Creativity is a gift of God (Exodus 31:2-4) and it makes good sense to ask Him  for wisdom and the anointing that will cause your book to touch nations. Pray earnestly for vision, revelation, strength, perseverance, a sense of direction, and release from frustrating circumstances and distractions, as well as wisdom, anointing and the ability to complete the project. We need to lean on the Lord every step of the way.

Practical preparation

Before beginning the book, there is some practical preparation to take care of.  Much like a building project, we need to know what we are trying to achieve and what the finished product will look like.

Start with the title and back copy. Before the book reaches completion, the title may change many times, but choosing a title helps to focus our thinking. What is the general purpose of the book? What is its specific purpose? What do we want people to feel, think, or do as a result of reading our book? It is a good idea to write down your specific purpose in seventy words or less and use it as copy for the back cover.

The Importance of a great cover

You can’t tell a book by its cover, but you certainly SELL a book by its cover! Once your title is definite, hire a good artist. The front cover is your best advertisement. Research has shown that most people are drawn to a book by the cover. They spend eight or less seconds looking at it before turning to the back cover, where they tend to spend about fourteen seconds. The front cover must say, “Pick me up.” The back cover says, “Read me.”

Collecting information.

While refining the title and back cover, the next step is to collect the information you will require for the book. Keep notes, quotations, items of information and research material together in a file. This simple step will save you much time and frustration.

A word about copyright

Copyright law is very strict. This is a right granted to creators under law. Copyright in all artistic works is established from the moment of creation. The only qualification required is that the work must be original. No one has the right to change an author’s work in any way and claim it as their own. This is called plagiarism and is illegal. Remember, therefore, to always give due credit for quotations by other authors. Put the copyright symbol, your name and date in your work to draw attention to its copyright status: e.g. Your name (c) 2008.

Disclaimer

Some useful wording:

“This book is designed to provide condensed information. It is not intended to reprint all the information that is otherwise available, but instead to complement, amplify and supplement other texts. You are urged to read all the available material, learn as much as possible and tailor the information to your individual needs.Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate as possible. However, there may be mistakes, both typographical and in content. Therefore, this text should be used only as a general guide and not as the ultimate source of information.The purpose of this book is to educate. The author shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused, or alleged to have been caused, directly or indirectly, by the information contained in this book.”

Use a model

Visit a local bookshop and choose a book that appeals to you. Follow the format and take note of the extra pages required to complete your book. Start working on a short biographical sketch and consider who may be suitable for the foreword.

Careful planning

Plan the book carefully. How many pages will it have? How many chapters? Having a rough idea of where you are going will help immensely once you start writing. If you plan 200 pages with 20 chapters, you will know a chapter is nearing completion when you reach ten pages. One A4 page is roughly equivalent to two pages of an average size book. Save the chapters in separate files on your computer. This will enable you to work on them at random.

Rough notes

Another excellent tip is to make rough notes of the planned contents of each chapter before you start the serious business of writing the book. You will find this an invaluable aid. These notes ensure that all points are covered without duplication. Keep your notebook with you at all times and write your thoughts on the appropriate pages. Eventually you will organize these notes into a rough skeleton from which to write the various chapters of your book. Writing from notes is so much easier than composing from thin air.

Just do it

Then “just do it” – start writing and sharing those wonderful gems that have impacted your life. Remember, you can always change what you have written. The important thing is to begin.

Target your reader

A useful tip is to target someone you know and write for them. Catch attention with the opening sentence and link it to the closing sentence. Write simply and enjoy sharing what life has taught you, knowing you are obeying the principle of sharing with future generations and leaving a legacy that will impact people for years to come.

Proofreading

Once your book is complete, select a few good friends and people who love reading to proofread the manuscript. If they tell you it was hard going .. rewrite!  Don’t rest until you have a vibrant easy-to-understand  book that is readable.

Publishing

Find a good editor to polish and prepare it for publication and decide whether to self-publish or submit to a regular publisher. Purchase the latest copy of the Artists’ and Writers’ Yearbook for more information about publishing.

Recommended Resource

Imagine how life would change if you knew you would make money on virtually any book you take to market AND you could do so with no out of pocket expense. What about the people you would impact through your written words?

Take a look at Kathleen Gage’s report “How to Write, Publish and Market a Book with No Out of Pocket Expense.” You will learn exactly what to do. Not only do you get the report, you also receive a learning guide and an audio recording on how this is done.

To get your copy now go to
How to Write, Publish and Market a Book with No Out of Pocket Expense

From His Eye Is On The Sparrow
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