Writing a book is hard. Writing a best-selling book is even harder. But writing a best-selling book in the era of social media, when self-publishing has become easier than ever before? That’s no small feat. So how does one accomplish it?
I’ll tell you what worked for me: First and foremost, find your motivation within–the reason why you want to write this book and get it published.
Then set realistic goals (you’ll need them to keep yourself on track). And finally, just write every day! To help make sure that happens, here are some tips and tricks from my own experience as an author who has sold well over 50 books.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Focus on both writing and marketing strategies. |
| Craft a compelling and attention-grabbing book description. |
| Develop relatable characters and a captivating plot. |
| Incorporate emotional depth and resonance in your story. |
| Research market trends and target your ideal readers. |
| Design an appealing book cover that reflects the story. |
| Leverage feedback from readers and industry professionals. |
| Embrace disciplined writing routines and continuous improvement. |
| Understand the importance of effective book promotion. |
| Connect with your audience on a personal and emotional level. |
Find Your “Why”
One of the most important things you can do to become a successful author is to figure out your “Why.”
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Let Me Explain
The difference between being a writer and being a published writer is motivation. The difference between being a published writer and being an author who has written multiple best-selling books is motivation.
You see, when it comes to writing, motivation is key and if you don’t find yours, you’ll never be able to write your book in the first place! That’s why we’ve put together this guide on how to find your “why” so that even someone with no experience or skills can write their first best-selling novel (or nonfiction book).
Find Your “What”
Now that you have a list of goals and projects, it’s time to set some deadlines. You’re going to need an editor, so start working on your manuscript now.
You should also set daily word count goals and reward yourself when you reach them. Find something that works for you maybe it’s a cupcake or a glass of wine but make sure whatever it motivates you enough so that the habit doesn’t die out after the first week or two.
If writing every day sounds too daunting, try doing something else every day instead like exercising, and use that as an excuse to take breaks from writing without feeling guilty about not writing at all (or if this doesn’t work out for whatever reason).
Find You’re “How”
The “How” section is all about the methodology of your book. This is where you’ll explain how you’re going to execute your idea. You should be as specific as possible, including any steps that will take place before, during, and after the completion of your book.
It’s also important to consider whether or not this part of the book will change over time.
For example, if someone promises a fitness program in their proposal but then proceeds to rewrite it after they get an agent or publisher because certain aspects aren’t working out as well as planned and it could happen! then it might make sense for them not to mention those changes until later on in their proposal if at all possible.
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Write Every Day
Set aside time to write. It’s important that you set aside time every day to write, even if it’s just for ten minutes. If you don’t have any other pressing commitments, try writing in the morning when you wake up or at night before bed. The best thing about scheduling your writing sessions is that it forces you out of your comfort zone and into action.
Write even when you feel like it (or don’t). Even if you are not feeling inspired, still sit down and write something it doesn’t have to be great; just get something down on paper! It’s much easier to go back over what was written than start fresh each time.
Create A Daily Word Count Goal
If you’re a serious writer, then you should be writing every single day. The goal is to get your words on the page and make progress toward your final draft. But how many words do you need?
As a general rule, most authors write about 1,000–1,500 words per day a number that will vary for each person depending on their writing style. If that seems like too much or too little for you, try adjusting accordingly:
10-100 words per day: Good for beginners and nonfiction writers who have something interesting to say but aren’t sure where to begin
250-1,300 words per day: This range is ideal for fiction writers who are just starting or want to experiment with new genres
1,300+ words per day: For experienced novelists who want to create complex worlds and characters
Set A Deadline And Keep It
Setting a deadline is an integral part of any book project. It’s one of the best ways to stay motivated and on track because it forces you to think about when your book will be done, rather than thinking about it as something that might happen someday.
It also helps with other aspects of writing a book: if you know there’s a deadline in place, then you can start planning how much time each part will take so that everything fits into your schedule.
If necessary, set interim deadlines along the way as well, for example, if I want my first draft finished by November 1st (which is not far off), then I need to agree on what I want by October 1st at the latest; otherwise, there won’t be enough time for editing before Thanksgiving break!
Reward Yourself For Word Count Goals
- Reward yourself for word count goals.
- Take a break. You’re working hard, but you need to give your brain a rest now and then. Take a nap or watch TV or read something fun (and not related to writing).
Do something nice for someone else it could be volunteering your time at an animal shelter, taking the family out for ice cream, sending flowers to someone who helped you out… anything that makes them feel good about themselves instead of just making YOU feel good!
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Tell Others About Your Project
The best way to tell others about your project is to be open and honest. It’s difficult, but it’s worth it.
Tell your friends and family what you’re working on (even if they don’t care).
Tell your colleagues about the book or other work that you’re doing (and then listen to their feedback).
Talk to your boss if you think he or she will be supportive of what you’re doing. If not, look for another job!
Here are some tips for how this conversation could go: “Hey boss, I’m writing a book about [insert topic] and thought maybe I could take some time off here and there so that I can focus on writing.” Then listen intently as they talk if they say no right away, don’t give up hope!
The more politely and respectfully you ask someone for something like this, the more likely they’ll say yes.
Tell customers/clients/patients/students/friends/family members etc., why writing a book is important to YOU not just them; make sure they understand.
Finish Your First Draft Before You Start Editing
I know, I know: You want to make sure your book is good. And before you start editing, you want to make sure it’s perfect.
But here’s the thing: You can’t edit while you are writing. Or rewriting. Or proofreading—you get the point. The more time you spend staring at your work with a critical eye, the less time will be left for writing new material and refining what you’ve already written until it shines like gold in the sun (you’ve heard this metaphor before).
So unless your goal is just to ensure that every word of text on every page gets exactly as much attention as possible (which some people might find relaxing), stick with reading through all of it once or twice after finishing each chapter or section so far (or whatever makes sense).
If some errors or inconsistencies need fixing, then take care of them right away! Otherwise, leave all those red underlines and squiggly lines alone until later when they won’t distract from getting words down on paper or screenspace as it were
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Get The Opinions Of Others But Don’t Ask For Too Many Opinions
You may be thinking, “But how can I get the feedback of others if I don’t ask for it?” This is an excellent point.
The answer is to get as much input as possible but not too much. You don’t want to get so involved in other people’s opinions that your book becomes a compilation of everyone else’s opinions.
Oftentimes, the best way to do this is by working with an editor who will help you determine when things need to change or stay the same and guide you through writing processes that will make your book better than before.
Be Prepared To Make Changes To Your Draft In Response To The Opinions You Get From People You Trust
If you’re like me, your first draft will be a mess. You’ll probably have a hard time even looking at it again after you’ve written it. But don’t worry! That’s normal.
As I write this, I’m working on the first draft of my next book. It’s taking me longer than usual to finish because every time I look at what I’ve written so far, I want to throw up in my mouth a little bit (or maybe even a lot).
But that feeling doesn’t mean anything it just means that you’re doing something new and challenging and different from what you normally do; which is exactly what we want here!
I’m not going to lie: this section is going to be painful for some people (especially those who write eloquent prose as their primary mode of communication). For others, however, like me it will feel liberating and empowering as we learn how much better it feels when our writing sounds more natural instead of trying too hard all the time
Look Critically At Your Ideas And Consider Whether They Are Clear And Well-Supported
The next thing you should do is look critically at your ideas and consider whether they are clear and well-supported. If they are not, revise them so that they are. If they are, keep them as is.
In other words, if an idea doesn’t make sense to you or anyone else who reads it, don’t include it in the book! It’s better to leave out a good idea rather than include one that isn’t fully fleshed out or cannot be supported by evidence.
Cut Things That Do Not Make An Argument Stronger
The best way to cut things that don’t make your book stronger is to look at each part and ask yourself, “Does this make the argument stronger?” If the answer is no, then it doesn’t belong there.
For example: If you want to write a book about how successful people are morning people who get up early every day and never eat breakfast, and you’re writing a scene where your main character wakes up in bed with her boyfriend/husband/wife/partner and has some sweet morning sex before going for a run or something.
But if this scene doesn’t help establish that she’s not crazy about getting up early every day (or maybe she loves getting up early), then cut it out!
The only reason for that scene would be if there was some sort of tension between them about whether or not they should go for a run in the morning but if there isn’t any tension like this (or else maybe just too much of it), then leave out those scenes too!
And if they do have some disagreement over whether they’ll go running together later… well… just keep writing until you get through all these issues one by one until finally, everything makes sense again 🙂
Consistently Edit Your Work With An Eye Toward Clarity And Concision
Editing is where you make sure that your writing is clear and concise. Make sure it’s clear what you’re trying to say. Make sure it’s clear how you’re trying to say it (the tone, the word choice). Make sure it’s clear why you’re trying to say it and what specific idea or information are hoping to get across.
Finally, make sure that there is no repetition of ideas or phrases and that there isn’t overlap between paragraphs. The more concisely you can express your ideas without repeating yourself, the easier it will be for readers to grasp them quickly and move on with their lives!
Edit for flow
If you’re anything like me, you tend to write in long blocks of text. This is great for getting your thoughts out there and seeing what works, but it makes for a clunky read when it comes time to edit.
The first thing I do when I’m editing my writing is looking for places where I can combine sentences into more concise ones by removing unnecessary words or phrases. For example:
You can also use this technique to shorten long paragraphs by eliminating unnecessary words or phrases in each sentence (and then combining those sentences).
Another way this works well is if two different topics are being discussed that are related but separate you could combine them into one paragraph with two separate points, making sure they all come together at the end with an appropriate transition word or phrase (“in conclusion” is often useful here).
This will make it easier on readers who might otherwise find themselves lost along the way between two unrelated ideas or concepts.
Edit For Syntax, Grammar, And Spelling Errors But Proofread At The Very End
The next step is to edit for syntax, grammar, and spelling errors. This can be done with a spell checker (on your word processor or computer), a grammar checker (also on your word processor or computer), and/or by reading it aloud. You’ll probably find some mistakes in this process!
You should also get someone else to read it someone who isn’t related to you by blood. If they find errors that you missed, then you will want to go back over the book again until they don’t come up anymore.
Finally, when all of these steps have been completed and the book is as close to perfect as possible, then hire an editor or use one of many services available online (such as Grammarly).
Only after these steps have been completed should you submit your book for publication consideration!
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Find Your Motivation Within, Set Realistic Goals
The next step to writing a best-selling book is to find your motivation within and set realistic goals.
Before you even start typing, ask yourself: why do I want to write this book? What’s driving me? Is it because I’m passionate about it, or am I hoping for the glory and money? If it’s the former, then great! But if not, maybe rethink whether this is something that will make you happy in the long run.
Once you’ve decided on your reason for writing a book (and have established that it makes sense for both your career and personal life), think about how much time and energy you can commit toward making this ambition a reality.
Then set some goals based on that information to be realistic! Don’t try setting deadlines that are too short; instead, aim for something achievable to keep yourself motivated throughout the process.
Finally, don’t let other people distract or discourage you from achieving those goals! It might be easy at times especially when things get tough but always remember why this project is important enough for YOU to work on day after day.
Conclusion
Writing a best-selling book is no easy task. It takes time, dedication, and a lot of hard work. But the payoff is worth all that effort because it can change your life forever in a very positive way. So if you’re ready to take on this challenge, here are some tips on how to write (and sell) an amazing book that will make everyone want one
Further Reading
How to Write a Book Description Short Description: Learn the art of crafting compelling book descriptions that entice readers and effectively communicate the essence of your story, increasing the likelihood of attracting potential readers.
Write a Best-Selling Book Short Description: Dive into essential tips and techniques that can guide you in writing a book with the potential to become a best-seller. Uncover strategies that successful authors use to capture readers’ attention.
How to Write a Bestselling Novel Short Description: Explore a comprehensive guide on writing a bestselling novel, covering plot development, character creation, and narrative techniques that contribute to creating a captivating and commercially successful story.
FAQs
How can I improve my book’s description to attract more readers?
Crafting an engaging book description involves highlighting the key elements of your story, conveying its emotional appeal, and using persuasive language to captivate potential readers.
What are some common characteristics of best-selling books?
Best-selling books often feature relatable characters, well-paced plots, emotional depth, and a strong connection to the reader’s emotions. Effective marketing and targeting the right audience also play a significant role.
What makes a novel truly captivating and likely to become a bestseller?
A captivating novel has a unique and engaging premise, multidimensional characters that readers can connect with, a compelling narrative structure, and themes that resonate with a wide range of people.
How do successful authors manage to write best-selling books consistently?
Successful authors maintain a disciplined writing routine, continuously refine their writing skills, conduct thorough research, stay attuned to market trends, and are open to feedback from both readers and professionals in the industry.
What role does the book’s cover design play in its success?
The book’s cover design is the first thing that catches a potential reader’s eye. A professionally designed cover that visually represents the essence of the story and appeals to the target audience can significantly impact a book’s success.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.