Effortless Ways to Start Working & Completing Your First Book
Effortless Ways to Start Working & Completing Your First Book
Are you considering becoming an Amazon bestseller but don’t know where and how to start?
Let us tell you that every writer has been going through the same process.
Writing is easy – but – the toughest part is getting started.
Indeed, many newbie writers believe that the hardest part is getting published.
This, however, is only true for traditional publishing, which can take a few years.
Now, if you cannot wait for a few years, you will want to opt for self-publishing.
The essential benefit of self-publishing is that you get to control everything. Truly, you get to do it all: hiring editors, hiring proofreaders, and choosing a date for publication.
Also, we must mention the amazing Amazon editorial reviews to boost your author platform.
Now you know that the hard part isn’t getting published – but – the hard part is all about getting started.
To make things easier for you, we have jotted some absurdly easy steps below to help you start writing your book.
Keep reading!
Take the Plunge – Get Started on Completing Your First Book
You will have to start eventually – you cannot wait for the perfect day – the perfect day will never come.
You must change your mindset and prepare for the initial stages of writing your book.
Firstly, you will want to decide which genre to write about.
Once you have decided on the genre, you should think about one sentence to summarize your book.
Suppose someone were to ask you what your book is about – you should be able to explain it in a sentence.
You will want to write down the one line that explains your book and then stretch that one sentence into a paragraph.
Eventually, use mind mapping to branch out the themes and characters of the book – if you are writing fiction.
You will also want to use an outline and prepare a detailed table of contents.
However, if outlining isn’t your thing, you will want to take the main idea and work from there. Take time to break each chapter into different sections – the beginning, middle, and end.
Nail Your First Chapter
As a newbie writer, you will want to understand the simple rule. Because your first chapter matters the most, it can either make or break your book.
Getting the opening pages of your book right is mandatory. You do this to ensure readers buy your book and read it from beginning to end.
You will want to hook the reader’s attention. Indeed, if you lose them in the initial pages, you will lose them forever.
The average reader only takes five minutes to form an opinion about the book, so you will want to nail your first chapter.
You can use different tips to make the reader hooked on your first chapter. For instance, you could make the readers feel an empathetic connection with the main character. You will want to avoid making the first chapter ambiguous for the readers.
If you look at things from the reader’s perspective, you see that they are thrown into an unfamiliar world. In this unfamiliar place, they have to make sense of the unknown elements.
The best way to start your book is to depict the main character in internal and external conflict, thus cutting straight through the reader’s heart.
Set a Daily Writing Goal while Completing Your First Book
Here is the thing about writing a bestseller book – you will want to write about something that excites you to get back to your laptop daily. The readers can tell when the author isn’t been passionate about the subject.
Now, you don’t want to be one of those authors who only write to get a book published. You will want to choose a subject you are the most passionate about and will be eagerly looking forward to completing.
Many newbie writers start the writing process but never get to complete the manuscript – simply because they lose interest. With that said, once you have chosen a topic that interests you, you will want to set a daily goal – even if it means you have to wake up a couple of hours earlier in the morning.
To get your creative juices flowing, perhaps you might want to try using a tool like AI. Many companies are starting to offer affordable options utilizing AI publishing. It might be worth a look.
Also, you don’t have to write a lot – consistency is the key; you will want to write regularly. Set small, attainable goals that won’t make it feel like a struggle.
You will want to set up a dedicated writing spot to reach your daily writing goal. Make sure your writing spot is free of distraction – it can even be a simple kitchen table or a peaceful café of your choice. The only thing is that it needs to be a different spot where you don’t do other activities.
Accept Feedback & Criticism as you are Completing Your First Book
You can benefit from early feedback by working closely with a professional editor. Nothing might be more discouraging than writing a book – only to find that you have to re-write it simply because you didn’t have a professional take a look at it.
While it is all right to have your friends and family in the loop to get constructive feedback and a reader’s insight, hiring a professional editor who will give you honest feedback about your writing is still advised.
This way, you will know that you are headed in the right direction – even if your goal is to opt for the traditional route of publishing your books, as many publication houses prefer pre-edited manuscripts instead of the ones they have to edit themselves.
Final Thoughts on Completing Your First Book
You will want to commit to completing your book no matter how hard it feels. The best way to do so is by setting a deadline for yourself to complete the book and then a deadline to release the book to the world by sending it to the publisher or by publishing it on Amazon.
Right before publication, you might have second thoughts about the book. It is normal to have cold feet – many writers get cold feet each time they are about to publish their work. But – you will want to let your completed work be seen by the world – even if it means you get greeted by failure.
As the finishing line of your project draws closer, you will want to embrace failure. As a newbie writer, you are most certainly going to fail – but – you will want to be okay with failing for the first time – even for the second, third, and fourth time.
Failing is the thing that will sustain you – and if you do fail, keep going by writing another book and then another – until you hit the jackpot.
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