Writing Your Book: Getting Started
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
— Maya Angelou
Many of us can relate to this sentiment. In fact, a survey in the US found that 81% of Americans would like to write a book. You may not know what that story is yet, but you’ve certainly got some ideas, and more importantly if you’re reading this, the drive to share them with an audience. Of course, what takes you from would-be writer to published author is the act of putting your thoughts into words on a page, whether it’s a gripping plot for a novel or a non-fiction book that will inform readers around the world.
So how to get started? There’s a lot to consider — from the mundane practicalities of ideal word counts to the best ways to stave off procrastination and write one day at a time. I’ve spent my career working with writers and creatives, first as a book editor for well-established publishers and now managing and growing writing services at Fiverr. I’ve collaborated and commiserated with many an author on the process of turning a kernel of an idea into a widely-read book.
Here are some guidelines to help take your idea from prologue to epilogue.
Your Bestselling Idea
You may already have an idea, or perhaps you’re trying to come up with one. For some, this whitespace is an exciting chance to spread their wings and take a creative leap, while for others, the overwhelming feeling of having real freedom sets in and panic ensues.
I won’t bore you with the old adage to “write what you know,” but at the very least, write about something that interests you. If you choose a subject solely based on what you think will sell, or what other people want to read, you won’t have the drive to stick with it and see it through. Plus, if you’re picking a concept because you think it will sell, well, there are many other opportunistic folks out there probably doing the same thing. Thinly-veiled, carbon copies of other bestsellers often miss the mark.
It’s also important to remember that your book doesn’t have to be a story. It can be a how-to manual or a cookbook. It can help your readers tackle their problems, or study up on a new industry. What matters is that you care enough about the content to write something interesting and unique. I’ll be covering how to identify book opportunities and niches in an upcoming post.
The Ideal Length
How long should your book be? It’s a common question from writers who are starting out. You can rest assured that not every book needs to be the length of War and Peace to be considered a work of art, but you also can’t just write 20,000 words, wrap it up, and hope that does the job. There are guidelines you should follow within the publishing world. If you’re looking for an agent or publisher, they probably won’t consider your manuscript if the length isn’t right, and even when self-publishing, readers expect a relative certain length from different books and genres.
The Every Day Novelist outlines how Young Adult novels really should stick within the 70K — 90K range but have a little more flexibility to reach up to 110,000 words if they are science fiction or fantasy. Writer’s Digest offers more insight, suggesting a good fiction book should ideally be in the range of 80K — 90K, or could safely reach 90K — 100K, while The Creative Penn recommends works of non-fiction should be between 60K — 80K.
Once you’ve nailed down the length of your book, you should also start thinking about chapter length. Do you want short chapters for a page-turning thriller or longer ones that give you space to thoroughly describe every store front and back alley of the town where your story takes place?
Imagine someone reading your book, (exciting, huh?). Are they reading slowly, taking time to absorb the meaning of every carefully chosen word? Or are they on the edge of their seat, racing to find out what happens? If it’s the former, you may want to consider longer chapters. If it’s the latter, shorter chapters and shorter paragraphs are key.
Structuring Your Book
Just like an essay you’d write in high school, your book needs a beginning, a middle, and an end. Of course, you should flesh out how to start and end your book, but you should also think about various storytelling devices. Do you want to go classic to reel in your reader or turn established rules on their head to create a new and exciting format?
The folks at Now Novel have a great blog post outlining seven different common storytelling structures. Perhaps you prefer the classic three-act structure, with an introduction, a conflict in the middle and a climax or resolution at the end. Or maybe the mirror structure, exemplified in David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas, in which he leaves unresolved sections until the middle of the book when character arcs are resolved in reverse order.
If you’re writing a non-fiction book, that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook for story structure. According to the writers at IngeniumBooks, the structure is just as crucial for a non-fiction book, whether that be a memoir, a biography, or a self-help book, lest you risk losing your readers in the doldrums of fact listing. Possible story structures for your non-fiction book include:
- Manipulating time: Begin the story in a place that isn’t the beginning, then recount the story from the actual beginning.
- Multiple narratives: Tell various stories from different points of view that happen in parallel timelines.
- Chronological: Perhaps the simplest way to order your content in a step-by-step process.
- The classic story: There is no reason why the three-act structure won’t work for your non-fiction work too.
Deadlines Are Your Frenemies
It may feel like you’re back at school and haven’t submitted your homework on time, but trust me, deadlines will help you get this book written, published, and out there for people to read.
Of course, if you’ve gone the traditional publishing route and have inked a book deal, you’ll have some publisher-imposed deadlines that can theoretically help you. But having worked with many writers myself, I know that even a contractually-obligated deadline can get broken, so it’s important to set yourself up for success.
First off, don’t just choose a date a year from now, thinking you’ll probably have it finished by then. Too often, new and established writers alike become overwhelmed by the thought of having to write a whole book in a matter of months. New York Times best-selling author Jerry Jenkins recommends breaking your book into smaller pieces. He suggests visualizing your manuscript as a collection of sentences, paragraphs, and pages. Give yourself a series of targets to meet. These can include a due date for a detailed outline, another for the first few chapters, and yet another for the complete manuscript.
Read and Write Every Day (yes, really)
Writing is a muscle that can be strengthened or can atrophy from lack of use. Flex it daily in order to keep it sharp and to keep inspiration flowing. Also important: good writers are also good readers. The more words you take in, the more exposure you’ll have to different styles, turns of phrases, or small observations that can influence your own style. In our digital world, we actually read more than ever. No one said you need to draw inspiration exclusively from books! Pay attention to all the things you read on a daily basis.
To ensure you’re writing daily, create a realistic writing schedule. Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa, 2010 winner of the Nobel Prize, emphasizes the importance of keeping a writing schedule that you really follow. He says that if he waited to write when inspiration struck, he would never have finished a book.
I personally find I’m most clearheaded in the morning, and opt to start my writing days first thing, with a cup of coffee by my side. Taking into consideration your schedule and realistically how much time you can dedicate, choose the rate at which you’d like to write. Whether you can write 100 words per day or 2,000, the important thing is to stick to it.
Maya Angelou would famously rent a hotel room for a few months when she had to write, arriving each day at 6:30am to start creating. Stephen King spends three to four hours a day, writing six pages. And JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter with snatched moments at Edinburgh cafes as a single mom.
All that is to say, just like with any good habit, writing a book requires constant and consistent dedication.
Write First, Edit Later
There’s nothing more daunting for a writer than a blank page. And often, even when writers begin putting ink onto the page (or Times New Roman onto the screen), it can be very tempting, especially at first, to go back and correct every little mistake. There is no better way to interrupt your flow than by doing this. Forget about errors; that is why we edit. Now is about writing, getting those words down, and seeing your story take shape.
There are so many great digital platforms you can use to support your writing. The Hemingway App tests the reading level of your work and can help simplify your language and make it bolder, much like its namesake’s writing. Grammarly is another excellent resource, especially for grammar and punctuation.
Hire an Editor
I’m not just saying this because it used to be my job: an editor will make all the difference to your work. If you’re working with a publisher, an editor will be part of the team helping you perfect your manuscript, but even if you’re self-publishing, you can have a whole team of professionals at your disposal. I built Fiverr’s self-publishing arm to help make this even more accessible and to enable authors to connect with freelance editors who can help make a manuscript publishing-ready.
There are three main types of editors that you should consider for this process: developmental editors, copyeditors, and proofreaders. A developmental editor can help you with the structural aspects and character development.
Once you have written your book, a copyeditor will look over the mechanics of your writing. They’ll check for errors in grammar and spelling, fact-check, and even ensure you haven’t written anything libelous.
The third type of editing involves a proofreader, who will pick up any last errors before publishing, and will also be focusing on ensuring the proof matches your manuscript. That means they will be looking for page numbers that have become mixed up, checking the layout, and ensuring things like headers are uniform. It is always worth going through this three-stage process — your readers will thank you for it later. There is nothing worse than wading through a badly-written or inconsistent book, no matter how good the story is.
Get Moving!
Whatever genre strikes your fancy, these steps should help put you on the right path to getting started. If you’re still not sure what you’d actually like to write about, stay tuned. I’ll cover identifying trends and niche opportunities next time.
