Self Publishing: Common Book Writing FAQs
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Book writing is the first stage in the book publishing process and a very important one for that matter because before a book can be published or promoted, it must firstly be written.
In this post, we are examining some common book writing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).This post is by no means an exhaustive one and additions and comments are welcomed to really make this a comprehensive collection of Book writing FAQs.
Question 1: When can I start writing a book?
Answer: The best time to start writing a book is now! Now is the time to start writing about that book that you have always wanted to write. There is no hard rule as to when you can start writing a book, the idea is you just have to start writing now.
Whenever you feel like writing about anything, that is just the best time to start all the writing, the time to pick that pen and notepad or open that PC or Mac and start writing. Keep writing, you are creative, show it to the world!
Question 2: What can I write about?
Answer:Anything, Everything and something! Those are the three things you can start writing about.
Firstly,anything that you love to write about, you can always write about it. Be it your hobby, your passion or what you love to do and what you love to talk about.
Secondly, everything you have the expertise, the time and passion to write about, you can write about them.
Thirdly, something…That something you have been dreaming about, that story you have always like to see people read about, that one experience you will always cherish or remember. That something always calling for attention to get written inside of you, those are the things you can write about.
What to write about is all about what you can write, what you know that you can write about and what you love and have the time to write about.
Question 3: Where can I write?
Answer :As long as you can have right atmosphere to write, you can write anywhere, everywhere and somewhere. as long as you can easily connect with your creative ability without any hindrance or disturbance.
Question 4: What is the best thing to write about?
Answer : The best thing to write about is what you can be happy writing about. No hard rule to this. There are different people with different reading taste, so far you can be proud of what you write as a writer, there would surely be someone out there who would also be happy to read what you write. The best you can do is to keep writing all the best you can write for that “someone”,
Question 5: For a blog post, where can I get the ideas of what to write about?
Answer :There are many ways to find ideas on what you write about in a blog post. These include but not limited to:
Browsing on similar blogs in the same niche as yours to have a feel of what other bloggers in your niche are writing about.
Your own experience and expertise in your field of interest is another idea of what you can write a blog post on. If I can ski dive and I can be called an expert in that, I can easily write lots of blog post on ski diving just as if I can sing, there is nothing stopping me from writing not only on how to sing but also on how I compose my songs, perform my songs and market my songs. That is just about getting the ideas of what to write about in a blog post using your experience and expertise in your niche of interest.
Happening and events around you or your specific niche can be lovely source of ideas of what to write about in your blog posts.
Hanging around Social Media networks like Twitter and Facebook can also provide lots of probable ideas of what to write a blog post about. On places like Twitter and Facebook, various people hang around to talk about what is popular and trending on a particular topic or area, hanging around places like these helps in knowing what people in your niche are talking about and interested in at the moment and those trending and popular topics are wonderful source of ideas of what to write about in a blog post.
Question 6: Why do Authors write books? What are the reasons for all authors writing a book?
Answer :Many might answer
that Authors write books just to make money. Maybe yes but that is not the main reason why authors probably most authors write a book. Money can be a reason but the main reasons common to all authors for writing books are two and they are:
To Educate: This is the main reason why most nonfiction authors write books. Writing a book for the money is fine but for all non-fiction authors, writing a book help educate some particular set of people on a particular genre or subject. For reading a non-fiction book, readers are finding one or two thing to learn from a book. To educate or teach someone on one particular topic or subject in fact is the main motivating factor that helps spurs an author to write in the first place.
To Entertain: For almost Fiction Authors, entertainment of book reader is the reason for book to be written. Fiction books are written to fill a need and the need is entertainment. To engage reader’s attention and time, to taka readers mind off their present environment and happenings around, to have fun, these and many more are the reasons for writing a fiction book.
Question 7: what are the benefits of writing books?
Answer : There are many benefits for writing a book. These include:
Writing books that sells well is a good source of income and a way to make some extra money. If you write a book that people love to buy, making money off such book is one of the main pay off for writing such books. There are many examples of authors who make good money from writing books for people to read.
The prestige and maybe the fame (if a book is a best seller) that writing a book confers to authors is of great beneficial note. In fact, many write a book only to be known as an author! This is made possible by the fact that not everyone can be a writer or author, so if someone can, then it’s of uttermost important to be proud of been among few out of many who can write a book and be called an author.
To many who want their memories to be remembered after they have gone and many who want something that will outlive them after their death, writing a book is a good way of achieving that if only they can. Writing a book has the benefit of having something to outlive authors, something that can always be use to remember the life and time of such people. Many authors have been dead for years but their books still exist and even popular till date. Book like Think And Grow Rich still sells till today and readers will always remember one Napoleon Hill who died many years ago all because he wrote like Think And Grow Rich that outlive him.
Writing a book also have the benefit and advantage of making authors so popular and also to be seen and addressed as an expert on a particular niche, subject or topic. When it come to personal finance, the name Robert Kiyosaki will always ring a bell, this is an advantage for Robert for writing best selling personal finance books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad and many more books like that. Such is the benefit of been an author.
Every Author can be said to be creative in one way or the other. It takes creativity to write what other people will be interested in and also love to read. Writing books helps authors to horn their creative prowess. This to me means writing helps in personal and self development. The more an authors writes, the more creative they becomes as it is a natural rule that practice makes perfect. If you like to be more creative, just write book!
Question 7: Every trade have a tool, what are the tools for writing?
Answer : Writing can be the most simplest thing to do. This is because; it requires no elaborate or expensive tool. It can be done with no money at hand and with the simplest of all known tools and there are many tools you might never have think of using as authors, you might be in for a surprise.
Tools for writing include:
- Pen: For writing on paper
- Paper Notepad or Notebook: For writing of books
- Alarm Clock to help wake up in the night to write
- PC or Mac
- iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, Android Phone,Electronic organizers for those who love to write on the move (I love writing on my Blackberry a lot, it’s both mobile and compact and its my mobile office assistant)
- Internet ( Every Author should be able to use this lovely but expansive tool)
- Table or Bedside Lamp
- Tea or Coffee (to refresh and stay alert during a long writing session)
- The heart and passion for writing (the very first tool every author and writer must have, without this, every other tools are just only tools)
Question 8: I am through with writing my book manuscript, what next?
Answer : Good job well done. Next is to get the book published but before then, now is the time to edit your book manuscript or draft. Editing and proofreading is the best thing for authors to do here before getting a book published. Editing a book helps to get rid of mistake and errors that can make a reader to have the best reading experience.
Question 9: How do I go about editing my book manuscript?
Answer : This depend on how the book is to be published. For book to be published through the old traditional way of publishing, then there is no need to worry about the process of editing. This is because that is the business of your book publisher. But if you are Self Publishing your book, then the job of editing rest on your shoulder .Here you either find a friend, family or associate to help edit and proofread your manuscript or you hire a book editing and proofreading expert or service. The internet is a good way to find such experts.
What are some other common book writing questions and what are the book writing questions you might want to ask as a Self Publishing Author? Kindly let me know what you questions are by leaving a comment at the comment box below or you send me a mail at MayorLan@TheSavvyIndie.com, I will be happy to answer your question or find an answer to it from book writing experts.
My aim is to make this post an extensive Book Writing FAQ pool for Indie Authors.
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The post Self Publishing: Common Book Writing FAQs appeared first on The Savvy Indie.
