How Busy Pros Become an Author: 7 Steps to Get It Done

Have you wanted to write a book and can't get to it? Do you have ideas and stories to share with clients or patients that can change their lives for the better? If you want to finally call yourself an author, you can absolutely make it happen.

However, you might be saying to yourself, "That's great, Melissa, but how am I supposed to do it?" As an author of fifteen books, a seasoned ghostwriter and writing coach, I am going to tell you how to become an author. 

Below are the seven main tactics you need to follow. Although there are multiple steps involved in each tactic, you can see the broad activities to be done to get your book written and published.  

Step #1: Decide if you need help

If you have fairly good writing skills, you can definitely write your own book. I encourage you to give it a go. However, before you start, take an inventory of your time availability and familiarity with publishing. Would it be worthwhile to work with someone to help you get to the finish line? You collaborate with teams of people on projects in your work life. Why not follow the same strategy to get your book done?  For authors, there are two options if you want help to get your book written and published.  

? Writing Coach. If you plan to do all the writing, a writing coach can serve as a mentor throughout the entire process. A coach can guide you to organize the project, create a writing schedule, assist in developing a detailed outline of the book, and serve as editor of the manuscript. A writing coach, who is also a published author, can really be helpful navigating the many choices in the publication and distribution of your book.

? Ghostwriter. A ghostwriter offers all a writing coach does plus writes the manuscript using the ideas, resources, and stories you provide to them. Depending on the ghostwriter, you can be as involved as you wish in the entire process. I have found some authors offer lots of feedback and edits on their manuscript while others are not so involved.  

If you decide to get professional help, it will make getting to the finish line to see your name on a book cover a little easier.  

Step #2: Create a writing schedule

The secret to getting a book written is sticking to a writing schedule. It is amazing to see how one hour here and two hours there add up. If you plan to write a book, choose when and where you will write and stay committed to the schedule. An example may be writing on your home office computer every Sunday morning from 8:00 a.m. to noon. Maybe you will write one hour a day during lunch. Decide what schedule realistically fits your life and just do it.

I would also recommend avoid taking phone calls or monitoring email during your writing sessions. These precious hours spent writing will be more relaxing and productive if you remain focused on just one thing ? writing.   

Step #3: Pick your topic and book content

As the expert, you know what your readers want and need. Pick a topic and theme that will resonate with your audience. Decide what specific information you want to share. Will you use any research to support your ideas? Are you going to include interviews? What images, if any, will be included? Once you have a clear vision of your book's content, it helps drive the decisions you make to present your book to the world. 

Step #4: Consider self-publishing your book

Thanks to technology, authors have many choices to share their books with readers. A traditionally published book is one option. For many other authors self-publishing their book is a preferred choice. The benefits to publishing your book through Amazon or other print-on-demand platforms include the following:

? All rights to the work remain with you.

? You retain full creative control over your book.

? As an independent author, you receive a higher royalty on all books sold.

? The turn-around from manuscript to publication is much faster.

Do your research to learn about how self-publishing your book is done. It can be an exciting and rewarding journey.

Step #5: Write your manuscript

Bringing together all your ideas and content is the fun part of writing a book. Knowing that what you share is going to change someone’s life for the better is so rewarding. It is what will keep you focused and stick to your writing schedule.  

Authors typically ask me for advice about how to get a manuscript written. Let me tell you two of the most important insights I share. First, create a folder in the Cloud to house all your work. When writing in my home office, I write directly in the Cloud. If I am at another location like the library, coffee shop, or park, I always will back-up my work on a flash drive. When I return to the office, I update my Cloud folder with the most updated file. Why? You never have to worry about losing your work. Trust me, I learned decades ago how painful it is to have perfect prose disappear with no back-up.

The second insight is to let you know it is normal to make changes and move things around as you write. Your manuscript is like a living, breathing entity that is a work in progress. What is extremely important is to keep all your notes from beginning to end. Why? You will not remember every change, deletion, or addition you make.  Depending on whether you are writing a short book or full-length book, it will take multiple months up to a year to write a manuscript. The ability to track significant changes will save you frustration in the long run.

Step #6: Get an experienced editor to review your manuscript

Even the most successful authors use an editor. Nothing shouts out amateur more than a book that contains typos, grammatical errors, inconsistencies, lack of symmetry, and proper voice in its prose. If you choose to have your book traditionally published, the publisher will connect you with one of their editors. However, if you opt to self-publish, you will need to find an experienced editor to review your manuscript.

Let me share my process in working with an editor for my clients. It may be different than other ghostwriters or writing coaches, but I have found this to be the best approach. I prefer to have an editor review the book in real time as it is being written. In other words, instead of having an editor read the final first draft, which may be hundreds of pages long, the editor I work with reviews the book multiple chapters at a time. I prefer this approach for several reasons. First, problems can be immediately addressed before hours and hours of time have been spent on a manuscript. Second, by the time the manuscript is written, a fairly solid first draft has been written. It makes the tweaking and refinement to get to the final manuscript a lot easier.  

Whether you are working with a writing coach or ghostwriter, find an experienced editor who can offer this service.

Step #7: Let everyone know you wrote a book 

When you first hold the final manuscript in your hands, there is no feeling like it in the world. There is a sense of relief to finally have your book written. An amazing sense of accomplishment and excitement also fills your heart with joy. Now it is time to share your book with the world.

The strategy to market and advertise your book is the same whether you are traditionally or self-published. After all, you want more people to read your book than just family and friends! You will need to develop a very detailed marketing and advertising plan. It should include actions for book pre-launch, launch, and long-term promotion. The following are the main pillars to your strategy:  

? Traditional book marketing. There are many checklist items to traditional book marketing some of which include: advanced review copies (ARCs), author website, press releases, testimonials, and setting up speaking engagements.

? Social media marketing campaigns. A comprehensive social media marketing campaign for non-fiction books can establish you as an influencer. Use multi-channels that apply to your market such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and your website. Create different types of content to share such as posts, blogs, and short video. Remember to also use your website and e-newsletter to communicate your messaging. Also, use inbound marketing tactics to expand your e-newsletter mailing list and subscribers.

? Partnerships for promotion. Develop a robust network of partnerships to share your book to your targeted audience. Connect with these partners by talking to their members, patrons, viewers, and listeners. Yes, you need to come outside your comfort zone and speak in different public forums. These include: business groups, libraries, organizations, conferences, live Facebook events, and YouTube videos. Unless you are a public figure or established media brand, I always encourage my clients to start local. Doing so gives you the chance to build your “public speaking chops” and perfect your message. Start with local groups, cable, television, and niched podcasts. Learn the speaking craft well so you will shine when you are showcased on major media outlets.

Depending on your time availability and knowledge of marketing and advertising, you may need to get help. I typically advise clients to review their current internal resources and personal network of professionals. Take the lead and put together a solid team of people who can execute your plan. It actually can be a lot of fun. Plus, the big benefit is you are working with people you already know with a proven track record.  

The Wrap Up

Many people dream of writing a book, but never make it to the starting gate. You now know the seven steps for busy professionals to become an author. Move forward to make your book a reality. As an author, you will become a member of an elite club ? a published author.  

Now, get writing!