earn a living. Most often than not, if you want to become known and successful as a writer, versatility on these two writing styles is essential as many different demands may come your way.
Although different, each of these styles has its pros and cons that may render them equal to each other. Although writing about non-fiction would no longer require one to do extensive research, not everyone is talented enough with a big and captivating imagination, and so non-fiction may still have its obstacles to present a writer during the creative process. On the other hand, doing extensive research for fiction can be quite draining, but at least one no longer has to worry about making up a storyline as it is already thought up beforehand by actual events.
These two writing styles may certainly be very different, and they have their own advantages and disadvantages to the writer. But being versatile in both styles can certainly do a lot of any writer and even establish his or her creativity.
Neither style is superior or inferior from the other. Both of these genres have proven through the test of time how each of them has captured the intelligence and interest of many. Thus, for any writer, can never go wrong with whichever style he or she may choose.
What Is A Query Letter?
A query letter is a formal letter sent by a writer to literary agents, editors and publishing houses. This is a way for writers to propose their prose ideas. And if you are a writer, aspiring to get your work published, then getting this right is vital for you to achieve your goal. After all, literary agents, and publishers would greatly base their first impression of you and your book upon this document.
Preferably, this letter should be contained in a single page and should follow specific guidelines. The ideal format includes single spacing and a twelve-point font size if you are using a computer. Your query letter would also consist of four sections in its single page format: the hook, synopsis, the biography and the closing.
The Hook
The first section or paragraph of your letter is the hook, which is basically your whole book compressed into a single sentence. Here, you will briefly introduce the most basic elements, like the character and the dilemma.
Take in mind that this sentence needs to give just the right quantity of information, but of course, not too much. More importantly, it should be able to catch the attention of the reader and intrigue him to learn more about your book. This part of your letter will determine whether or not your letter will be accepted or not.
The Synopsis
The second part in your letter or the synopsis is where you are given the chance to describe your manuscript in a whole paragraph instead of limiting yourself in just one sentence. Here, you can expand more on some things that have been mentioned in the previous section.
You must mention certain aspects of the book such as its genre, word count and even your understanding on who is the market for your project is. Take in mind that you must be able to show that there is a demand in the market for your book and convince your reader (whether it is a literary agent or a publisher) that there are people who will be interested in buying and reading your book.
Examining current books that are successfully selling and those that are not doing so well in the market can help you state in your query substantial evidence on how your work holds more potential. The usual markets for books are the Children's book genre, Fiction and Fantasy.
The Biography
The third section is the easiest among all sections, because all you have to do is basically talk about yourself. Remember that you do not only have to sell your book, but as a writer you must also sell yourself.
In this part, mention any awards, achievements, as well as experiences in writing and publishing that you have had. It is also important to mention if whether or not you have had any works published before and what they are.
Do not hold back on your credentials and if you have an impressive record in writing then make sure you show your editor or agent that you have all the skills and experience in the world. Just make sure that you are able to fit everything in one paragraph.
If this is your first book however, and if you do not have a lot of fancy awards or accomplishments to talk about, you do not have to worry. This just means that you are left with more space to talk about your book at a deeper level.
The Closing
The fourth and final paragraph is the closing paragraph. This is the portion in your letter wherein you would be asking the agent or the editor for permission to send your manuscript. At the same time, you would also be giving out your thanks for the time that they took to review your query. Also do not forget to mention that you are looking forward to hearing from them.
Aside from these things, it is also important that you remember to place your contact details your name, e-mail address, telephone or cell phone numbers- at the end of the paragraph.
This is a very basic and universally accepted format in writing your query. If this were your first time to write such a letter, it would be safest to follow this form of arrangement. After all, most agents, editors and publishers do not prefer query letters that have new and fancy formats that differ from the usual types that they receive.
Remember that this letter can make or break your writing career, and it is all really about making the right impression. Keep this document simple yet impressive in such a way that you stimulate your readers interest to want more of what you can offer. And most especially, just be yourself in the best possible way you can. By following all of these things, surely you wouldn't have many problems in selling.
Preferably, this letter should be contained in a single page and should follow specific guidelines. The ideal format includes single spacing and a twelve-point font size if you are using a computer. Your query letter would also consist of four sections in its single page format: the hook, synopsis, the biography and the closing.
The Hook
The first section or paragraph of your letter is the hook, which is basically your whole book compressed into a single sentence. Here, you will briefly introduce the most basic elements, like the character and the dilemma.
Take in mind that this sentence needs to give just the right quantity of information, but of course, not too much. More importantly, it should be able to catch the attention of the reader and intrigue him to learn more about your book. This part of your letter will determine whether or not your letter will be accepted or not.
The Synopsis
The second part in your letter or the synopsis is where you are given the chance to describe your manuscript in a whole paragraph instead of limiting yourself in just one sentence. Here, you can expand more on some things that have been mentioned in the previous section.
You must mention certain aspects of the book such as its genre, word count and even your understanding on who is the market for your project is. Take in mind that you must be able to show that there is a demand in the market for your book and convince your reader (whether it is a literary agent or a publisher) that there are people who will be interested in buying and reading your book.
Examining current books that are successfully selling and those that are not doing so well in the market can help you state in your query substantial evidence on how your work holds more potential. The usual markets for books are the Children's book genre, Fiction and Fantasy.
The Biography
The third section is the easiest among all sections, because all you have to do is basically talk about yourself. Remember that you do not only have to sell your book, but as a writer you must also sell yourself.
In this part, mention any awards, achievements, as well as experiences in writing and publishing that you have had. It is also important to mention if whether or not you have had any works published before and what they are.
Do not hold back on your credentials and if you have an impressive record in writing then make sure you show your editor or agent that you have all the skills and experience in the world. Just make sure that you are able to fit everything in one paragraph.
If this is your first book however, and if you do not have a lot of fancy awards or accomplishments to talk about, you do not have to worry. This just means that you are left with more space to talk about your book at a deeper level.
The Closing
The fourth and final paragraph is the closing paragraph. This is the portion in your letter wherein you would be asking the agent or the editor for permission to send your manuscript. At the same time, you would also be giving out your thanks for the time that they took to review your query. Also do not forget to mention that you are looking forward to hearing from them.
Aside from these things, it is also important that you remember to place your contact details your name, e-mail address, telephone or cell phone numbers- at the end of the paragraph.
This is a very basic and universally accepted format in writing your query. If this were your first time to write such a letter, it would be safest to follow this form of arrangement. After all, most agents, editors and publishers do not prefer query letters that have new and fancy formats that differ from the usual types that they receive.
Remember that this letter can make or break your writing career, and it is all really about making the right impression. Keep this document simple yet impressive in such a way that you stimulate your readers interest to want more of what you can offer. And most especially, just be yourself in the best possible way you can. By following all of these things, surely you wouldn't have many problems in selling.
What Is Included In a Literary Agency Agreement?
For most writers yearning to get their work published, getting a literary agent to represent you is the first step that could determine whether you can make it or break it. After all, agents over the years have become pathfinders to getting books published.
But before signing on to an agreement, you may wonder what things you should consider. After all, there are many firms out there that may not be legitimate. Thus, it would be wise that you evaluate the terms and contents stated in the condition the agency offers you.
Duration
The term or duration of your agency agreement is a critical factor for you to be able to make decisions regarding your career moves. The range of terms may vary from thirty days to the whole duration of your works copyright.
Most authors would not want to be bound to an idle agent for a long time, but agents on the other hand, would not sign up with clients whom they know would not be around for a while. And so, the best arrangement is one that includes a 30-day termination provision that can be used at will by any party. This serves as a trial period to try and see whether your professional author-agent relationship can work.
However, if you have already signed up with a long-term deal, make sure you retain the right to terminate your agreement if your agent has not helped you sell your book within a certain period of time.
Scope
Typically, most agreements give the agent rights to represent your work internationally, in all types of media, as well as in all formats. And all existing works that you have made during the term of your contract or whatever conditions have been agreed upon will be covered.
Take in mind that this type of agreement may not always work out for you, and so, it is best to consider negotiating that your agent should limit his or her control to specific projects, especially when you are just starting out. If things go smoothly with your agent, you can always adjust and broaden his or her scope of control later.
Also take note that you may want to use a different agent when it comes to dealing with subsidiaries like film, audio, and foreign deals. This may be applicable if you feel that your agent is not much of an expert in a specific market.
Commission
Usually, this part of the agreement is non-negotiable. Most agents charge a fifteen percent (15%) commission from your royalties. Aside from this, an additional five to ten percent (5-10%) for international distribution can be further expected of you, as your agent may need to compensate his sub-agents in foreign countries. Thus, you should expect to pay as much as a twenty-five percent (25%) fee for a foreign sale.
However, there may be an exception if you have found a foreign publisher yourself and you simply want your agent to negotiate the deal for you. In this case, some agents may be willing to lower their usual commission.
Disbursements
Since agency contracts usually require that the agent will receive royalties and advances from the publisher, make sure that your contract includes an agreement that all funds received on your behalf should be deposited in a separate and private account instead of your agents general account. Also make sure that your contract provides that you will receive your regular payment within no more than 10 business days.
Expenses And Accounting
It would be wise that you negotiate with your agent that as much as possible, expenses charged to you should only be those that are excessive and unusual. Of course, such expenses should not exceed a specific amount without your permission and should not be taken directly from your pocket, but should be deducted from future royalties instead. If your agency agreement would absorb most client expenses as a part of their commission, then this would be a better deal.
In addition to this, make sure that your agent is willing to regularly provide you with an accounting report along with other required IRS documents at least once a year. Through this, you would be able to determine that cash flow from your royalties is going to all the right places and your agency is not scamming you.
Powers And Assignment
Beware of agreements that give your agent different powers that originally only you should have. Such powers may include, being able to sign checks and contracts on your behalf. Your contract should also not be transferred to a different firm or even to a different agent without your permission.
If too much power is given to your agency, then you should negotiate to decrease them, especially if you have not yet garnered an element of trust with your agent when you are starting out.
Bankruptcy, Disability, And Death
Check if your contract includes the clause that all your royalties may be transferred directly to you, in the event of bankruptcy, disability and death to your agent. In this way, your royalties would not have to be tied up in court due to the events that your agency may experience.
Remember that a literary agent is supposed to help you to have a voice that will be heard by your publishers and not to be your actual. Make sure that you review your agency contract properly to find out that you have the right representation behind you that would support your best interests.
There are many firms out there these days that may scam you with your creative abilities. These people may make themselves rich in your expense, and the only way they could do this, is if you allow them to do so. Be smart in signing any contracts and stay true to upholding the value of your intellectual property.
But before signing on to an agreement, you may wonder what things you should consider. After all, there are many firms out there that may not be legitimate. Thus, it would be wise that you evaluate the terms and contents stated in the condition the agency offers you.
Duration
The term or duration of your agency agreement is a critical factor for you to be able to make decisions regarding your career moves. The range of terms may vary from thirty days to the whole duration of your works copyright.
Most authors would not want to be bound to an idle agent for a long time, but agents on the other hand, would not sign up with clients whom they know would not be around for a while. And so, the best arrangement is one that includes a 30-day termination provision that can be used at will by any party. This serves as a trial period to try and see whether your professional author-agent relationship can work.
However, if you have already signed up with a long-term deal, make sure you retain the right to terminate your agreement if your agent has not helped you sell your book within a certain period of time.
Scope
Typically, most agreements give the agent rights to represent your work internationally, in all types of media, as well as in all formats. And all existing works that you have made during the term of your contract or whatever conditions have been agreed upon will be covered.
Take in mind that this type of agreement may not always work out for you, and so, it is best to consider negotiating that your agent should limit his or her control to specific projects, especially when you are just starting out. If things go smoothly with your agent, you can always adjust and broaden his or her scope of control later.
Also take note that you may want to use a different agent when it comes to dealing with subsidiaries like film, audio, and foreign deals. This may be applicable if you feel that your agent is not much of an expert in a specific market.
Commission
Usually, this part of the agreement is non-negotiable. Most agents charge a fifteen percent (15%) commission from your royalties. Aside from this, an additional five to ten percent (5-10%) for international distribution can be further expected of you, as your agent may need to compensate his sub-agents in foreign countries. Thus, you should expect to pay as much as a twenty-five percent (25%) fee for a foreign sale.
However, there may be an exception if you have found a foreign publisher yourself and you simply want your agent to negotiate the deal for you. In this case, some agents may be willing to lower their usual commission.
Disbursements
Since agency contracts usually require that the agent will receive royalties and advances from the publisher, make sure that your contract includes an agreement that all funds received on your behalf should be deposited in a separate and private account instead of your agents general account. Also make sure that your contract provides that you will receive your regular payment within no more than 10 business days.
Expenses And Accounting
It would be wise that you negotiate with your agent that as much as possible, expenses charged to you should only be those that are excessive and unusual. Of course, such expenses should not exceed a specific amount without your permission and should not be taken directly from your pocket, but should be deducted from future royalties instead. If your agency agreement would absorb most client expenses as a part of their commission, then this would be a better deal.
In addition to this, make sure that your agent is willing to regularly provide you with an accounting report along with other required IRS documents at least once a year. Through this, you would be able to determine that cash flow from your royalties is going to all the right places and your agency is not scamming you.
Powers And Assignment
Beware of agreements that give your agent different powers that originally only you should have. Such powers may include, being able to sign checks and contracts on your behalf. Your contract should also not be transferred to a different firm or even to a different agent without your permission.
If too much power is given to your agency, then you should negotiate to decrease them, especially if you have not yet garnered an element of trust with your agent when you are starting out.
Bankruptcy, Disability, And Death
Check if your contract includes the clause that all your royalties may be transferred directly to you, in the event of bankruptcy, disability and death to your agent. In this way, your royalties would not have to be tied up in court due to the events that your agency may experience.
Remember that a literary agent is supposed to help you to have a voice that will be heard by your publishers and not to be your actual. Make sure that you review your agency contract properly to find out that you have the right representation behind you that would support your best interests.
There are many firms out there these days that may scam you with your creative abilities. These people may make themselves rich in your expense, and the only way they could do this, is if you allow them to do so. Be smart in signing any contracts and stay true to upholding the value of your intellectual property.
Tools Of The Trade - Some Must Have Tools For Writing
Each writer has his own specific tools of the trade that contribute to his personal writing process. In keeping up with some of these must have tools for writing, you will be surprised how they do not only help you in the actual writing phase itself, but in gathering inspiration and organizing your thoughts as well. Basically, these things make writing a whole lot easier. Here are three of the most basic tools that every writer must have.
A Handy Notebook
A pocket journal or small notebook that you can carry around anywhere you go will surely come in handy, especially during the brainstorming phase when you write. This helps you keep track of things that you may want to include in your work and allows you to formulate your creative ideas before actually delving into writing the first draft of your work.
Without this notebook, a chance encounter with something that can trigger creativity, like overhearing an interesting conversation or having someone you know say something very inspiring, will all go to waste if you cannot immortalize such things on paper.
Although a lot of computers these days are also pretty handy, writing ideas down on a journal for many people will still stimulate the creativity more. After all, unlike a computer, beside each note or entry that you make you can always freely jot down side comments or scribble some sketches that may perhaps enhance your ideas more.
A notebook will give you insurance that you won't forget such things that may give you insights about your issues of interest. After all, you never know when you might find inspiration for your stories, and having somewhere you can jot down ideas on hand will surely be convenient.
Favorite Pen
Because it is understandable that you are bound to do a lot of writing to accomplish a book, you might as well invest on a good pen that can make the process more enjoyable. Even when you would be using a computer for the actual writing, there would still be a lot of literal writing activity needed especially during the brainstorming process or when you are still just organizing your thoughts.
The best pen for you will ultimately still depend on your choice. Find a pen that you find comfortable and is durable. Take in mind such factors as its overall feel in your hand, how smooth it writes and how it reads on the type of paper that you most often use.
You might be surprised how much a pen can actually affect the flow of inspiration coming in as you write, and even whether or not you will find the whole process enjoyable.
A Computer With Internet Connection
Everything today has become so dependent on technology. And even though you do a lot of your brainstorming through old school tools like notebooks and pens, most of the time, going hi-tech can take you miles with writing.
You will find that saving and organizing files will become easier with the use of a computer. At the same time, an easy Internet access can come in handy in case you need to make some instant searches for some needed information especially when substantiating your work.
Communicating with other writers or exchanging data will also become easier through the Internet. After all, at some point in your writing process, you may want to ask for advice from other writers or may want to have your work proof read. In this way, you are not only able to receive information quicker, but send it much faster as well.
It also helps that for writers, a lot of available computer programs that serve as tools in writing, such as an electronic dictionary or spell-checking programs. Instead of having to go through huge books to get the assistance that you need, all it will take you now is just a click and so much time and effort can be saved. In short, a handy computer can be your all-in-one tool of the trade.
Among many things that a lot of writers may want to have beside them during the process of writing, the three items mentioned above are the modern generations best tools of trade to make the process a whole lot easier. These things do not only assist you in making work less stressful, but they also help you become more organized and even more creative.
A Handy Notebook
A pocket journal or small notebook that you can carry around anywhere you go will surely come in handy, especially during the brainstorming phase when you write. This helps you keep track of things that you may want to include in your work and allows you to formulate your creative ideas before actually delving into writing the first draft of your work.
Without this notebook, a chance encounter with something that can trigger creativity, like overhearing an interesting conversation or having someone you know say something very inspiring, will all go to waste if you cannot immortalize such things on paper.
Although a lot of computers these days are also pretty handy, writing ideas down on a journal for many people will still stimulate the creativity more. After all, unlike a computer, beside each note or entry that you make you can always freely jot down side comments or scribble some sketches that may perhaps enhance your ideas more.
A notebook will give you insurance that you won't forget such things that may give you insights about your issues of interest. After all, you never know when you might find inspiration for your stories, and having somewhere you can jot down ideas on hand will surely be convenient.
Favorite Pen
Because it is understandable that you are bound to do a lot of writing to accomplish a book, you might as well invest on a good pen that can make the process more enjoyable. Even when you would be using a computer for the actual writing, there would still be a lot of literal writing activity needed especially during the brainstorming process or when you are still just organizing your thoughts.
The best pen for you will ultimately still depend on your choice. Find a pen that you find comfortable and is durable. Take in mind such factors as its overall feel in your hand, how smooth it writes and how it reads on the type of paper that you most often use.
You might be surprised how much a pen can actually affect the flow of inspiration coming in as you write, and even whether or not you will find the whole process enjoyable.
A Computer With Internet Connection
Everything today has become so dependent on technology. And even though you do a lot of your brainstorming through old school tools like notebooks and pens, most of the time, going hi-tech can take you miles with writing.
You will find that saving and organizing files will become easier with the use of a computer. At the same time, an easy Internet access can come in handy in case you need to make some instant searches for some needed information especially when substantiating your work.
Communicating with other writers or exchanging data will also become easier through the Internet. After all, at some point in your writing process, you may want to ask for advice from other writers or may want to have your work proof read. In this way, you are not only able to receive information quicker, but send it much faster as well.
It also helps that for writers, a lot of available computer programs that serve as tools in writing, such as an electronic dictionary or spell-checking programs. Instead of having to go through huge books to get the assistance that you need, all it will take you now is just a click and so much time and effort can be saved. In short, a handy computer can be your all-in-one tool of the trade.
Among many things that a lot of writers may want to have beside them during the process of writing, the three items mentioned above are the modern generations best tools of trade to make the process a whole lot easier. These things do not only assist you in making work less stressful, but they also help you become more organized and even more creative.
What Are The Basic Rules Of Writing?
Certain Rules Apply To Every Written Word. What Are They And How To Incorporate Them Into The Book
There are a lot of rules in writing and in creating a book. Some rules may apply to every written word, while others may be applicable to the general composition. Either way, these rules are important to incorporate into your writing in order to capture an audience and to give the right message that you want to get across to your readers. Here are a few examples of these basic rules of writing that can certainly help you out in your work.
Use An Active Voice
When writing, always make use of an active voice whenever possible. In this way, you are connoting that the subject is performing the verb. This is much more preferable for most instances as compared to a passive voice because using a passive tone would make readers think backwards and could even leave them wondering who exactly is the doer of the action.
By using an active voice for most parts of your book, you would also be able to avoid dragging the story, which could of course only bore your readers. For example, instead of saying the ball was kicked by Roy it would be better to say, Roy hit the ball.
Use Concrete Instead of Vague Language
Always use specific and concrete words rather than vague and general words. Instead of saying apparent considerable monetary gains, you can much easily say a lot of money Not only are you saving yourself a lot of effort by writing this way, but you are also making it easier for your readers to understand your point immediately. Using vague descriptions and beating around the bush can lose the interest of your readers.
Always Properly Cite Your Sources
When taking something from the work of others, always remember to properly cite them in your book. Also try to paraphrase more instead of directly quoting from your original sources. These not only make you ethical by not plagiarizing, but they may also allow your readers to see that you have done your proper research, thus making you sound a lot more convincing.
Remember Your Subject-Verb Agreement
Always remember to make your subject and verb agree with each other, and not with a word that comes in between them. If your subject is singular, then make sure that the verb you use in your sentence is also singular. For example, it is correct to say, Janice like her brothers has been going to school there, instead of Janice like her brothers have been gong to school there.
Omit Unnecessary Words
In the example sentence, I would like to exclaim that I truly consider her as quite an incomprehensible idiot we can see that there are a lot of unnecessary words that do not only tire the reader but also make the sentence more difficult to comprehend. By saying, I think that she is an idiot, you can make your readers understand what you are trying to say better instead of making things complicated for them.
Properly Arrange Where You Place Pronouns or Appositives
Make sure that a pronoun or an appositive is arranged properly in your sentences and that they refer clearly to the right subject. For example, instead of saying, Its mouth filled with dog food, Lorena picked the puppy from the basket, it would be more appropriate to say, Lorena picked the puppy, its mouth filled with dog food, from the basket. In this way, your readers would not get confused on who your subject is with the descriptions you have provided.
All of these rules stated above are just some of the most basic things. But despite this, many people still forget these rules when it comes to writing. Remember that since you are striving to write a book, then you must appeal to a group of readers and getting your message across clearly is very vital and so, you must always stick with what is right.
These rules are simple. Some of them apply to specific individual words, while some of them may apply to your sentence construction, but nonetheless, they are quite easy to integrate into the flow of your book. These not only pave way to making it easier for you to get your message across and have your readers understand better, but these can also help in captivating interest. Thus, if you plan to pursue the creation of your book, make sure to never forget these basic rules in writing.
There are a lot of rules in writing and in creating a book. Some rules may apply to every written word, while others may be applicable to the general composition. Either way, these rules are important to incorporate into your writing in order to capture an audience and to give the right message that you want to get across to your readers. Here are a few examples of these basic rules of writing that can certainly help you out in your work.
Use An Active Voice
When writing, always make use of an active voice whenever possible. In this way, you are connoting that the subject is performing the verb. This is much more preferable for most instances as compared to a passive voice because using a passive tone would make readers think backwards and could even leave them wondering who exactly is the doer of the action.
By using an active voice for most parts of your book, you would also be able to avoid dragging the story, which could of course only bore your readers. For example, instead of saying the ball was kicked by Roy it would be better to say, Roy hit the ball.
Use Concrete Instead of Vague Language
Always use specific and concrete words rather than vague and general words. Instead of saying apparent considerable monetary gains, you can much easily say a lot of money Not only are you saving yourself a lot of effort by writing this way, but you are also making it easier for your readers to understand your point immediately. Using vague descriptions and beating around the bush can lose the interest of your readers.
Always Properly Cite Your Sources
When taking something from the work of others, always remember to properly cite them in your book. Also try to paraphrase more instead of directly quoting from your original sources. These not only make you ethical by not plagiarizing, but they may also allow your readers to see that you have done your proper research, thus making you sound a lot more convincing.
Remember Your Subject-Verb Agreement
Always remember to make your subject and verb agree with each other, and not with a word that comes in between them. If your subject is singular, then make sure that the verb you use in your sentence is also singular. For example, it is correct to say, Janice like her brothers has been going to school there, instead of Janice like her brothers have been gong to school there.
Omit Unnecessary Words
In the example sentence, I would like to exclaim that I truly consider her as quite an incomprehensible idiot we can see that there are a lot of unnecessary words that do not only tire the reader but also make the sentence more difficult to comprehend. By saying, I think that she is an idiot, you can make your readers understand what you are trying to say better instead of making things complicated for them.
Properly Arrange Where You Place Pronouns or Appositives
Make sure that a pronoun or an appositive is arranged properly in your sentences and that they refer clearly to the right subject. For example, instead of saying, Its mouth filled with dog food, Lorena picked the puppy from the basket, it would be more appropriate to say, Lorena picked the puppy, its mouth filled with dog food, from the basket. In this way, your readers would not get confused on who your subject is with the descriptions you have provided.
All of these rules stated above are just some of the most basic things. But despite this, many people still forget these rules when it comes to writing. Remember that since you are striving to write a book, then you must appeal to a group of readers and getting your message across clearly is very vital and so, you must always stick with what is right.
These rules are simple. Some of them apply to specific individual words, while some of them may apply to your sentence construction, but nonetheless, they are quite easy to integrate into the flow of your book. These not only pave way to making it easier for you to get your message across and have your readers understand better, but these can also help in captivating interest. Thus, if you plan to pursue the creation of your book, make sure to never forget these basic rules in writing.
Explaining The Plot, Story And Characters
In writing a memoir or non-fiction, many writers often commit common mistakes when it comes to building their stories. Especially when it comes to plot development and character growth, it is not rare for many to miss out on hitting that right balance between very important plot elements and the qualities of characters.
The characters emotional development, the dramatic action as well as the thematic significance are the three fundamentals that need to be given the right balance for any story to become interesting. If one of these is given more emphasis over the other, chances are, your story might become overdeveloped or the plot may become a bit boring.
The Beginning
The beginning of the story is the time wherein you should establish elements like the setting, the mystery, and the love interest if there is one.
This is basically where you must first introduce your character and give a preview on his or her emotional development throughout the story. During this time, the protagonists loves and hates, dreams and aspirations, as well as strengths and weaknesses must all be introduced. Through this, your readers can get to know who the protagonist is and take on with the changes that would take place in later chapters.
The dramatic question is another very important element that must be established in these earlier chapters. As a writer, you must create a central desire to entice readers to look for answers as they go through the story. The end of course will determine the answers for this dramatic question and whether or not the desire will be resolved.
The Middle
In the middle part, the plot must develop a deeper involvement and a much more emotional development from its characters. This is the time wherein the protagonist must face adversity, brought about by an antagonist, in order to reveal what type of character he or she has.
There may be different types of antagonists that you as a writer can explore. These may include other people, nature, society, a certain belief system and even the protagonists own self. An antagonist will be responsible to create conflict in the story and your story's hero will have to react to try and resolve the tension.
During this part of the story, it is important for your readers to feel the suspense and drama. While conflict places your main character under pressure, this paves way for your plot to introduce morals and thematic significance from your story. Through your main characters way of acting towards tension, he or she will set an example on how each action will have an equal reaction.
The End
The last part of the story will be your chance to resolve all conflicts and to show to your readers the consequences of everything that has conspired within your plot. A clear change and emotional development must be evident on each of your characters, especially on your protagonist. After all, this is where you show how your character has been transformed by the adversities that he or she has faced in the middle chapters.
During this part, the dramatic question, above all, must be answered. The central desire that you have introduced in the beginning of your story must be fulfilled by giving a resolution to all the events and mysteries that has come up within the flow of the story. And through answers, a clear thematic significance must be evident to teach readers certain morals.
It is up to you whether you want to leave your readers hanging so they could theoretically create their own ending, or paint a perfect resolution for them. But whatever style you choose, it is important that your readers will have a sense of fulfillment in the end, and of course they must be able to learn something from your chosen theme.
The basic key to explaining your plot, story and characters for your book to become relatable to your readers, is to never forget to strike that balance between the elements. Make sure that you balance the growth of your characters as well as the action going on in your plot. And make sure that such dramatic action must be able to transform your characters depth as your story progresses.
Make sure to keep your story flow organized and don't forget to place much emphasis on the three major elements the characters emotional development, the dramatic action, and the thematic significance. By doing so and keeping your plot progressive and growing, you will be sure to keep your readers interest on your masterpiece.
The characters emotional development, the dramatic action as well as the thematic significance are the three fundamentals that need to be given the right balance for any story to become interesting. If one of these is given more emphasis over the other, chances are, your story might become overdeveloped or the plot may become a bit boring.
The Beginning
The beginning of the story is the time wherein you should establish elements like the setting, the mystery, and the love interest if there is one.
This is basically where you must first introduce your character and give a preview on his or her emotional development throughout the story. During this time, the protagonists loves and hates, dreams and aspirations, as well as strengths and weaknesses must all be introduced. Through this, your readers can get to know who the protagonist is and take on with the changes that would take place in later chapters.
The dramatic question is another very important element that must be established in these earlier chapters. As a writer, you must create a central desire to entice readers to look for answers as they go through the story. The end of course will determine the answers for this dramatic question and whether or not the desire will be resolved.
The Middle
In the middle part, the plot must develop a deeper involvement and a much more emotional development from its characters. This is the time wherein the protagonist must face adversity, brought about by an antagonist, in order to reveal what type of character he or she has.
There may be different types of antagonists that you as a writer can explore. These may include other people, nature, society, a certain belief system and even the protagonists own self. An antagonist will be responsible to create conflict in the story and your story's hero will have to react to try and resolve the tension.
During this part of the story, it is important for your readers to feel the suspense and drama. While conflict places your main character under pressure, this paves way for your plot to introduce morals and thematic significance from your story. Through your main characters way of acting towards tension, he or she will set an example on how each action will have an equal reaction.
The End
The last part of the story will be your chance to resolve all conflicts and to show to your readers the consequences of everything that has conspired within your plot. A clear change and emotional development must be evident on each of your characters, especially on your protagonist. After all, this is where you show how your character has been transformed by the adversities that he or she has faced in the middle chapters.
During this part, the dramatic question, above all, must be answered. The central desire that you have introduced in the beginning of your story must be fulfilled by giving a resolution to all the events and mysteries that has come up within the flow of the story. And through answers, a clear thematic significance must be evident to teach readers certain morals.
It is up to you whether you want to leave your readers hanging so they could theoretically create their own ending, or paint a perfect resolution for them. But whatever style you choose, it is important that your readers will have a sense of fulfillment in the end, and of course they must be able to learn something from your chosen theme.
The basic key to explaining your plot, story and characters for your book to become relatable to your readers, is to never forget to strike that balance between the elements. Make sure that you balance the growth of your characters as well as the action going on in your plot. And make sure that such dramatic action must be able to transform your characters depth as your story progresses.
Make sure to keep your story flow organized and don't forget to place much emphasis on the three major elements the characters emotional development, the dramatic action, and the thematic significance. By doing so and keeping your plot progressive and growing, you will be sure to keep your readers interest on your masterpiece.
Inspiration, The Idea: Developing The Creation
Most writers would agree that before being able to start writing, inspiration will always be necessary. Through the right insight and ideas, you can easily paint that perfect picture of words that could touch others.
However, it is not uncommon for many to have to deal with writers block at some point in the writing process. In fact, finding inspiration may be a stumbling block that most writers have to rise above time and time again.
Nevertheless, what we should know is that inspiration can actually be found everywhere around us. And if you are keen to note how to use such elements into your writing then you might just find it easier to developing that perfect creation.
Using Your Personal Experience
One very common trend among many famous authors, which can be useful for you, is the influence that their personal lives have on their work. After all, the human experience has been a classic source of fascination. And take note that writing about your own experiences gives you a material that you truly know best.
Start off by day-to-day events that affect you or wherein you may have learned something whether it may be a chance meeting with someone, or a life-altering event that has impacted some significant changes in you. If something has been interesting enough to become unforgettable for you, chances are it may appeal to other people as well.
Also try delving into your personal history. Think about childhood memories that have stood out in your mind and have influenced you in your life. Recall some instances wherein you have experienced extreme emotions like joy, sorrow or anger. These can help you create a focus on writing about human emotions and you can make use of the details in your experience as well to relate it into the formulation of characters or into your writing.
Using The Viewpoint Of Others
Another common source of inspiration can still be found through human experience, but this time, through a second person point of view. A lot of times, the lives and even conversations of other people may be very inspirational. Paying attention to the people around you by taking note of their behavior or even accidentally hearing an interesting conversation may help you create a foundation for your story.
Instilling something you have learned from someone else's point of view may also be helpful insight. You may never know when you will bump into someone intellectual who can give you many philosophies to ponder on or to write about. Jot down ideas that you get from other people in your writing notebook and maybe you can use these in your book.
By taking the personality of others as an idea to shape characters and content in your work, then this can perhaps help add to its humanity. Through this, you are shaping your book to become relatable to many different personalities who may read your work.
Adapt Stories That Capture Your Interest
The news, different cultures, myths and even fairy tales are examples of stories that may trigger your imagination. These stories can be great sources for you to build your work around.
An even growing trend today among fiction writers is using myths and fairytales and trying to adapt them into a contemporary set up, which helps them, become relatable to the modern world. If you are trying to write fiction, then adding a twist or two on the original story can make it original and interesting for many people who have read the same old adaptation time and again.
You can take the insights and philosophies that you acquire from things you've read, and use it to create your own masterpiece. This is called creating art from art, and many brilliant personalities have been doing this in developing their work. And this is also why it is very useful if you are a wide reader or if you often listen to the news. You may never know when you can stumble upon something that can trigger your interest.
There are really many different ways to find inspiration, in fact, ideas can be floating everywhere around you right at this very moment. Sometimes, even the simplest things like nature, an unusual experience from your life, an accidentally overheard conversation from people or even a favorite fairytale from childhood can create that spark to give you a gazillion ideas.
Inspiration can truly be found everyday and everywhere, and so, if you feel that you are experiencing writers block at the moment, just remember to clear your mind. Take your time to relax and be keen on anything that may create that special spark in your mind. You may never know when that next big idea just might hit you.
However, it is not uncommon for many to have to deal with writers block at some point in the writing process. In fact, finding inspiration may be a stumbling block that most writers have to rise above time and time again.
Nevertheless, what we should know is that inspiration can actually be found everywhere around us. And if you are keen to note how to use such elements into your writing then you might just find it easier to developing that perfect creation.
Using Your Personal Experience
One very common trend among many famous authors, which can be useful for you, is the influence that their personal lives have on their work. After all, the human experience has been a classic source of fascination. And take note that writing about your own experiences gives you a material that you truly know best.
Start off by day-to-day events that affect you or wherein you may have learned something whether it may be a chance meeting with someone, or a life-altering event that has impacted some significant changes in you. If something has been interesting enough to become unforgettable for you, chances are it may appeal to other people as well.
Also try delving into your personal history. Think about childhood memories that have stood out in your mind and have influenced you in your life. Recall some instances wherein you have experienced extreme emotions like joy, sorrow or anger. These can help you create a focus on writing about human emotions and you can make use of the details in your experience as well to relate it into the formulation of characters or into your writing.
Using The Viewpoint Of Others
Another common source of inspiration can still be found through human experience, but this time, through a second person point of view. A lot of times, the lives and even conversations of other people may be very inspirational. Paying attention to the people around you by taking note of their behavior or even accidentally hearing an interesting conversation may help you create a foundation for your story.
Instilling something you have learned from someone else's point of view may also be helpful insight. You may never know when you will bump into someone intellectual who can give you many philosophies to ponder on or to write about. Jot down ideas that you get from other people in your writing notebook and maybe you can use these in your book.
By taking the personality of others as an idea to shape characters and content in your work, then this can perhaps help add to its humanity. Through this, you are shaping your book to become relatable to many different personalities who may read your work.
Adapt Stories That Capture Your Interest
The news, different cultures, myths and even fairy tales are examples of stories that may trigger your imagination. These stories can be great sources for you to build your work around.
An even growing trend today among fiction writers is using myths and fairytales and trying to adapt them into a contemporary set up, which helps them, become relatable to the modern world. If you are trying to write fiction, then adding a twist or two on the original story can make it original and interesting for many people who have read the same old adaptation time and again.
You can take the insights and philosophies that you acquire from things you've read, and use it to create your own masterpiece. This is called creating art from art, and many brilliant personalities have been doing this in developing their work. And this is also why it is very useful if you are a wide reader or if you often listen to the news. You may never know when you can stumble upon something that can trigger your interest.
There are really many different ways to find inspiration, in fact, ideas can be floating everywhere around you right at this very moment. Sometimes, even the simplest things like nature, an unusual experience from your life, an accidentally overheard conversation from people or even a favorite fairytale from childhood can create that spark to give you a gazillion ideas.
Inspiration can truly be found everyday and everywhere, and so, if you feel that you are experiencing writers block at the moment, just remember to clear your mind. Take your time to relax and be keen on anything that may create that special spark in your mind. You may never know when that next big idea just might hit you.
The Principles of Editing
Book editing can be a grueling process, and if you are not used to doing critiques on your own work, you may end up passing through errors without even realizing to do the necessary corrections. However, because editing is very important for you to be able to come up with quality work that is worth showing to people, learning the basic principles on how to organize and condense your manuscript the right way can surely save the reputation of your masterpiece in many ways.
As Much As Possible, Be Concise
One common mistake that a lot of writers often commit is beating around the bush. Many may often include a lot of unnecessary content in their work without even realizing that they are doing this. And so, in editing your own work, make sure that you eliminate as much clutter as you can.
Clutter may often appear in your work through the useless and repetitive use of words in the same sentences. For example, when saying the statement, the hasty brisk way that she talks we may get the impression that the words included may add drama, but upon close analysis, the words hasty and brisk actually mean the same thing.
Vary The Structure Of Your Sentences
Aside from the fact that it may make you sound like a first grader, always writing your sentences by beginning it with the main subject and then followed by the verb, your readers might find your writing style dull and choppy. Another principle of editing that you must learn is to vary the structure of your sentences.
For example, saying, because I ate too much, I gained a lot of weight sounds so much better than saying, I ate too much. I gained a lot of weight The first phrase does not only sound better and less monotonous, but it is also easier to understand.
Varying the length and structure of your sentences, a smoother and more conversational tone, instead of sounding as if you have just learned how to write and speak in the English language. Thus, your readers can relate to your piece more and understand it better.
As Much As Possible, Make Use Of An Active Voice
By replacing to be verbs with active verbs, you can change your statement from a passive voice into an active one. For example, it would be much better to say, Anna ate the apple rather than the apple was eaten by Anna In this way, you can avoid leading your readers to become confused on who the doer of the action is in your statements.
The use of an active voice in writing is another principle that you must keep in mind when you edit. This helps keep the interest of your readers because unlike a passive tone of writing, it does not drag your point. Therefore with this, you are actually preventing the chance of boring your readers.
Clarity, Cohesion And Coherence
The three C's in writing, otherwise known as clarity, cohesion and coherence can also serve as very useful tools when it comes to editing your work. Remember that for your book to truly speak out to readers, you must be able to evoke a response that people can see what you are trying to say. And this can of course, be achieved by making sure that your words are clear, connected and coherent.
For your work to become clear, avoid using a lot of jargon or unnecessary words that may only contribute to confusion. As mentioned previously, keeping your book as concise and as simple as possible will be the best way to make sure that people can easily get your point better.
In editing, make sure that sentences and paragraphs clearly stick together One trick for this is by using transitional words and phrases like therefore, or and so. These can show the relationship between your phrases and could help you get a clear point across instead of a choppy run-in composition.
And lastly, in order to achieve coherence, you must follow such basic principles of writing and editing as the ones mentioned above. Sometimes, it may not be your entire fault as the writer or editor if your readers don't fully understand your work as a lot of factors can affect this. However, you can surely make things easier for your readers by using correct grammar and being cohesive and direct to the point with your approach on writing.
To assure that you are passing out quality work to the public, editing is an essential process. Although it may be quite taxing at first, especially if you are not used to finding errors in your own work, as long as you take in mind the basic principles, then you will later on see how this process will not only help you to make the best out of what you have done, but this can even help you improve your writing style in so many ways.
As Much As Possible, Be Concise
One common mistake that a lot of writers often commit is beating around the bush. Many may often include a lot of unnecessary content in their work without even realizing that they are doing this. And so, in editing your own work, make sure that you eliminate as much clutter as you can.
Clutter may often appear in your work through the useless and repetitive use of words in the same sentences. For example, when saying the statement, the hasty brisk way that she talks we may get the impression that the words included may add drama, but upon close analysis, the words hasty and brisk actually mean the same thing.
Vary The Structure Of Your Sentences
Aside from the fact that it may make you sound like a first grader, always writing your sentences by beginning it with the main subject and then followed by the verb, your readers might find your writing style dull and choppy. Another principle of editing that you must learn is to vary the structure of your sentences.
For example, saying, because I ate too much, I gained a lot of weight sounds so much better than saying, I ate too much. I gained a lot of weight The first phrase does not only sound better and less monotonous, but it is also easier to understand.
Varying the length and structure of your sentences, a smoother and more conversational tone, instead of sounding as if you have just learned how to write and speak in the English language. Thus, your readers can relate to your piece more and understand it better.
As Much As Possible, Make Use Of An Active Voice
By replacing to be verbs with active verbs, you can change your statement from a passive voice into an active one. For example, it would be much better to say, Anna ate the apple rather than the apple was eaten by Anna In this way, you can avoid leading your readers to become confused on who the doer of the action is in your statements.
The use of an active voice in writing is another principle that you must keep in mind when you edit. This helps keep the interest of your readers because unlike a passive tone of writing, it does not drag your point. Therefore with this, you are actually preventing the chance of boring your readers.
Clarity, Cohesion And Coherence
The three C's in writing, otherwise known as clarity, cohesion and coherence can also serve as very useful tools when it comes to editing your work. Remember that for your book to truly speak out to readers, you must be able to evoke a response that people can see what you are trying to say. And this can of course, be achieved by making sure that your words are clear, connected and coherent.
For your work to become clear, avoid using a lot of jargon or unnecessary words that may only contribute to confusion. As mentioned previously, keeping your book as concise and as simple as possible will be the best way to make sure that people can easily get your point better.
In editing, make sure that sentences and paragraphs clearly stick together One trick for this is by using transitional words and phrases like therefore, or and so. These can show the relationship between your phrases and could help you get a clear point across instead of a choppy run-in composition.
And lastly, in order to achieve coherence, you must follow such basic principles of writing and editing as the ones mentioned above. Sometimes, it may not be your entire fault as the writer or editor if your readers don't fully understand your work as a lot of factors can affect this. However, you can surely make things easier for your readers by using correct grammar and being cohesive and direct to the point with your approach on writing.
To assure that you are passing out quality work to the public, editing is an essential process. Although it may be quite taxing at first, especially if you are not used to finding errors in your own work, as long as you take in mind the basic principles, then you will later on see how this process will not only help you to make the best out of what you have done, but this can even help you improve your writing style in so many ways.
Research - Where To Go And How To Research
Gathering the elements that help make your book become relevant and believable can be straining for anyone. Often times, you may find yourself confused on how to conduct your investigation. But this phase in writing is actually very essential for your book to become believable and actually more original.
However, as long as you know where to start and as long as you have a clear idea on what you want to achieve with your work, then this would not be much of a problem. Here are a few basic steps that you can follow in doing research for your writing masterpiece.
Identify Your Topic And Develop It
The very first step before you conduct your research is to identify your topic and what certain goals you want to derive from writing about it. Develop it by stating it as a question. Through this, you would be on a clear tract on what particular dilemma you want answered and what facts will give you the proper replies until you reach the end of your investigative phase.
For example, if your topic of choice in your book is about love, then identify questions on what particular aspects about love you want to delve into. In this way, you are given a guide and a clear flow on how you want your story to go. This is a very good step to help you organize thoughts.
Find Basic Background Information
Establish the very basic information that you need to know about your topic. Search for keywords and do preliminary reading in encyclopedias and dictionaries that help you know what it is. In this phase, concentrate on general information as the very basics, so that later on, you would be guided on what other related information you should actually search about it.
Research On Current Studies And Exhaust Your Sources
After you have studied about your topics general information, this is the time wherein you can expand to the specific details about the theme. This may include exhausting many types of sources including informative published articles and even current or up to date studies that may present you with statistics and the latest findings.
Make sure that you exhaust all your sources to know as much as you can about your topic. You can even use the Internet or popular magazines to know about how your issue is affected by pop culture. This may even also include having to ask other people of their opinions on the issues that you are trying to touch. These can give you many ideas and insights that may prove to be very useful to your work.
Just make sure that you are still guided in doing your research according what questions you have developed in the preliminary stages of your research process. And make sure to always go back to the root issue, and do not deviate too much from the topic.
And also, keep in mind that not all the information you gather may be directly used as sources for you book, however many types of information that you can gather can still be very useful to give you ideas on what to write.
Evaluate The Information
Before you close your research, it is very important to evaluate the things you have discovered about your topic. Make sure that you synthesize and separate what pieces of information can truly be useful for your book and those which can be too trivial.
Also make sure that you properly classify your types of information and which sources they come from. Although you may get ideas from magazines and newspapers, they aren't usually used for academic purposes. And most especially, you cannot copy Internet information as they can make your book look very superficial and lacking in research. Use pieces of information that you have gathered from these sources as back-up notes that could contribute ideas to you.
Make sure that you identify and include facts and pieces of information that are most vivid and could help you sound convincing with your writing. And if you need to copy a certain idea from another published writer, never forget to places sources on your quotations.
These are simple steps that can guide you to have an organized research. Remember that conducting the proper investigation to collect facts and bits of information will be very essential for your book to truly speak out with a convincing voice and particularly one that is well backed-up with facts.
Doing research may be draining and confusing at first, but once you have created a good plan for your subject and finished collecting the information that you need, you will surely see how your hard work on doing research has been worth. After all, your research may just perhaps become the defining factor whether your work will convince people or not.
However, as long as you know where to start and as long as you have a clear idea on what you want to achieve with your work, then this would not be much of a problem. Here are a few basic steps that you can follow in doing research for your writing masterpiece.
Identify Your Topic And Develop It
The very first step before you conduct your research is to identify your topic and what certain goals you want to derive from writing about it. Develop it by stating it as a question. Through this, you would be on a clear tract on what particular dilemma you want answered and what facts will give you the proper replies until you reach the end of your investigative phase.
For example, if your topic of choice in your book is about love, then identify questions on what particular aspects about love you want to delve into. In this way, you are given a guide and a clear flow on how you want your story to go. This is a very good step to help you organize thoughts.
Find Basic Background Information
Establish the very basic information that you need to know about your topic. Search for keywords and do preliminary reading in encyclopedias and dictionaries that help you know what it is. In this phase, concentrate on general information as the very basics, so that later on, you would be guided on what other related information you should actually search about it.
Research On Current Studies And Exhaust Your Sources
After you have studied about your topics general information, this is the time wherein you can expand to the specific details about the theme. This may include exhausting many types of sources including informative published articles and even current or up to date studies that may present you with statistics and the latest findings.
Make sure that you exhaust all your sources to know as much as you can about your topic. You can even use the Internet or popular magazines to know about how your issue is affected by pop culture. This may even also include having to ask other people of their opinions on the issues that you are trying to touch. These can give you many ideas and insights that may prove to be very useful to your work.
Just make sure that you are still guided in doing your research according what questions you have developed in the preliminary stages of your research process. And make sure to always go back to the root issue, and do not deviate too much from the topic.
And also, keep in mind that not all the information you gather may be directly used as sources for you book, however many types of information that you can gather can still be very useful to give you ideas on what to write.
Evaluate The Information
Before you close your research, it is very important to evaluate the things you have discovered about your topic. Make sure that you synthesize and separate what pieces of information can truly be useful for your book and those which can be too trivial.
Also make sure that you properly classify your types of information and which sources they come from. Although you may get ideas from magazines and newspapers, they aren't usually used for academic purposes. And most especially, you cannot copy Internet information as they can make your book look very superficial and lacking in research. Use pieces of information that you have gathered from these sources as back-up notes that could contribute ideas to you.
Make sure that you identify and include facts and pieces of information that are most vivid and could help you sound convincing with your writing. And if you need to copy a certain idea from another published writer, never forget to places sources on your quotations.
These are simple steps that can guide you to have an organized research. Remember that conducting the proper investigation to collect facts and bits of information will be very essential for your book to truly speak out with a convincing voice and particularly one that is well backed-up with facts.
Doing research may be draining and confusing at first, but once you have created a good plan for your subject and finished collecting the information that you need, you will surely see how your hard work on doing research has been worth. After all, your research may just perhaps become the defining factor whether your work will convince people or not.
How To Prepare A Presentation
The whole process in writing your book may be demanding on your creativity, but the toll of having to present your book and talk about it in front of publishers can rattle just about anyone.
Let's face it, not everyone is a gifted public speaker. And so, for a writer who is determined to have your book reach the hands and eyes of many, how do you prepare for a book presentation? By following a few of these easy steps, you might just be able to take control of all those nerves and stand up confident and proud of your masterpiece.
Prepare Key Talking Points
By familiar yourself with the very important points that you need to talk about in your presentation, you can be guided not to stray away from your goals. After all, most people cannot help but blabber about irrelevant things when they are nervous. And in order to project confidence in your work, you would certainly not want to do this in front of your panel.
Since you want to market your book, make sure that you centrally talk about it. Mention how it is relatable and how it can reach out to an audience. Also do not forget to discuss its central theme and significance to modern times. Market all the key elements that are important to know about your prose and make sure that whatever conversations conspire within the presentation will always go back to the main topic, and that is your book.
Write A Script, But Do Not Memorize
To be sure that you are familiar with the things that you want to say in your presentation, writing a script can be very helpful. Preparing the things that you want to say will allow you to prepare your words in the way you want. At the same time, this also gives you a point of reference from which you can practice and even improve things.
Preparing scripts can, however, endanger you to face what they call mental block But this is exactly why familiarizing as compared to memorizing is highly advisable. In this way, you can still keep a clear track of all the things that you want to mention, but you do not necessarily have to become distracted in case you forget a few things in your speech.
Adopt Your Own Style Of Delivery
In speaking out in public, it may be normal for you to feel nervous. It would help you a lot if you find a style that works for you.
Some people are comfortable speaking in a very enthusiastic tone, while others sound better when they use a calmer tone. Choose whatever you are most comfortable with, or you can even try to strike a balance between the two. The more relaxed you are with the way you speak, then the more confident you can become in delivering your message.
Practice Makes Perfect
As the clich‚ goes, practice always makes perfect, and in this case, it may just help you out. Despite how awkward presentations may feel, especially if you are not used to speaking out in public, things will always seem much easier when you have had adequate practice.
Practicing the flow of your presentation does not always help you to familiarize yourself with all the things that you want to say, but this also gives you enough time to get used to the feeling of doing your speech.
Practicing your speech in front of people or in the presence of distractions can also be helpful. Getting used to having these elements present during your presentation will prepare you to what may actually happen.
Find Your Comfort Zone And Be Confident With Your Work
Remember that the more comfortable you feel during your presentation, the more confidence you will radiate. And so, the most important thing you should do to prepare is just to relax and do whatever makes you comfortable.
After all, the publishers would certainly be able to connect with you more when you are at ease during your delivery. And always take in mind that the degree of confidence that you project and how much you seem to believe in your book will be a defining factor whether or not the panel can trust you to publish your work. Thus, building up your confidence to prepare for your presentation is the most important step of all.
Presenting your book to a panel may be nerve wracking, but this is a big step that you have to take if you want your work to reach an audience. As long as you are properly prepared for your presentation and as long as you truly believe that your book would be able to touch many people, then proving this to a panel wouldn't be as hard as you think. Just remember to follow these simple steps and remain confident.
Let's face it, not everyone is a gifted public speaker. And so, for a writer who is determined to have your book reach the hands and eyes of many, how do you prepare for a book presentation? By following a few of these easy steps, you might just be able to take control of all those nerves and stand up confident and proud of your masterpiece.
Prepare Key Talking Points
By familiar yourself with the very important points that you need to talk about in your presentation, you can be guided not to stray away from your goals. After all, most people cannot help but blabber about irrelevant things when they are nervous. And in order to project confidence in your work, you would certainly not want to do this in front of your panel.
Since you want to market your book, make sure that you centrally talk about it. Mention how it is relatable and how it can reach out to an audience. Also do not forget to discuss its central theme and significance to modern times. Market all the key elements that are important to know about your prose and make sure that whatever conversations conspire within the presentation will always go back to the main topic, and that is your book.
Write A Script, But Do Not Memorize
To be sure that you are familiar with the things that you want to say in your presentation, writing a script can be very helpful. Preparing the things that you want to say will allow you to prepare your words in the way you want. At the same time, this also gives you a point of reference from which you can practice and even improve things.
Preparing scripts can, however, endanger you to face what they call mental block But this is exactly why familiarizing as compared to memorizing is highly advisable. In this way, you can still keep a clear track of all the things that you want to mention, but you do not necessarily have to become distracted in case you forget a few things in your speech.
Adopt Your Own Style Of Delivery
In speaking out in public, it may be normal for you to feel nervous. It would help you a lot if you find a style that works for you.
Some people are comfortable speaking in a very enthusiastic tone, while others sound better when they use a calmer tone. Choose whatever you are most comfortable with, or you can even try to strike a balance between the two. The more relaxed you are with the way you speak, then the more confident you can become in delivering your message.
Practice Makes Perfect
As the clich‚ goes, practice always makes perfect, and in this case, it may just help you out. Despite how awkward presentations may feel, especially if you are not used to speaking out in public, things will always seem much easier when you have had adequate practice.
Practicing the flow of your presentation does not always help you to familiarize yourself with all the things that you want to say, but this also gives you enough time to get used to the feeling of doing your speech.
Practicing your speech in front of people or in the presence of distractions can also be helpful. Getting used to having these elements present during your presentation will prepare you to what may actually happen.
Find Your Comfort Zone And Be Confident With Your Work
Remember that the more comfortable you feel during your presentation, the more confidence you will radiate. And so, the most important thing you should do to prepare is just to relax and do whatever makes you comfortable.
After all, the publishers would certainly be able to connect with you more when you are at ease during your delivery. And always take in mind that the degree of confidence that you project and how much you seem to believe in your book will be a defining factor whether or not the panel can trust you to publish your work. Thus, building up your confidence to prepare for your presentation is the most important step of all.
Presenting your book to a panel may be nerve wracking, but this is a big step that you have to take if you want your work to reach an audience. As long as you are properly prepared for your presentation and as long as you truly believe that your book would be able to touch many people, then proving this to a panel wouldn't be as hard as you think. Just remember to follow these simple steps and remain confident.
Defining A Publishing Agreement
A publishing agreement is a document or contract that a writer signs with a publishing firm before their work can be put into print and distributed in different media. Getting such a contract is probably on every writers wish list.
However, not all clauses included in such contracts may always work out to your advantage as a writer. Keep in mind that you cannot just rely all the decision-making to your agent, especially if you are placing your own rights at stake. And so, being aware of the content of your publishing agreement would be a wise move to make sure that you remain in control with your endeavors.
Rights
The first thing that you must look for in your contract is what rights are left for you. Make sure that you examine the clauses closely instead of merely skimming through them. And if you have any doubts, do not hesitate to consult a lawyer or even your agent or publisher.
Standard publishing agreements usually provide that the author assigns or licenses all printing rights to the publisher. Subsidiary rights such as foreign sales, book clubs, film, audio, and so on are also usually included. Except for the rights to printing, all of these can be negotiable, that is if you are good at bargaining.
It would be wise for you to try and retain as many secondary rights as you possibly can. After all, you never know when you'll get a better deal for such markets as film and foreign sales that is independent of your publishing firm. And if you are able to retain such subsidiary rights, you might be able to gain more from this.
Royalties
Of course, royalties is another very essential segment to examine in your contract, especially if you plan to make a living out of your art. Remember that this is always a negotiable clause.
The rate of your royalties will basically be sliding and will depend whether your book is hardcover, paperback or trade paperback. The type of books nonfiction, fiction or professional textbooks- will also be vital to determine the prices and percentages for royalties.
It is also important to understand the implications of the different formulas for pricing (retail price, invoice price or net receipts) for you to be able to understand proposed royalty rates. If the publisher retains subsidiary rights, all net receipts should be split equally with you, as the author.
And again, at this point, never hesitate to consult an expert if you are confused. Do not rely too much on the generosity of the publisher as well, and always be wise in dealing with the financial aspects of your transactions.
Compensations And Warranties
These types of clauses in your contract may often be very legal-heavy. In fact, many authors, agents and editors may not always have a full grasp of what is included in them.
What these paragraphs actually state the respective responsibilities of each of the parties concerned in such events wherein claims may be made against the book, such as defamation, invasion of privacy or copyright infringement.
Aside from the publishers lawyers, it is important to have your own legal council to go over the terms and conditions covered in these clauses. Have your contract carefully examined and make sure that your interests are given much importance.
Option Clauses
Some clauses in your contract may give the publisher rights to either make an offer or even buy your next book. It is best that you do not accept such option clauses. However, if you cannot remove such an option clause entirely, then negotiate to at least make sure that it would not impose real burden on you.
One way to negotiate such option clauses can be by setting up a limited period in which the publisher can bid on your next book, and by permitting you to sell the your work to other publishers if a higher offer is made.
Revisions And Updated Editions
Clauses on revisions and updating can only apply to nonfiction books. Make sure that your contract allows you to get a new contract and more money if revisions that have been made have become so extensive (as if your book has become an entirely new one). Also make sure that the clause places a cap on the quantity of revisions that can be made in a certain period of time.
Out Of Print Clauses
In the worst-case scenario, your book may not become successful under the management of your publisher and their firm may lose interest on it. But it is important that if ever this happens, you would be able to get the rights to your book, and have it republished.
Make sure that the out of print terms are reasonably defined. Ideally, when the book is no longer included in your publishers catalog, or has been withdrawn from major book chains, it may be considered out of print
Remember that you must be smart in dealing with the legal aspects of your publishing agreement. After all, this will become vital in determining how your career as a writer will go about. And never hesitate to ask for professional legal help when it comes to trying to understand your contracts content. You will see how this will benefit you and your best interests at hand.
However, not all clauses included in such contracts may always work out to your advantage as a writer. Keep in mind that you cannot just rely all the decision-making to your agent, especially if you are placing your own rights at stake. And so, being aware of the content of your publishing agreement would be a wise move to make sure that you remain in control with your endeavors.
Rights
The first thing that you must look for in your contract is what rights are left for you. Make sure that you examine the clauses closely instead of merely skimming through them. And if you have any doubts, do not hesitate to consult a lawyer or even your agent or publisher.
Standard publishing agreements usually provide that the author assigns or licenses all printing rights to the publisher. Subsidiary rights such as foreign sales, book clubs, film, audio, and so on are also usually included. Except for the rights to printing, all of these can be negotiable, that is if you are good at bargaining.
It would be wise for you to try and retain as many secondary rights as you possibly can. After all, you never know when you'll get a better deal for such markets as film and foreign sales that is independent of your publishing firm. And if you are able to retain such subsidiary rights, you might be able to gain more from this.
Royalties
Of course, royalties is another very essential segment to examine in your contract, especially if you plan to make a living out of your art. Remember that this is always a negotiable clause.
The rate of your royalties will basically be sliding and will depend whether your book is hardcover, paperback or trade paperback. The type of books nonfiction, fiction or professional textbooks- will also be vital to determine the prices and percentages for royalties.
It is also important to understand the implications of the different formulas for pricing (retail price, invoice price or net receipts) for you to be able to understand proposed royalty rates. If the publisher retains subsidiary rights, all net receipts should be split equally with you, as the author.
And again, at this point, never hesitate to consult an expert if you are confused. Do not rely too much on the generosity of the publisher as well, and always be wise in dealing with the financial aspects of your transactions.
Compensations And Warranties
These types of clauses in your contract may often be very legal-heavy. In fact, many authors, agents and editors may not always have a full grasp of what is included in them.
What these paragraphs actually state the respective responsibilities of each of the parties concerned in such events wherein claims may be made against the book, such as defamation, invasion of privacy or copyright infringement.
Aside from the publishers lawyers, it is important to have your own legal council to go over the terms and conditions covered in these clauses. Have your contract carefully examined and make sure that your interests are given much importance.
Option Clauses
Some clauses in your contract may give the publisher rights to either make an offer or even buy your next book. It is best that you do not accept such option clauses. However, if you cannot remove such an option clause entirely, then negotiate to at least make sure that it would not impose real burden on you.
One way to negotiate such option clauses can be by setting up a limited period in which the publisher can bid on your next book, and by permitting you to sell the your work to other publishers if a higher offer is made.
Revisions And Updated Editions
Clauses on revisions and updating can only apply to nonfiction books. Make sure that your contract allows you to get a new contract and more money if revisions that have been made have become so extensive (as if your book has become an entirely new one). Also make sure that the clause places a cap on the quantity of revisions that can be made in a certain period of time.
Out Of Print Clauses
In the worst-case scenario, your book may not become successful under the management of your publisher and their firm may lose interest on it. But it is important that if ever this happens, you would be able to get the rights to your book, and have it republished.
Make sure that the out of print terms are reasonably defined. Ideally, when the book is no longer included in your publishers catalog, or has been withdrawn from major book chains, it may be considered out of print
Remember that you must be smart in dealing with the legal aspects of your publishing agreement. After all, this will become vital in determining how your career as a writer will go about. And never hesitate to ask for professional legal help when it comes to trying to understand your contracts content. You will see how this will benefit you and your best interests at hand.
Finding The Right Publisher For Your Book
If you are a writer who wants to get your book printed and sold on the market, you may be aware by now that finding the right publisher who is fit to represent your work may not be as easy at it seems.
After all, getting a market guide and contacting an advertised publisher from there is not exactly the best way to find representation. In fact, people who may have had a lot of experience in this process will surely advise you on a much better way to find a publisher that will be right for you and your book. Here are three basic steps that you can follow to find the perfect publisher for your book.
Take A Look At Your Bookshelf
A very good place to start in looking for a publisher could be your very own bookshelf. If the genre of your work is fiction, then you probably have a good collection of this type of genre in your home. And so, take the time to look at those firms responsible for publishing your favorite books. After all, you most probably were inspired by these books, and there is a large chance your work may have a similar pattern from your favorite authors styles. And so, their publishers may find a similar liking to you.
You may also try to check books that have a similar or a related topic as the one discussed in your book. For example, if you are writing about the love for animals, there may already be established publishers who specialize in producing books on animals. In this way, you can hand your proposal to the right people who would give you the time of day instead of wasting your time on chasing after firms that will not even care to give your work a second glance.
Check Out What Is On The Market
After you have looked at your own book collection, the next step for you is to check on collections that are displayed in bookstores, libraries and all the other places that showcase books. Try to find the section where you think your book would most likely belong if it will be printed and sold.
The same principles would go as to looking at publishers responsible for books on your own bookshelf. You basically have to find books that tackle similar issues or have a common genre as what you are writing. You are more likely to find people who would be interested in representing your book this way.
Just make sure, that your work holds an edge over the works that have already been published. After all, you will have to convince people later on how your book is different from those that are already out on the market and why people should prefer to buy it this time.
Assess And Choose The Best Publishers
For the third and last step, you must now choose a few of the best publishers, among all those that you have found in looking through various books. In choosing your top choices, make sure that you evaluate the publishers first with regards to the books that they have already published.
First, check if the books that they have published have appealing covers, a good layout and generally have a pleasing aesthetic package. This may be a defining factor for people to actually buy your book. Try to see if the book covers are attractive enough to make you want to pick them up and read them. Also take the time to feel the quality of the paper and printing. You would certainly want to be proud of how your book would be packaged.
Another thing to check is whether the publishers have helped produce interesting books with deep and relevant topics. Try to find publishers that have produced books that have similar depth when it comes to content as your own book. And make sure that they have produced interesting works that sell to people. After all, you would not want your own work to be classified as one of those flops that have disappointed readers.
And, lastly, do not forget to check how these publishers have marketed their previous books and how they compensate writers. If a publishing firm has helped many books to gain a good selling record, then you are more likely to receive the same treatment when you get their representation. In the end, your ultimate goal on this will be to appeal to an audience that will read and purchase your work, and a good publishing firm will have to help you in this at the same time, compensate you well for your hard work on your art.
Finding the right publisher to represent you may just be as critical as writing a good book itself. That is of course, if you want your book to properly get the right marketing and reach an audience. At the same time, this is a very vital step for you to be able to launch your career as a writer and get the right spotlight for your art.
Just remember to be smart in choosing your representation, because these people will not only be reflecting your work, but more importantly, they will be standing on your behalf as a writer as well. And so, follow these simple steps and find the right publisher for you and your book.
After all, getting a market guide and contacting an advertised publisher from there is not exactly the best way to find representation. In fact, people who may have had a lot of experience in this process will surely advise you on a much better way to find a publisher that will be right for you and your book. Here are three basic steps that you can follow to find the perfect publisher for your book.
Take A Look At Your Bookshelf
A very good place to start in looking for a publisher could be your very own bookshelf. If the genre of your work is fiction, then you probably have a good collection of this type of genre in your home. And so, take the time to look at those firms responsible for publishing your favorite books. After all, you most probably were inspired by these books, and there is a large chance your work may have a similar pattern from your favorite authors styles. And so, their publishers may find a similar liking to you.
You may also try to check books that have a similar or a related topic as the one discussed in your book. For example, if you are writing about the love for animals, there may already be established publishers who specialize in producing books on animals. In this way, you can hand your proposal to the right people who would give you the time of day instead of wasting your time on chasing after firms that will not even care to give your work a second glance.
Check Out What Is On The Market
After you have looked at your own book collection, the next step for you is to check on collections that are displayed in bookstores, libraries and all the other places that showcase books. Try to find the section where you think your book would most likely belong if it will be printed and sold.
The same principles would go as to looking at publishers responsible for books on your own bookshelf. You basically have to find books that tackle similar issues or have a common genre as what you are writing. You are more likely to find people who would be interested in representing your book this way.
Just make sure, that your work holds an edge over the works that have already been published. After all, you will have to convince people later on how your book is different from those that are already out on the market and why people should prefer to buy it this time.
Assess And Choose The Best Publishers
For the third and last step, you must now choose a few of the best publishers, among all those that you have found in looking through various books. In choosing your top choices, make sure that you evaluate the publishers first with regards to the books that they have already published.
First, check if the books that they have published have appealing covers, a good layout and generally have a pleasing aesthetic package. This may be a defining factor for people to actually buy your book. Try to see if the book covers are attractive enough to make you want to pick them up and read them. Also take the time to feel the quality of the paper and printing. You would certainly want to be proud of how your book would be packaged.
Another thing to check is whether the publishers have helped produce interesting books with deep and relevant topics. Try to find publishers that have produced books that have similar depth when it comes to content as your own book. And make sure that they have produced interesting works that sell to people. After all, you would not want your own work to be classified as one of those flops that have disappointed readers.
And, lastly, do not forget to check how these publishers have marketed their previous books and how they compensate writers. If a publishing firm has helped many books to gain a good selling record, then you are more likely to receive the same treatment when you get their representation. In the end, your ultimate goal on this will be to appeal to an audience that will read and purchase your work, and a good publishing firm will have to help you in this at the same time, compensate you well for your hard work on your art.
Finding the right publisher to represent you may just be as critical as writing a good book itself. That is of course, if you want your book to properly get the right marketing and reach an audience. At the same time, this is a very vital step for you to be able to launch your career as a writer and get the right spotlight for your art.
Just remember to be smart in choosing your representation, because these people will not only be reflecting your work, but more importantly, they will be standing on your behalf as a writer as well. And so, follow these simple steps and find the right publisher for you and your book.
Writing the Foreword in a Book
Foreword, as compared to an introduction, is another introduction of some sort only that it is written by a person other than the author. The author introduces his book in an introduction or preface and another person, preferably someone famous, introduces him and his work in the foreword. It is written by a person known generally in public as an expert on the topic of the book, or is just simply popular and deemed expert on everything. That is the way with celebrities and other famous personalities. This is why its always good to have a foreword written by one of them, especially if you are just a budding author that nobody knows about. It would greatly help your sales, especially if you personally know the famous person who is going to write you a foreword. It adds credibility to your book.
Now, if you are actually the one who was asked to write a foreword. Wow! Congratulations! You must be really popular or must be an expert to be requested to do such an honor. However, you have no idea what to write, especially if you don't really know the author personally. So what do you do?
First, of course, is to read the material you are going to write a foreword for. Take note of the thing you find striking or remarkable in it and build your foreword around that. Forewords are best written in a chatty manner, like you are just talking to a friend and introducing another friend. And remember to be enthusiastic in doing so. Forewords are really intended to make sales make people want to buy the book. And that is your duty as the writer of the foreword. Tell the readers what you loved about the book and what you think the readers would like about it, too.
If you personally know the author of the book, you can also mention anecdotes about him that relates to the book. You can also mention how you came to know and how well you know the author. Tell the readers how that relates to the book at hand. If you know the author as a good friend, tell them that, too.
Now, if you don't personally know the author, you can just mention anecdotes about yourself that don't necessarily involve the author. Tell the readers how and why your personal life or that particular anecdote is related to the book. Write about how the book affected you and your outlook in life, or in love, or whatever the book is about.
Now, if you are actually the one who was asked to write a foreword. Wow! Congratulations! You must be really popular or must be an expert to be requested to do such an honor. However, you have no idea what to write, especially if you don't really know the author personally. So what do you do?
First, of course, is to read the material you are going to write a foreword for. Take note of the thing you find striking or remarkable in it and build your foreword around that. Forewords are best written in a chatty manner, like you are just talking to a friend and introducing another friend. And remember to be enthusiastic in doing so. Forewords are really intended to make sales make people want to buy the book. And that is your duty as the writer of the foreword. Tell the readers what you loved about the book and what you think the readers would like about it, too.
If you personally know the author of the book, you can also mention anecdotes about him that relates to the book. You can also mention how you came to know and how well you know the author. Tell the readers how that relates to the book at hand. If you know the author as a good friend, tell them that, too.
Now, if you don't personally know the author, you can just mention anecdotes about yourself that don't necessarily involve the author. Tell the readers how and why your personal life or that particular anecdote is related to the book. Write about how the book affected you and your outlook in life, or in love, or whatever the book is about.
Do You Need A Literary Agent?
Writing can be a very fruitful and fulfilling endeavor. With concentrating on this creative arena for your career, you are not only able to share an integral part of yourself to the world, but you can also earn a living with it.
However, to earn from writing, you may find that it is not as easy as it may seem to get your book published. In fact, the process of convincing companies to publish your book as well as negotiating with agreements on how to market your book may be taxing on you as a writer.
And so, this is where the important role of a literary agent may come in. After all, you certainly do not want to waste all your creative efforts on doing the business work yourself.
What Is A Literary Agent?
A literary agent is someone who represents writers and their written works to publishers, producers and other companies. Basically, these agents assist you in selling your book and in dealing with contract negotiations. They do not get paid, but they get percentage of your royalties for the works that they helped you get published.
Agents can be very useful as buffers between you and your publisher, especially when it comes to coming into an agreement on how each party would want to package or market your work. As a writer, it is understandable that you would of course not want your original work to be butchered and changed as much, but it is a reality that most often publishers would want to do certain changes on your work in order to cater to its salability. Having an agent around to help settle things can make things much easier for everyone.
Why Should You Get An Agent?
As a writer, it certainly would not be your priority to have to sell your work because your concentration would mainly focus on the creative aspect of the whole deal. Therefore, it would really help you a lot to hire someone to do all the negotiating and business talks for your book to get published. At the same time, it could be very beneficial to hire an agent because he or she may have the connections that you do not, with which could possibly make the whole process faster.
An agent will be the one responsible to shop your manuscript around publishing firms and make use of his or her connections to get your work in the hands of a good editor. All the contracts, agreements and negotiations will be carried out without you having to do as much, which gives you more time to write more and focus on your art.
It would also be comforting on your part to have an agent by your side that will be concerned with your artistic welfare and your opinions on what you want to achieve. In a way, you would not have to feel as if people are just making money out of you because you know you are getting the protection that you need through the representation of a professional.
Getting a literary agent is practical in such a way that he or she can assist you in earning money from your work, at the same time, provide you with creative protection. They can help fight for your artistic decisions and help make sure that your original concept is not compromised.
What Should You Know Before Getting An Agent?
As good as it may sound to get a literary agent to represent you right at this very moment, do not be in too much of a hurry and make sure that you take note of a few things.
Make sure that you find out beforehand on who the good agents are for the type of genre that you write, and do your research on their information. If you narrowed down a few good ones that you think could represent you, send them your books first three chapters, a comprehensive synopsis, and a short letter asking them to represent you.
Keep in mind that most agents are just as swamped with manuscripts from many different writers like editors, and therefore, some of them may be very picky and hard to please. Do not be frustrated if you experience some difficulty at this stage. But there are a lot of agents out there, and in time, you will find an agent who will believe in your work and help you sell it.
Also be wary of scammers and make sure that the agents you choose are legitimate with the work that they do. Be warned that if you find agents advertising themselves too much, or giving out too good to be true offers, the chances are, that they may not be the real deal.
For you are a writer who is determined to get your work published, then getting a literary agent is one of the basic steps for you to achieve your goal. By doing so, you can earn a comrade in getting your stories across to people at the same time, help you make money from your art.
Doing the creative work in writing is one thing, and the business aspect of it is another. A good literary agent may help launch your career as a writer could certainly make things a whole lot easier for you when it comes to making business decisions. And so, if you want to become successful in your writing endeavors, it would certainly not hurt you to get a good agent.
However, to earn from writing, you may find that it is not as easy as it may seem to get your book published. In fact, the process of convincing companies to publish your book as well as negotiating with agreements on how to market your book may be taxing on you as a writer.
And so, this is where the important role of a literary agent may come in. After all, you certainly do not want to waste all your creative efforts on doing the business work yourself.
What Is A Literary Agent?
A literary agent is someone who represents writers and their written works to publishers, producers and other companies. Basically, these agents assist you in selling your book and in dealing with contract negotiations. They do not get paid, but they get percentage of your royalties for the works that they helped you get published.
Agents can be very useful as buffers between you and your publisher, especially when it comes to coming into an agreement on how each party would want to package or market your work. As a writer, it is understandable that you would of course not want your original work to be butchered and changed as much, but it is a reality that most often publishers would want to do certain changes on your work in order to cater to its salability. Having an agent around to help settle things can make things much easier for everyone.
Why Should You Get An Agent?
As a writer, it certainly would not be your priority to have to sell your work because your concentration would mainly focus on the creative aspect of the whole deal. Therefore, it would really help you a lot to hire someone to do all the negotiating and business talks for your book to get published. At the same time, it could be very beneficial to hire an agent because he or she may have the connections that you do not, with which could possibly make the whole process faster.
An agent will be the one responsible to shop your manuscript around publishing firms and make use of his or her connections to get your work in the hands of a good editor. All the contracts, agreements and negotiations will be carried out without you having to do as much, which gives you more time to write more and focus on your art.
It would also be comforting on your part to have an agent by your side that will be concerned with your artistic welfare and your opinions on what you want to achieve. In a way, you would not have to feel as if people are just making money out of you because you know you are getting the protection that you need through the representation of a professional.
Getting a literary agent is practical in such a way that he or she can assist you in earning money from your work, at the same time, provide you with creative protection. They can help fight for your artistic decisions and help make sure that your original concept is not compromised.
What Should You Know Before Getting An Agent?
As good as it may sound to get a literary agent to represent you right at this very moment, do not be in too much of a hurry and make sure that you take note of a few things.
Make sure that you find out beforehand on who the good agents are for the type of genre that you write, and do your research on their information. If you narrowed down a few good ones that you think could represent you, send them your books first three chapters, a comprehensive synopsis, and a short letter asking them to represent you.
Keep in mind that most agents are just as swamped with manuscripts from many different writers like editors, and therefore, some of them may be very picky and hard to please. Do not be frustrated if you experience some difficulty at this stage. But there are a lot of agents out there, and in time, you will find an agent who will believe in your work and help you sell it.
Also be wary of scammers and make sure that the agents you choose are legitimate with the work that they do. Be warned that if you find agents advertising themselves too much, or giving out too good to be true offers, the chances are, that they may not be the real deal.
For you are a writer who is determined to get your work published, then getting a literary agent is one of the basic steps for you to achieve your goal. By doing so, you can earn a comrade in getting your stories across to people at the same time, help you make money from your art.
Doing the creative work in writing is one thing, and the business aspect of it is another. A good literary agent may help launch your career as a writer could certainly make things a whole lot easier for you when it comes to making business decisions. And so, if you want to become successful in your writing endeavors, it would certainly not hurt you to get a good agent.
How to Write a Biography
As you may already know, biography is a written account of a persons life. Now, if a person writes about his own life, it would be called an autobiography. Writing the biography of another person involves a great deal of research, whether you know the person you are writing about or not. So, to do justice to the person you are writing about, you should make sure that you have researched every aspect of his or her life and have taken everything in consideration.
First step is to read as much as you can about the person in subject. Get your hands on every book, magazine, and article on the internet about that person. It would be great if you can get an interview with them so you would have firsthand information. It is best that they are agreeable to the biography you are writing. In short, its best if your biography is authorized; unless of course, you are trying to expose a not-so-nice facet of that persons life and he wouldn't have agreed to have it written. In this case, you are writing an unauthorized biography, which could also attract a lot of readers because of its revealing nature. Otherwise, an acknowledgement from your person in subject and an interview with him would be a great help.
After you have gathered all your materials, carefully choose the angle of your biography. Is it going to be about his personal life, his career, or a particular period his life? Choose the one that you think is most interesting and striking based on your research something that has not been explored by other researchers. Once you have decided, you can now request for an interview. Selecting your angle before the interview would give you focus and enable you to plan the flow of the interview. This way, both your time and your subjects time would not be wasted on irrelevant questions.
Come to the interview prepared with a recorder with full batteries and spare tapes etc, and of course, with an organized set of questions. Be sure to ask questions that your collected books and research materials cannot answer. Or, if there are unverified facts from your research materials, make sure you ask them from your interviewee if you plan to include them in the biography. In the interview, explore your subjects inner and personal world. Ask him about the things that he does, which are not known to the public. People would only read your biography if it is offering something that is not yet out in the open.
Now, you are ready to outline the biography and begin your draft.
First step is to read as much as you can about the person in subject. Get your hands on every book, magazine, and article on the internet about that person. It would be great if you can get an interview with them so you would have firsthand information. It is best that they are agreeable to the biography you are writing. In short, its best if your biography is authorized; unless of course, you are trying to expose a not-so-nice facet of that persons life and he wouldn't have agreed to have it written. In this case, you are writing an unauthorized biography, which could also attract a lot of readers because of its revealing nature. Otherwise, an acknowledgement from your person in subject and an interview with him would be a great help.
After you have gathered all your materials, carefully choose the angle of your biography. Is it going to be about his personal life, his career, or a particular period his life? Choose the one that you think is most interesting and striking based on your research something that has not been explored by other researchers. Once you have decided, you can now request for an interview. Selecting your angle before the interview would give you focus and enable you to plan the flow of the interview. This way, both your time and your subjects time would not be wasted on irrelevant questions.
Come to the interview prepared with a recorder with full batteries and spare tapes etc, and of course, with an organized set of questions. Be sure to ask questions that your collected books and research materials cannot answer. Or, if there are unverified facts from your research materials, make sure you ask them from your interviewee if you plan to include them in the biography. In the interview, explore your subjects inner and personal world. Ask him about the things that he does, which are not known to the public. People would only read your biography if it is offering something that is not yet out in the open.
Now, you are ready to outline the biography and begin your draft.
Writing Children's Book
So, you think you are a very good bedtime storyteller and want to take it to another level by a writing a children's book? You think its that easy? Well, think again.
If you thought that it was easy to write children's books because they are short and written in large fonts with lots of pictures in it, you thought wrong. Writing for these young audiences is not as easy as you would think because you are writing for an age you have already passed and may have already forgotten. To write for a child, you have to think like a child. And most adults have forgotten what it is like to be a child. Otherwise, there wouldn't be generation gaps, would there?
Another reason why it is hard is that children's books have a lot of restrictions. The vocabulary you can use is limited. So you are faced with the problem of creating a fascinating story that is told in simple language. Yes, pictures would help in that department but still you have to have a great story delivery. Also, children aged from 6 to 12 have varying preferences in reading materials. So as an author, you should target only one level per book or story to ensure effective message delivery and readership. For example, beginners ages 5 to 6 can only be interested in easy reading and more of picture materials; ages 7 to 8 are inclined to be hooked on scary but simply told stories; and 9 to 12 would be more interested in fantasy series like Harry Potter, Series of Unfortunate Events and so on. It would be wise to take note of this fact before writing your book. Consider the age of your target audience before you decide. Always remember that kids do not have the attention span of an adult. They get bored easily and they won't be meek in showing it.
To help you decide on what to write and how to write it, read all kinds of children's books out there. You can spend hours in a bookstore reading and absorbing different styles and approach of other authors of children's book. Read everything from the good, to the not so good, to the bad. This way, you will learn what to do and what not to do. You can also ask the opinions of experts. You can have a sample or your work reviewed by a writers group, or your college literature professor. Or better yet, have it reviewed by some grade school children and ask them what they think about it. After all, they are your target audience and what they think is what matters most.
If you thought that it was easy to write children's books because they are short and written in large fonts with lots of pictures in it, you thought wrong. Writing for these young audiences is not as easy as you would think because you are writing for an age you have already passed and may have already forgotten. To write for a child, you have to think like a child. And most adults have forgotten what it is like to be a child. Otherwise, there wouldn't be generation gaps, would there?
Another reason why it is hard is that children's books have a lot of restrictions. The vocabulary you can use is limited. So you are faced with the problem of creating a fascinating story that is told in simple language. Yes, pictures would help in that department but still you have to have a great story delivery. Also, children aged from 6 to 12 have varying preferences in reading materials. So as an author, you should target only one level per book or story to ensure effective message delivery and readership. For example, beginners ages 5 to 6 can only be interested in easy reading and more of picture materials; ages 7 to 8 are inclined to be hooked on scary but simply told stories; and 9 to 12 would be more interested in fantasy series like Harry Potter, Series of Unfortunate Events and so on. It would be wise to take note of this fact before writing your book. Consider the age of your target audience before you decide. Always remember that kids do not have the attention span of an adult. They get bored easily and they won't be meek in showing it.
To help you decide on what to write and how to write it, read all kinds of children's books out there. You can spend hours in a bookstore reading and absorbing different styles and approach of other authors of children's book. Read everything from the good, to the not so good, to the bad. This way, you will learn what to do and what not to do. You can also ask the opinions of experts. You can have a sample or your work reviewed by a writers group, or your college literature professor. Or better yet, have it reviewed by some grade school children and ask them what they think about it. After all, they are your target audience and what they think is what matters most.
Writing a Fantasy Book
Fantasy novels are the most exciting stories to write. It gives the author so much freedom about every character and event of the story. Fantasy stories allow authors to play with their imagination to the fullest. Writing fantasy is like playing God. You have every single thing under your control. You dictate the setting, the scenario and the characters traits and skills. However, to be really good in writing fantasy, you must be able to make your story close to life. Yes, it is fictional and fantastical but still, readers might criticize you if your story is pure invention without basis of history, science and common sense. Readers are smart and intelligent. They may readily throw a book in the fire if they think its stupid. And believe me, they know one when they see it. So as a fantasy book author, you should be prepared to do your assignment like a good student.
The first thing you have to know is your main character, or main characters. You have to know them thoroughly because the whole story will evolve around them and all other sub-stories will have relation to them and their quest. So you have to build your characters completely well. To achieve this, you can write a biography of your characters separate paper that would guide you in writing the story. This will ensure you don't go astray from their personalities. Every single act and decision your characters make should be in accordance to each of their personality and life history. A smart reader will notice things that are done out of character. So be careful with that.
Secondly, you have to arrange your history clearly, too. The chain of events should be properly constructed and noted in a separate record so you don't mix up your events. Create a timeline to avoid confusion and overlaps of occurrences and be sure about the age of your characters in relation with the chronology of events. It would also help a great deal if you draw a family tree of your related characters. In most fantasy novels, the bloodline is a very crucial element.
Thirdly, know each and every detail in your created world. A fantasy world without details is empty. You are the God of this world, you have the power to create and destroy. You have the authority to make up the rules, but be sure you are smart enough and well-researched to do this. Even though it is an entirely made-up world, it still has to be believable and logical.
The first thing you have to know is your main character, or main characters. You have to know them thoroughly because the whole story will evolve around them and all other sub-stories will have relation to them and their quest. So you have to build your characters completely well. To achieve this, you can write a biography of your characters separate paper that would guide you in writing the story. This will ensure you don't go astray from their personalities. Every single act and decision your characters make should be in accordance to each of their personality and life history. A smart reader will notice things that are done out of character. So be careful with that.
Secondly, you have to arrange your history clearly, too. The chain of events should be properly constructed and noted in a separate record so you don't mix up your events. Create a timeline to avoid confusion and overlaps of occurrences and be sure about the age of your characters in relation with the chronology of events. It would also help a great deal if you draw a family tree of your related characters. In most fantasy novels, the bloodline is a very crucial element.
Thirdly, know each and every detail in your created world. A fantasy world without details is empty. You are the God of this world, you have the power to create and destroy. You have the authority to make up the rules, but be sure you are smart enough and well-researched to do this. Even though it is an entirely made-up world, it still has to be believable and logical.
Writing a Book from Scratch
As the book creator, you really can't tell how people will react to the book cover you have there. But one thing is definitely sure--the design that you employ in your book cover can basically inspire the buyer to grab a copy of it. However, reaching the peak of sales is not all about it. The content principally matters. How you put together the letters into words, the words into sentences, the sentences into paragraphs, and paragraphs into a whole story with a heart-warming and sensible plot are significant thoughts to deal with.
Writers believe that the hardest part of writing a book is when you have to start from scratch. How should you conceptualize your ideas? In what angle must you start with and consider as the focal point? A lot of considerations may be bugging but it is your responsibility to crochet the ideas and put them together in order to come up with a book that is worth reading! Do you want to know the secret on how to write a book from scratch? Then, read on.
Start off with a short book. Building your confidence in writing will start with the first masterpiece. Call it a trial and error method. Through time, you will know if you have a future career in this arena. Make your ideas straight to the point and your punch lines really catchy.
Have a single topic. To avoid confusion, concentrate on one topic. Make sure that you organize the thought and points that will support the main idea you are trying to convey.
Think of the book's purpose. Why are you writing it? Who will benefit from it? You write a book so that others will read it. Think of them.
Get the services of a book coach or professional editor. You can also let other friends and family members critic your masterpiece. After which, incorporate their ideas into your book. This is one way of soliciting responses and reactions from first-hand readers before launching the book on the actual market.
Appeal to your readers' sentiments, emotions, and minds. Self-help and inspirational books are common. Those who are too ashamed to consult the professionals turn to these kinds of books to find the answer to their problems.
After all, writing a book from scratch is never a daunting task if you know where to start and how to do it.
Writers believe that the hardest part of writing a book is when you have to start from scratch. How should you conceptualize your ideas? In what angle must you start with and consider as the focal point? A lot of considerations may be bugging but it is your responsibility to crochet the ideas and put them together in order to come up with a book that is worth reading! Do you want to know the secret on how to write a book from scratch? Then, read on.
Start off with a short book. Building your confidence in writing will start with the first masterpiece. Call it a trial and error method. Through time, you will know if you have a future career in this arena. Make your ideas straight to the point and your punch lines really catchy.
Have a single topic. To avoid confusion, concentrate on one topic. Make sure that you organize the thought and points that will support the main idea you are trying to convey.
Think of the book's purpose. Why are you writing it? Who will benefit from it? You write a book so that others will read it. Think of them.
Get the services of a book coach or professional editor. You can also let other friends and family members critic your masterpiece. After which, incorporate their ideas into your book. This is one way of soliciting responses and reactions from first-hand readers before launching the book on the actual market.
Appeal to your readers' sentiments, emotions, and minds. Self-help and inspirational books are common. Those who are too ashamed to consult the professionals turn to these kinds of books to find the answer to their problems.
After all, writing a book from scratch is never a daunting task if you know where to start and how to do it.
Typesetting Your Book
When is typesetting your book required? Why do you need to do it? You should take into mind that the interior designing of your book as well as its typesetting go hand in hand. You don't simply finish a book by mere proofreading, justifying the margins, correcting the grammar and other typographical errors, and then printing. Now let's make things clearly defined and well understood.
Working out the book's interior design is all about being artistic and scientific. With a more profound experience in crafts and arts, you can moreover enhance your book's interior design. Well, you can always hire a professional book interior designer but if you have the talent, go for it! Just remember this important point--the design and layout of the book must define its content. For example, children's books need to employ larger prints whereas the picture books, travel books, textbooks, cookbooks, and the likes must be filled with clear descriptions and intricate designs. More so, the novels must provide an easy to follow paging so the readers will not get lost as they push through with reading the story. An interestingly designed book is naturally pleasing to the reader's eyes. More importantly, the buyers are more inclined to purchase books which bear the artistically designed books.
Some essential elements that you need to look into when conceptualizing the design of the book include the font selection, line spacing, paragraphing, margin and page sizing, graphic, footers, page numbers, and headers placing, hyphenation control, widow and orphan control and a lot of special touches and finishes.
Now what about typesetting your book? You do it when the design is all done. With typesetting, it means that you are going to apply all of your design concepts to the entirety of the book. Typesetting your book is all about tweaking between lines, words, and letters. This includes utilizing an effective orphan, hyphenation, and widow control. In short, an efficient typesetting is the manner of making the whole book look extravagant.
What is the benefit of hiring a professional book designer? This person is said to be professional basically because of his experience in designing and typesetting books. Significantly, the book designer will come up with a professional-looking output without causing you to spend too much. He will likewise help you deal with the printer especially in line with the very technical procedures. You can be more certain that your book will look ravishing because the hands of the professional will never allow anyone to make a wrong impression.
Your book will likely be a success if you take into consideration these essential pointers in designing and typesetting your book.
Working out the book's interior design is all about being artistic and scientific. With a more profound experience in crafts and arts, you can moreover enhance your book's interior design. Well, you can always hire a professional book interior designer but if you have the talent, go for it! Just remember this important point--the design and layout of the book must define its content. For example, children's books need to employ larger prints whereas the picture books, travel books, textbooks, cookbooks, and the likes must be filled with clear descriptions and intricate designs. More so, the novels must provide an easy to follow paging so the readers will not get lost as they push through with reading the story. An interestingly designed book is naturally pleasing to the reader's eyes. More importantly, the buyers are more inclined to purchase books which bear the artistically designed books.
Some essential elements that you need to look into when conceptualizing the design of the book include the font selection, line spacing, paragraphing, margin and page sizing, graphic, footers, page numbers, and headers placing, hyphenation control, widow and orphan control and a lot of special touches and finishes.
Now what about typesetting your book? You do it when the design is all done. With typesetting, it means that you are going to apply all of your design concepts to the entirety of the book. Typesetting your book is all about tweaking between lines, words, and letters. This includes utilizing an effective orphan, hyphenation, and widow control. In short, an efficient typesetting is the manner of making the whole book look extravagant.
What is the benefit of hiring a professional book designer? This person is said to be professional basically because of his experience in designing and typesetting books. Significantly, the book designer will come up with a professional-looking output without causing you to spend too much. He will likewise help you deal with the printer especially in line with the very technical procedures. You can be more certain that your book will look ravishing because the hands of the professional will never allow anyone to make a wrong impression.
Your book will likely be a success if you take into consideration these essential pointers in designing and typesetting your book.
Social Media Marketing Book
Social media marketing is a top ranking tool that is mostly utilized by the people who make money through their Internet portals. If you are to use the same approach to collect a wide range of customers who will patronize your products and services in due time, then it matters that you first establish a strong relationship with them. Don't be like the common spammers out there who simply gather names taken from different databanks and then end up bombarding the email inboxes of people with messages of promotion. Doing so will be a bad move on your part. In return, your messages will just end up being deleted and blocked by these annoyed people. In the online world, people tend to become too suspicious considering the fact that a lot of scams happen here and there. They are just protecting themselves from the possible threats so you better understand that point. More so, establish friendship before you offer them your products and services. Doing this tactic will prove your success likely to be a great potential.
When thinking about the use of social media as an approach to marketing your offers, always think about getting some coaching from the professionals. Social media marketing books are all over the bookstores and online stores. You can gather valuable insights from them that will be highly beneficial for your business. With the concepts exuded by the social media marketing book, you can learn more than enough pointers on how to further improve your website, imbibe artistic designs, come up with videos, slideshows, and generate links.
Many people use the Internet for about twenty four hours so this is such a great time to gather more and more possible customers. There are likewise a lot of people who are getting into the business world whether they sell products in an online bazaar, do blogging, work as affiliates, and a lot others. You can also make use of them to gain a wider spectrum of contacts.
Furthermore, the use of streaming videos is common these days. There are those top ranking websites that utilize videos to reach a bigger population of customers. As you may have realized it, videos are able to convey the messages in a much easier way. There you will have the audio and video compacted into one. More so, the website visitors will easily grasp the idea presented.
All these and more are tackled in the social media marketing books. A lot of credible authors have their books for sale so you can always grab your own copy.
When thinking about the use of social media as an approach to marketing your offers, always think about getting some coaching from the professionals. Social media marketing books are all over the bookstores and online stores. You can gather valuable insights from them that will be highly beneficial for your business. With the concepts exuded by the social media marketing book, you can learn more than enough pointers on how to further improve your website, imbibe artistic designs, come up with videos, slideshows, and generate links.
Many people use the Internet for about twenty four hours so this is such a great time to gather more and more possible customers. There are likewise a lot of people who are getting into the business world whether they sell products in an online bazaar, do blogging, work as affiliates, and a lot others. You can also make use of them to gain a wider spectrum of contacts.
Furthermore, the use of streaming videos is common these days. There are those top ranking websites that utilize videos to reach a bigger population of customers. As you may have realized it, videos are able to convey the messages in a much easier way. There you will have the audio and video compacted into one. More so, the website visitors will easily grasp the idea presented.
All these and more are tackled in the social media marketing books. A lot of credible authors have their books for sale so you can always grab your own copy.
Social Media Marketing Book
Social media marketing is a top ranking tool that is mostly utilized by the people who make money through their Internet portals. If you are to use the same approach to collect a wide range of customers who will patronize your products and services in due time, then it matters that you first establish a strong relationship with them. Don't be like the common spammers out there who simply gather names taken from different databanks and then end up bombarding the email inboxes of people with messages of promotion. Doing so will be a bad move on your part. In return, your messages will just end up being deleted and blocked by these annoyed people. In the online world, people tend to become too suspicious considering the fact that a lot of scams happen here and there. They are just protecting themselves from the possible threats so you better understand that point. More so, establish friendship before you offer them your products and services. Doing this tactic will prove your success likely to be a great potential.
When thinking about the use of social media as an approach to marketing your offers, always think about getting some coaching from the professionals. Social media marketing books are all over the bookstores and online stores. You can gather valuable insights from them that will be highly beneficial for your business. With the concepts exuded by the social media marketing book, you can learn more than enough pointers on how to further improve your website, imbibe artistic designs, come up with videos, slideshows, and generate links.
Many people use the Internet for about twenty four hours so this is such a great time to gather more and more possible customers. There are likewise a lot of people who are getting into the business world whether they sell products in an online bazaar, do blogging, work as affiliates, and a lot others. You can also make use of them to gain a wider spectrum of contacts.
Furthermore, the use of streaming videos is common these days. There are those top ranking websites that utilize videos to reach a bigger population of customers. As you may have realized it, videos are able to convey the messages in a much easier way. There you will have the audio and video compacted into one. More so, the website visitors will easily grasp the idea presented.
All these and more are tackled in the social media marketing books. A lot of credible authors have their books for sale so you can always grab your own copy.
When thinking about the use of social media as an approach to marketing your offers, always think about getting some coaching from the professionals. Social media marketing books are all over the bookstores and online stores. You can gather valuable insights from them that will be highly beneficial for your business. With the concepts exuded by the social media marketing book, you can learn more than enough pointers on how to further improve your website, imbibe artistic designs, come up with videos, slideshows, and generate links.
Many people use the Internet for about twenty four hours so this is such a great time to gather more and more possible customers. There are likewise a lot of people who are getting into the business world whether they sell products in an online bazaar, do blogging, work as affiliates, and a lot others. You can also make use of them to gain a wider spectrum of contacts.
Furthermore, the use of streaming videos is common these days. There are those top ranking websites that utilize videos to reach a bigger population of customers. As you may have realized it, videos are able to convey the messages in a much easier way. There you will have the audio and video compacted into one. More so, the website visitors will easily grasp the idea presented.
All these and more are tackled in the social media marketing books. A lot of credible authors have their books for sale so you can always grab your own copy.
Tips to Remember when Self-publishing your Book
When self-publishing a book you need to decide whether you're going to make a number of copies for a selected group or a lot of copies for a large audience. Look for other titles with same genre as your topic and research how much sales its' had. Through this you will learn whether or not your prospect topic will be worthwhile or not.
Decide on the format you would like to publish it in. Will it have a hardcover of a soft one or maybe make an e-book which is read through the internet.
You could have your book published through print-on-demand publishers. They will print your book for a price, using high-end printing equipment rather than using the conventional printing equipment. They will also bind the book for you.
You could also ask some suppliers to send you a few samples of the books they've recently published. The quality will depend on the paper quality, the design of the cover, the layout. Ask bout how they print the books.
View the books of your competitors. This will help you decide on the format you would want your book to take. If you notice that the books have a standard format, you may put it into consideration. Also consider putting a different format on your book if this will set your book apart from the others.
Update yourself on the printing costs. And make your book attractive enough that the readers will gain more interest on purchasing your book. You could hire a graphic designer to design your books cover. This will add to the cost but it's worth it.
You will then tally up all your expenses. This includes the printing, graphics and artwork, photos, copy editing and all the others. This will make you more organized with all the expenses.
Your book must also have an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) which will be like your books ID. 10 ISBN’s will cost $150 plus a minimum of $75 in processing fees.
You should find out how your book will be distributed, and who will distribute it for you. If you prefer doing it yourself, this means that the books will be sent to you. You will have to contact bookstores about stocking your book. Visiting each bookstore is advisable. You will also handle all the mail orders.
Lastly, prepare yourself to promote your book. Since you self-published your book you will have to promote it too. You may also hire a publicist to do the work for you.
Decide on the format you would like to publish it in. Will it have a hardcover of a soft one or maybe make an e-book which is read through the internet.
You could have your book published through print-on-demand publishers. They will print your book for a price, using high-end printing equipment rather than using the conventional printing equipment. They will also bind the book for you.
You could also ask some suppliers to send you a few samples of the books they've recently published. The quality will depend on the paper quality, the design of the cover, the layout. Ask bout how they print the books.
View the books of your competitors. This will help you decide on the format you would want your book to take. If you notice that the books have a standard format, you may put it into consideration. Also consider putting a different format on your book if this will set your book apart from the others.
Update yourself on the printing costs. And make your book attractive enough that the readers will gain more interest on purchasing your book. You could hire a graphic designer to design your books cover. This will add to the cost but it's worth it.
You will then tally up all your expenses. This includes the printing, graphics and artwork, photos, copy editing and all the others. This will make you more organized with all the expenses.
Your book must also have an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) which will be like your books ID. 10 ISBN’s will cost $150 plus a minimum of $75 in processing fees.
You should find out how your book will be distributed, and who will distribute it for you. If you prefer doing it yourself, this means that the books will be sent to you. You will have to contact bookstores about stocking your book. Visiting each bookstore is advisable. You will also handle all the mail orders.
Lastly, prepare yourself to promote your book. Since you self-published your book you will have to promote it too. You may also hire a publicist to do the work for you.
What It Takes to Print a Book
Writing a book is a formidable task. But once you are done with it, the next logical thing to do is to have it printed. You want the whole world to read your masterpiece. So how does this work? What are the steps you have to take to get the book printed?
To get your work published, there are different options. You could go for traditional royalty publishing which is costless but you need to find an agent who will help you present your work to a publisher. Although its costless, the chances of getting picked by a publisher are quite low. If you feel this will not work for you, do the publishing yourself. This will cost you money because you will have to pay for everything including the printing of your book.
The first two mentioned are options that do not seem very lucrative. A new avenue is opened by the print on demand self-publishing method where you pay only for digital printing and storage. This means that there is no need to pay for warehouse fees. You will only have the exact number of books that you want printed. This way, you can test the waters first and see if its going to sell. If it does sell, then there is no harm in re-ordering another batch.
Once you have decided on your publishing option, choose one publisher who will do the printing and the re-printing of the book. Therefore, it would be wise to choose a famous publisher who is known to publish only good books.
But with whatever publishing option you choose, the important thing to remember if you really want your book to sell is to do intensive marketing of the book. This way, you are assured that the printed books are going to be sold and you will earn money for your hard work. You can advertise your book in the newspaper, in the internet or you could go directly to the target market and sell your book yourself.
Printing a book is costly. That is the main reason why many good writers find grants that will be able to fund the process from the beginning of book writing up to the time of printing. Of course, the income will be split in two. But that does not matter because if your material is excellent, there is a good chance that you will earn big bucks from the sale of your books well into eternity.
To get your work published, there are different options. You could go for traditional royalty publishing which is costless but you need to find an agent who will help you present your work to a publisher. Although its costless, the chances of getting picked by a publisher are quite low. If you feel this will not work for you, do the publishing yourself. This will cost you money because you will have to pay for everything including the printing of your book.
The first two mentioned are options that do not seem very lucrative. A new avenue is opened by the print on demand self-publishing method where you pay only for digital printing and storage. This means that there is no need to pay for warehouse fees. You will only have the exact number of books that you want printed. This way, you can test the waters first and see if its going to sell. If it does sell, then there is no harm in re-ordering another batch.
Once you have decided on your publishing option, choose one publisher who will do the printing and the re-printing of the book. Therefore, it would be wise to choose a famous publisher who is known to publish only good books.
But with whatever publishing option you choose, the important thing to remember if you really want your book to sell is to do intensive marketing of the book. This way, you are assured that the printed books are going to be sold and you will earn money for your hard work. You can advertise your book in the newspaper, in the internet or you could go directly to the target market and sell your book yourself.
Printing a book is costly. That is the main reason why many good writers find grants that will be able to fund the process from the beginning of book writing up to the time of printing. Of course, the income will be split in two. But that does not matter because if your material is excellent, there is a good chance that you will earn big bucks from the sale of your books well into eternity.
Should You Hire a PR in Marketing Your Book?
Why should you consider hiring a PR in marketing your book? What advantages can you get out of it? For someone like you who is concerned with making it really big in the online industry, you must get to know the ins and outs of success in this arena. There are valuable techniques that need to be applied so that you can ensure a rewarding fruit for your labor. Writing a book is never an easy task so you better think about the greatest ideas that you can gather to create a hit in your chosen market field.
Public relations or otherwise known as PR consistently proves that marketing can be more than effective if there is someone or an organization which will take charge of boosting your sales. Hiring a PR means that you get rid of the worries about sending messages and thinking about cool features and activities just so your book will be promoted. But that is not all. There is more that hiring a PR can give you. In contrast to the traditional mode of advertising and promotion, PR is gauged at the creation of something new and something hot. Something that the public will really get excited with and look forward to. Whatever business you are engaged with and whatever products and services you are selling, hiring a PR should be done.
Marketing a book either online or offline requires a good deal of promotion. There is nothing else that can fulfill the requirements of a stable success other than that of hiring a PR. Your book must be sensationalized and its release must therefore be carefully thought of. A good PR will concert all efforts to promote goodwill in the world of advertising and marketing.
Now here are some of the pointers that you must take note of when hiring a PR agency to market your book.
The specialization of the PR agency.
The people or team who will be doing the task for you.
The editing and writing genius of the assigned people.
The in-charged individual's flexibility to work on any task.
The contract and its provisions.
The payment scheme.
The working relationship between you and the firm.
The clients and status of their business as of the moment.
All of these are necessary to note of when you intend to get into the mainstream of hiring a PR agency. After all, you never want your business to be on the losing end. Marketing your book can basically become a hit when you hire a trusted PR agency.
Public relations or otherwise known as PR consistently proves that marketing can be more than effective if there is someone or an organization which will take charge of boosting your sales. Hiring a PR means that you get rid of the worries about sending messages and thinking about cool features and activities just so your book will be promoted. But that is not all. There is more that hiring a PR can give you. In contrast to the traditional mode of advertising and promotion, PR is gauged at the creation of something new and something hot. Something that the public will really get excited with and look forward to. Whatever business you are engaged with and whatever products and services you are selling, hiring a PR should be done.
Marketing a book either online or offline requires a good deal of promotion. There is nothing else that can fulfill the requirements of a stable success other than that of hiring a PR. Your book must be sensationalized and its release must therefore be carefully thought of. A good PR will concert all efforts to promote goodwill in the world of advertising and marketing.
Now here are some of the pointers that you must take note of when hiring a PR agency to market your book.
The specialization of the PR agency.
The people or team who will be doing the task for you.
The editing and writing genius of the assigned people.
The in-charged individual's flexibility to work on any task.
The contract and its provisions.
The payment scheme.
The working relationship between you and the firm.
The clients and status of their business as of the moment.
All of these are necessary to note of when you intend to get into the mainstream of hiring a PR agency. After all, you never want your business to be on the losing end. Marketing your book can basically become a hit when you hire a trusted PR agency.
Guidelines to Choosing a Topic When Writing a Book
When writing a book, you have so many options. When choosing a topic to write about there are many factors to consider. Here are a few guidelines which will help you in choosing what your next books topic will be.
The first thing you should ask yourself when choosing a topic is Will I enjoy writing about this? In other words you should write about what you love to do, what your passion is. If you don't love what you write about you won't stay committed and you might end up giving up. Put all your attention on writing one book. Don't write several books at one time.
If you're having a hard time choosing what to write about since you have a few options. Write them down. Think about each topic and if interests not only you but the audience you want to target. If you think it will appeal to a lot of people then write about it. Be sure that you have researched your topic well.
As I've said write something that will appeal to your audience. For example how to books and top 100 books work well. These books shouldn't be your pride and joy. They could be stepping stones to finance you if your planning a novel.
Another thing you should do is research who your target audience will be. Which audience do you prefer? Who do you want to read your book? Who are interested enough to pay the price tag? How many possible buyers are there? Does your book have benefits and life lessons to offer your buyers? These questions will help you greatly.
You can also compare your book to other books of the same genre written by accomplished authors. Look for the similarities your book and the other authors books have. Also, look for the traits that sets your book apart from the others. If you're not sure where your book fits in just visit your local bookstore and seek advice from the owner.
Have a vision of success. Believe that your book will be published. Don't loose confidence. This will give you the dedication and hype you need. Don't be all negative. Just believe and stay dedicated in writing your book and the success will follow.
Through these guidelines you will be an accomplished author in no time. Just believe in yourself and be patient. It won't be easy but the satisfaction you get in return is priceless.
The first thing you should ask yourself when choosing a topic is Will I enjoy writing about this? In other words you should write about what you love to do, what your passion is. If you don't love what you write about you won't stay committed and you might end up giving up. Put all your attention on writing one book. Don't write several books at one time.
If you're having a hard time choosing what to write about since you have a few options. Write them down. Think about each topic and if interests not only you but the audience you want to target. If you think it will appeal to a lot of people then write about it. Be sure that you have researched your topic well.
As I've said write something that will appeal to your audience. For example how to books and top 100 books work well. These books shouldn't be your pride and joy. They could be stepping stones to finance you if your planning a novel.
Another thing you should do is research who your target audience will be. Which audience do you prefer? Who do you want to read your book? Who are interested enough to pay the price tag? How many possible buyers are there? Does your book have benefits and life lessons to offer your buyers? These questions will help you greatly.
You can also compare your book to other books of the same genre written by accomplished authors. Look for the similarities your book and the other authors books have. Also, look for the traits that sets your book apart from the others. If you're not sure where your book fits in just visit your local bookstore and seek advice from the owner.
Have a vision of success. Believe that your book will be published. Don't loose confidence. This will give you the dedication and hype you need. Don't be all negative. Just believe and stay dedicated in writing your book and the success will follow.
Through these guidelines you will be an accomplished author in no time. Just believe in yourself and be patient. It won't be easy but the satisfaction you get in return is priceless.
Online Book Marketing
The Internet has made the life of writers so much easier these days. With the advent of technology and the World Wide Web, writing jobs and requirements proliferated and increased the demand for writers. Now, more and more writers get the chance to earn from their writing skills, may it be for business or creative, fiction or non-fiction, writing. Also, through the web, you can now publish and market your book by yourself. A major publisher can now be optional, so a writer is spared the agony of having to prove himself and his book, and sometimes even beg, to the publisher. And the best part of doing it on your own is having full control over your book and keeping 100% of your profit.
So, how does one market online? The Internet is a virtual place of wonder that can take you to greater heights and wider reach of audience. What you need is a working website to advertise your book on and effective web copies to promote your book. Your web copies should contain keywords that would lead to your site when searched by people who are looking for some things they need through a search engine. However, do not commit the mistake of just overloading your copies with keywords and neglecting the quality of content. Content quality is also very crucial as people know when they see something that has no sense or bearing whatsoever. And the worst part of that is they will be turned off right away from your book, thinking that it is just as bad as your web copy.
Another technique in attracting traffic to your site so you get a lot of people to know about your book is to give away freebies. People are always enticed with giveaways. People simply love free stuff. So what you can do is create a teaser for your book, like a sort of a sneak peek. Excerpt the best and most interesting part of your book and give it away for free, but in exchange of their email addresses or a referral of their friends email addresses. This way, you can build a list of contact persons, to whom you can send newsletters and advertisements in the future.
It is best to remember your purpose all the time. Your purpose is to sell, so in every single thing you write that gets posted on the web or sent to your readers, you should always put your best foot forward. As an author, people judge you by the way you write. So, always give them the best of your writing abilities, even up to the simplest email you send them. Everything you write should reflect how good a writer you are.
So, how does one market online? The Internet is a virtual place of wonder that can take you to greater heights and wider reach of audience. What you need is a working website to advertise your book on and effective web copies to promote your book. Your web copies should contain keywords that would lead to your site when searched by people who are looking for some things they need through a search engine. However, do not commit the mistake of just overloading your copies with keywords and neglecting the quality of content. Content quality is also very crucial as people know when they see something that has no sense or bearing whatsoever. And the worst part of that is they will be turned off right away from your book, thinking that it is just as bad as your web copy.
Another technique in attracting traffic to your site so you get a lot of people to know about your book is to give away freebies. People are always enticed with giveaways. People simply love free stuff. So what you can do is create a teaser for your book, like a sort of a sneak peek. Excerpt the best and most interesting part of your book and give it away for free, but in exchange of their email addresses or a referral of their friends email addresses. This way, you can build a list of contact persons, to whom you can send newsletters and advertisements in the future.
It is best to remember your purpose all the time. Your purpose is to sell, so in every single thing you write that gets posted on the web or sent to your readers, you should always put your best foot forward. As an author, people judge you by the way you write. So, always give them the best of your writing abilities, even up to the simplest email you send them. Everything you write should reflect how good a writer you are.
How to give your Book a Reasonable Price
Everything sold competes for the buyers money. Which means the quality your book is what separates it from the others. When pricing your book, you should depend more on its category or genre rather than depending on its production costs.
In the USA alone more than 100,000 titles are published each year. Making it to the top ten percent of the books sold means your book should have the quality and value all readers are looking for. Your book must be appealing and helpful at the same time it must have a reasonable price.
If you price your book too high, it simply won't sell. If you price it too low, the readers will see it as a low quality book. Price your book according to its content. Not too high, not too low.
How exactly do you price your book? You ask. Here are a few guidelines to help you in pricing your book.
Go to a big bookstore. Be sure this bookstore sells the same genre or category as your book. Look for the expensive ones, the cheap ones, and the ones in between that have the same genre as your book. Look for the similarities between the books. Are the expensive books those with hard covers? Were they written by famous authors? Are they thick and have a lot of pictures? Are the cheaper ones the opposite of the expensive ones? Do they lack content? How about those in between?
Choose the books that appeal to you the most. List down the features you want your book to have. Planning the specifications of your book early will help you estimate the printing costs. Printing will be the most expensive part of publishing your book.
Don't forget that your book must have a reasonable price for your market. There is a maximum and minimum price that your readers will pay. Go too high and generate no sales. Go too low and the readers will assume it is useless. The readers are the judge to whether you've priced your book reasonably or not.
The printing cost will be your basis when determining how much to charge for your book. Some publishers price the books eight times its production costs.
You should promote your book. Your book may be the best of its kind and the most reasonably priced but how will the readers know about it if you don't promote it. Promotion is your best weapon if you want to generate high sales.
If you price your book reasonably enough it will sell wherever you put it.
In the USA alone more than 100,000 titles are published each year. Making it to the top ten percent of the books sold means your book should have the quality and value all readers are looking for. Your book must be appealing and helpful at the same time it must have a reasonable price.
If you price your book too high, it simply won't sell. If you price it too low, the readers will see it as a low quality book. Price your book according to its content. Not too high, not too low.
How exactly do you price your book? You ask. Here are a few guidelines to help you in pricing your book.
Go to a big bookstore. Be sure this bookstore sells the same genre or category as your book. Look for the expensive ones, the cheap ones, and the ones in between that have the same genre as your book. Look for the similarities between the books. Are the expensive books those with hard covers? Were they written by famous authors? Are they thick and have a lot of pictures? Are the cheaper ones the opposite of the expensive ones? Do they lack content? How about those in between?
Choose the books that appeal to you the most. List down the features you want your book to have. Planning the specifications of your book early will help you estimate the printing costs. Printing will be the most expensive part of publishing your book.
Don't forget that your book must have a reasonable price for your market. There is a maximum and minimum price that your readers will pay. Go too high and generate no sales. Go too low and the readers will assume it is useless. The readers are the judge to whether you've priced your book reasonably or not.
The printing cost will be your basis when determining how much to charge for your book. Some publishers price the books eight times its production costs.
You should promote your book. Your book may be the best of its kind and the most reasonably priced but how will the readers know about it if you don't promote it. Promotion is your best weapon if you want to generate high sales.
If you price your book reasonably enough it will sell wherever you put it.
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