Writing Mastery

Before starting the exciting journey of writing a novel, check the true level of your enthusiasm. In an informal survey of writers, the “why are you considering writing a novel” factor strongly affects the success of completing the “how to write” factor. On average, writing a novel is a 2+ year task, which requires a strong positive attitude that you’ll not only start the novel but you’ll also have the drive, passion, and belief in yourself and the project to see that adventure through to completion. Your motivation must be very strong — always thinking of interesting plots, characters or things you want to write about, as if you can’t help yourself; longing to put everything down on paper or computer screen. Bridging the gap between thinking and writing is as much an artistic adventure as the finished manuscript.

If novel-writing isn’t near the top of your life goals or objectives list, perhaps you need to reconsider the size of your writing project (change to short stories or articles) or investigate honing separate skill sets necessary to novel writing (plot formation, character development, dialogue and setting). Learning novel-writing is a process, so there’s nothing wrong about starting in increments and building small success upon small success. Taking the task in manageable chunks, with your goal of a novel in mind, brings confidence and possible pages ready to be incorporated in the final product — your novel.

In gaining information about learning the craft of novel-writing, not every author, article or writing class will benefit you, just like everyone doesn’t like every type of food. But they do have the advantage of “getting published,” so accept and discard advice advisedly. You’re still the amateur. Fortunately, the Internet, libraries, bookstores and writing groups are no-cost or low cost sources of gathering useful information which can help, or convince you, of proper technique in your efforts to learn (or get back on the right track) in your writing.

Authors need a clear idea of their story as a foundation for their task. Do you know what you want to write about? What genres do you read or do you have favorite authors? Although you are not limited by your answers nor should you slavishly “mimic” another author’s style, your responses might help you identify or hone your original idea to begin the process.

Before starting, determine the “success” quotient of the idea for your novel. It must interest you, in order for you to spend the time and effort to write well, but, most importantly, it must be able to interest others, in a fresh, entertaining way. Always keep in mind, there’s a lot of competition out there for a reader’s time. The adversaries are the quality and availability of the 24/7 stories in broadcast and cable television and Internet as well as print media. So you have to craft the idea well and carefully; the potential reader of your novel is very busy and very sophisticated. Ask people who aren’t “yes men” for a critical analysis of your idea to ascertain if the idea is clear, manageable and gripping.

Now, the plot plan is next as you try to think of mixing the characters, settings and situations into a pace that will keep your reader entertained and entwined with your characters; wanting to turn the page or not wanting to turn the nightlight out before bed. Like an extension ladder whose rungs allow the worker to climb in incremental steps, the plot and subplots, must, overall, direct the reader in a cogent path to the last sentence.

In real estate where the watchword is location, location, location, the other necessary part inherent the best plot plan is conflict, conflict, conflict; by which the reader is able to see and experience the change in the characters and situations. With so many other books on the shelf or manuscripts begging to published, what attributes set your plot plan above the rest?

With the idea in the forefront, a writer turns attention to time span, setting and characters. The writer has the final say, of course, but for the first effort consider things you already know in your work, pastimes or hobbies because you must be completely knowledgeable in these areas. Research, especially time span and setting, are crucial in determining the accuracy of your writing which cascades into your plot, dialogue and believability of the characters themselves. Be expert without being boring, redundant or preachy. Accuracy in your research flows into the writing, which gains the trust of the reader; proving your words have the same beauty and excitement as watching a professional musician, athlete or actor.

Setting a schedule to gain information on how to write and actively writing are two more critical action steps. Perhaps you can’t write every day but commit to a realistic number of hours per week, if you are not enrolled in a writing class. A “learning” writer is just like anyone trying to become skilled at a profession or craft — it takes time, effort and sweat.

“Birthing” each page, scene or chapter may be painstaking, but writers have to be willing to be tough on their work, but not too tough. Again, show your work to trusted critics, writing group members or editors, if you can afford them. Give close attention to their critiques and carefully gauge the consistent areas they feel you need work. Polish those, so you can stop problem areas before they become unfortunate habits. Judicious “sculpting” early makes things easier in the long run and impresses editors and publishers as well.

Writing can be anything in-between a lonely landscape of you and a white page getting larger and larger in its blankness or the sheer joy of words flying from your ideas faster than you can get them down. Care, preparation, a clear idea and plot plan can help push things into the latter category. Don’t get discouraged. Good luck.

Copyright © 2007 Donna Grisanti

Donna Grisanti
http://www.articlesbase.com/writing-articles/how-to-write-a-novel-116124.html

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Why would anyone want to create a printed book, when then can create eBooks a lot more easily — and cheaply? Why would anyone want to get mired in the process of printing and shipping physical books that take time to deliver to customers, when they can deliver a digital information product immediately, with no additional production or shipping costs? What’s the point of having a tree-killing artifact of yesteryear in your creative portfolio?

Well, like it or not, a lot of people still prefer printed books to eBooks. They like — no, they love — the feel of a printed copy in their hands. It gives them a sense of well-being and solidity, to have a physical work they can carry with them and put on their bookshelves. They’re “old school” and they like it that way. Or, they just never warmed up to eBooks or digital media.

I had a conversation with an international television reporter about one of my books that was coming out soon — I didn’t yet have the printed version in my hands, but I had a PDF eBook I could send him. He said many times over that he hated to read eBooks, but that was all I had at the time, and so I sent it to him. It would have been a whole lot better if I could have sent him a printed copy, instead. Of course, I made do with what I had, but if only…

Now, there’s a very good reason some people like printed books better than eBooks — they can read them anywhere, anytime, without needing a computer to do it. For all the talk about “portable media,” these days, a book is really the ultimate in portable media! It fits in your hand, it doesn’t require batteries, and there are no complicated instructions to figure out! As advanced as our technology may be, there’s nothing like a book to truly “transport information” quickly and efficiently, across the bounds of time and space.

Ironic, isn’t it, that the ultimate medium for portable, instantaneous information sharing is just the thing that a lot of us thought was on its way out, with the advent of the internet!

Books are not “reserved” for the technologically gifted. They’re not available only to people with a computer and a broadband connection. They’re easy to use, easy to transport, and — unlike some of the cutting-edge entertainment technology available today — everybody understands what they’re all about.

When you publish a printed book, you level the playing field for potential customers, and you make it possible for a wider variety of people to access and enjoy your work.

Another reason to create a printed book, is for credibility. With a printed book in hand — especially one with an ISBN — you can approach magazines and newspapers and radio and television hosts and have something in hand to talk about with them. You can mail your book to reviewers and reporters, and you can hold up your creation for the camera, when it comes time to tell the audience what all the excitement is about. And when members of your audience go to their local bookstore to see if they carry your book (depending on what service you use to publish your book), they can put in a request for the book from the bookstore, and potentially help you get it stocked on the bookshelf stores. (Though you may already be convinced, like many other infopreneurs, that bookstores are not the place to sell books, still, it doesn’t hurt to see your book on the shelves of a brick-and-mortar store.)

Probably my favorite reason to publish in print, is how it can take your ideas to a whole new level and get you the kind of exposure once reserved only for the connected elite. Having a book in print has a way of instantly establishing you as an expert, in ways that producing (even getting rich from) digital information products can’t, in the “real world” offline. When people hear you’ve written a book, and they see that book in your hands, a connection kicks in, somewhere inside their heads, that says you must be pretty smart. Chances are, it’s true — you are! But the perception of others that you must be one smart cookie, since you’ve written this book, usually doesn’t get so far as to delve into the nature of your book, if it’s any “good,” or if your work is widely accepted and respected in academic or commercial circles.

Everyday folks have an innate respect for people who can write down enough coherent thought, and organize it completely enough, to produce a book. An awful lot of people never get that far. Some may think about it, but never do it. As a published author, as far as a lot of folks are concerned, you’re in a league of your own. And that’s a pretty good feeling!

I’ve gotten a bit of practice having that feeling. To my friends and family, I’m “just Kay” and that’s fine with me. All that fame business just kind of gets in the way, when it comes to my personal relationships. But to people who read the international press in the areas I publish in (technology and cross-cultural concerns), I have a somewhat different persona — I’m a published author who has caught the attention of folks from Asia and Europe with a controversial and rabble-rousing work that hit the presses in the fall of 2006. It’s pretty cool, to come across people from far away, who have read reviews of my books in magazines and newspapers I’ve never heard of. And I’ve got some pretty cool clippings of articles that mention me — and my book — exclusively, or in passing. That was all possible, because I published a printed book. It doesn’t matter that I have eBook versions of my works available for instant download. Most of the time, that’s not even on the radar of the mainstream international press. In fact, if anything, they kind of turn up their noses when I mention my eBook. But my printed version of that same book… well, that’s another story.

Publishing a printed book widens the reach of your ideas in ways that digital media can’t quite do. You open up your ideas to a whole different audience, and you get the chance to make even more of an impact with your concepts and your unique “take” on the world… taking a position of true thought leadership in a hurting world that’s sorely in need of fresh, new ideas. In fact, now is really the perfect time to be stepping out as a innovative new author in the print publishing world. The old formulas and the old ways of seeing the world and talking about it and conceptualizing it and relating to it, are pretty tired and worn out. We need fresh new ideas, brilliant new insights, and innovative ways of thinking about our world. You may have distilled everything you know and popped it into an eBook, but the print world offers you yet another medium (or “channel,” if you prefer marketing lingo) for your ideas.

My favorite reason of all for publishing a printed book, is the profound satisfaction that comes from holding a real, honest-to-goodness tangible book in your hands. I’ve been a book reader for over 30 years, and I’ve never lost my love for the sight of words on a printed page. All the better, when those words are mine! Some would call it vanity, but I call it doing my talents justice… and having something to show for all my work, all those live-long years of writing, writing, and writing some more, against all odds, hope against hope. I’m a very tactile person, when it comes to words, too, so I like to have something to hang onto. Digital is great — it’s my medium of choice, these days — but I can’t flip through the pages of a PDF quite the same way I can thumb through a book.

It really is an incredibly exciting time to be a writer and independent publisher! I’m so deeply grateful to have been born at this point in history, with my love of language and books — and the ability to put that love into manifest product. The possibilities really are endless… provided, of course, you know how to explore them. And that’s what this guide is about — getting you, an infopreneur or digital product creator, the tools and the skills and the orientation you need, to turn your digital content into print format, so you can reach a wider audience and more firmly establish yourself in your own niche of thought leadership.

Kay Stoner
http://www.articlesbase.com/writing-articles/why-publish-your-writing-in-a-printed-book-96116.html

Tags: writing a book by admin
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You don’t have to put your family life on the auction block to write a saleable book anymore. Simply write the solution. It’s a known fact problem solver books sell well; even better than other non-fiction books.

Here are a few tips to help you design your book to sell well before you even write it. Give your manuscript the test of solutions. Ask yourself the question, ‘What solutions does my book offer? To achieve maximum sales in the marketplace, write your book to offer solutions for two to three questions or problems in your field:

1) Inspire people to do something good. Weave inspiring stories into your book and sell more. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership spent 18 straight months on the Business Week Business Best Seller List. Dr. Maxwell started each chapter with a short story of a famous person successfully using the chapter’s law of leadership.

2) Original, different information. Have you wondered what makes a new diet book sell well even when there are scores of diet books on the market? The author presents their unique set of successful diet rules, their exercise program, their perspective, their testimonials and their credentials. They use original, different information for the same results.

3) Success experiences that motivate your audience to do more, give more or share more. Share your experiences to motivate your audience. Share how you overcame seemingly insurmountable challenges in your field. It will motivate your audience to think if you did it; they can do it too.

4) Greater understanding of life. Have you been gifted with a deep understanding of life? Put small excerpts of your understanding throughout your book. Sprinkle your quotes along with other famous philosophers or world thinkers within your book.

5) Entertainment, humor or fun. Do you have a talent to make people laugh? Use it in your book. Provide a little oasis of escape for your readers. People love it when you entertain them. Intertwine funny stories into your non-fiction manuscript. Entertain them, make them laugh; they’ll love you for it. Best of all, they will have fun telling all their friends about your funny book.

Are you ready to start writing your solution oriented book yet? Did your book idea pass the test of solutions by answering questions in at least two areas? Great! Now that you know how to design your book to sell well, go ahead take the plunge. Don’t hesitate any longer. Start today. Your audience is waiting for your solution-oriented ideas and viewpoint. Make it different. Make it count. Make it yours.

Earma Brown
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/design-your-book-to-sell-well-before-you-write-it-p2-118728.html

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Authors, self publishers and book publishers often spend a lot of time thinking over possible titles for an upcoming book they plan to publish and rightly so. There are some basic considerations to keep in mind when choosing a title, assuming you’re publishing a non-fiction book.

The most important thing to remember is to choose a title that describes exactly what the book is about. Some of you may think this is common sense. But many publishers I’ve talked to have chosen titles that don’t give you any idea of what is in the book.

Many times publishers come up with cute, clever or humorous titles that offer the prospective buyer no clues.

Bookstores don’t like to carry books that don’t say exactly what the book is about. After all, many customers browse the spines of books on the bookshelves in search of the information they need.

Say your book is about repairing Volkswagen engines. If you pick a title like “My Life with Cutie Patootie” instead of “How to Fix Your Volkswagen Beetle Engine”, you’re signing a death warrant to your publishing efforts.

I recall a case when two titles came out about the same time. Both had the same title – “When the Bough Breaks.” They were similar in content but who knew what gems might really be inside. The books never had a chance without a descriptive title.

Publishers often find themselves in this ‘title’ dilemma after they publish their book. They have two options. Go back for another print run with the new title or continue to throw money down the drain and market the ‘heck’ out of the book. Granted they’ll sell some if they’re persistent but nothing like the rewards a good title would bring.

In any case, you want your title to be simple and exact for the search engines. And a ‘how to’ in your title guarantees you a lot more ‘hits’ from Google and the other search engines. After all, people use Google to search for information they need NOW – help that fills their needs, wants and desires. As a result, traffic will increase to your website or any other website that carries or mentions your book.

Besides bookstores and Google, librarians like titles that describe the book exactly. They’re likely to order more copies for their patrons. Librarians don’t necessarily order just one copy. They order multiples, for the main branch and all the branches. Don’t overlook them as a good source for sales.

I’ve seen many titles make or break publishers with great marketable non-fiction books. In some cases they were forced to change the title and go back for another print run – expensive. Some couldn’t afford to do it. They were stuck with a garage full of books on pallets. Don’t let this happen to you.

Knowing all of this, if you absolutely can’t bear the thought of giving up your ‘working title’, then use it for the sub-title. But using it as the title will guarantee a slow but certain death to your publishing and marketing efforts.

The title is the most important decision you’ll have to make when you publish a book.

To be safe, authors, self publishers and book publishers need to make sure they choose the best title for their book – a title that says exactly what their book is about. What it contains. No guesswork. And a ‘how to’ in the title will never be outdated or go out of style. Everyone will appreciate knowing what the book is about and a lot more copies will be sold.

Helen Hecker
http://www.articlesbase.com/publishing-articles/how-to-choose-the-best-title-for-your-self-published-book-81381.html

Tags: how to get a book published by admin
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I’m working on one, my friend is working on one, and we’re both working on one together. So, we’re trying to get 3 books published, but anyways, how much money does the author make if a book they wrote gets published? I know they sometimes go on TV, but I just wanna know the money amount they receive.

As already mentioned, it depends on sales, or, in some cases, anticipated sales.

You wouldn’t expect a book that sells a few dozen copies would result in the same kind of pay as a book that sells millions of copies. You also wouldn’t expect a first time author to get paid the same as an established "best selling" author.

TV and movie deals come well AFTER the success of a book is established. Same with publishing deals for markets outside of the country.

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I plan on writing a book in the near future and I wanted to know how much would it cost for me to get it published is it as simple as me paying a fee and they send me copies to sell.

I recommend that you read Writer’s Market. Do not self publish or use a vanity press. That costs money.

Join a Writer’s Group and critique others and get used to them critiquing you. Then read the section in Writers Market about submitting a book for publishing.

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