Want to Write a Book? Here's the Blueprint
This is the ultra-condensed, bullet point version of my book writing course, Divine Write.
It’s how I wrote more than 20 books (and helped others write books too). So if you’ve ever thought about writing a book, here’s your roadmap.
Note: There’s a secret holiday discount code for the Divine Write course until January 2. You get it for $143 instead of the regular $224. Email me (stephenparato@gmail.com) and I’ll personally send you the coupon code.
First, the big picture.
Writing a book is based on four steps…
The 4 Big Steps to Write a Book
Ideation
Outlining
Writing
Editing
Now let’s look at each step individually.
Step 1: Ideation
Get clear on your book idea.
What’s the point?
What are the main topics?
Who is it for? Who’s your ideal reader?
What transformation are you creating?
Note: All of this can be applied to fiction too. Ex/ What transformation does the main character go through?
Step 2: Outlining
Outlining is how you make your idea more tangible and actionable.
A good outline makes it so much easier to write a book.
Write down all of the topic ideas you can think of.
Find the main topics that you can turn into chapters.
Organize it in a logical, cohesive sequence.
Put your outline in bullet point form (like this).
Step 3: Actually Writing
The key is writing every day.
The best practice = Set a timer and just write (no distractions).
Optimize your writing by getting into flow state.
Let go of perfectionism (you’ll never finish unless you put your inner critic aside).
Write an imperfect first draft, then edit it to make it great.
Write like you’re speaking to your ideal reader at a cafe.
Write with PRECISION and CONCISION.
4 habits that naturally improve your writing:
Write every day
Read more
Journal
Be mindful and notice things that most people don’t
Writing tips:
Catch attention in the beginning.
Use analogies and examples to make memorable points.
Vary your sentence length and structure.
Write with active voice more than passive voice.
Step 4: Editing
Here are the rounds of editing:
Content - The scope, themes, ideas, examples and other content.
Voice and tone - The "vibe" of your book and how you resonate with the reader.
Grammar/spelling - This one is self-explanatory.
Reading experience - What’s the reading experience like?
Publishing
There are a lot of options when it comes to publishing:
Easiest: Publish an ebook
Easy: Publish via Amazon KDP (best option for most people starting)
Less easy: Publish via Lulu, Draft2Digital, Blurb or Ingram Spark
Most difficult: Traditional publishing (find an agent, submit to publishers, etc)
Choose your own adventure, based on your goals, needs, timeline, budget, etc.
Note: There’s so much disruption happening in the publishing world right now. No one really knows what they’re doing, or what the best form of publishing is these days.
Book Publishing Checklist:
Manuscript (the actual document of your book)
Choose publishing service (example: Amazon KDP)
Title/Subtitle
Cover design (and back cover for print books)
ISBN (optional, but recommended)
Book description (for your book’s product page)
Category
Keywords
Price
Marketing
Marketing 101: “If you need to persuade someone to take action, you’re doing marketing.” - Seth Godin
The key for authors is to build a loyal tribe of readers.
It’s all about building trust over time (so start now).
You can use your book to build ANY brand (and in any way).
Example: As a lead generator for coaching/consulting clients.
3 Basic Principles of Marketing:
Focus on the benefits of your offer (more than the features).
Make it about them (the reader), not you.
Show that you actually care.
Simple Book Launch Plan:
Tell your audience (most important).
Leverage other people’s platforms (example: podcasts).
Optional: Run ads (not for most people).
The Next Level
You can connect with the energy of your book via meditation.
The more inner blocks you let go of, the easier the writing process is.
Self-sabotage is much more of an obstacle than lack of information when it comes to book writing.
Use guided writing sessions to practice getting into flow state.
Find your unique writing style so that you can innovate both with your book and the marketing of it.
For the Interested
Okay, so that’s the ultra-condensed, bullet point version of my course, Divine Write.
As I mentioned above, there’s a secret holiday discount for the Divine Write course until January 2. Email me (stephenparato@gmail.com) and I’ll personally send you the coupon code to get it for $143 (instead of the regular $224).
Bonus points if you can guess why it’s priced that way.
Cheers to your book,
Stephen Parato
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