Planning to write a book? Yes. Have any plans for it? No.
The imagination of writing your first-ever book is exciting and a little scary, right? Individuals often think of writing a fictional novel or sharing some kind of story. But the question is how?
Well, all they need is a clear path that takes them to their final destiny: writing and publishing a book!
Thus, whatever you want to share with the world, this is your time to make your voice heard and inspire millions of people.
I know you must believe that writing a 50,000 or even more word count book is not your game. But every new author thinks the same way. So yes, it’s not really a hard task if one knows the right steps. So, are you ready to find out?
If so, let’s get started with this blog.
Top 10 Steps to Write a Book With Zero Experience
On your way to start writing a book? New authors would definitely ask how to write a book with no experience. Well, it can be done properly by following some crucial steps. In the section below, we will look at these essential points so make sure to read it carefully.
Step #1: Determine your “why”
Can I write a book with no experience? Okay, a valid question. Well, sure you can! I believe we all do a task for a reason. And if that statement is right then you must first know your “why” for writing a book.
Well, many authors say that their passion and thirst to make their voice heard to the word encourage them to write. However, others might love to write or want to become a famous book writer.
Also, make sure to know if you want to write fictional content or just want people to know your unique generational history, etc. The list of possibilities is never-ending!
So, it’s crucial to know your reason as it will drive you to your ultimate goal and keep you motivated through writing content.
Step #2: Set realistic goals
Once you know your “why” and plan to start writing, set realistic goals. In addition, these include word count, time management, chapter completion, and more.
Here’s a breakdown of various types of books along with their average word count:
- General fiction: This is a safe range for every beginner who loves to write fiction, thriller, mystery, horror, or other genres. The average word count falls between 80,000 to 90,000 words.
- Non-fiction: the word count for writing this genre falls somewhere under 70,000 to 80,000 count.
- Young Adult novels (YA): These often have around 50,000 to 70,000 words
- Picture Books: These have a brief count of almost 500-600 words
- Novella: 17,000 to 40,000 words
- Middle-grade books: approximately 20,000 to 50,000 words
Besides word count, always set clear goals and divide your task into bite-size tasks. In addition, ensure time management and set mini-deadlines for each task.
Step #3: Create a unique angle
Every book gets famous for a certain reason, right? Like if you have a favorite book, there would be a reason why you liked it. For example, the book “Faults In Our Stars” is known for its cancer context coupled with humor and a romantic theme. Similarly, Harry Potter is known for its fictional themes and strong characters.
Thus, to write a stand-out book, you must find your unique angle that sets it apart from other stories. Also, you never know that your perspective might inspire or create something so tremendous that it remains forever in the hearts of people!
Step #4: Perform solid research
I know you must be wondering why research is important for writing a book. Well, every genre and type of book has certain elements that set them apart from others. For example, in a mystery thriller, you must already expect a suspenseful story and a twist in the plot.
Therefore, you must read various novels, talk with authors, and find out your own path to this successful journey!
Step #5: Start writing
Still confused? Still, wondering why you don’t have enough ideas? Well, these are some of the questions that every new author thinks of. However, if you keep on “thinking” only and won’t start your practical writing, you might not be able to reach the final mark of this race.
So, stop your overthinking here and start taking baby steps. In addition, write your ideas and jot them down to create a link between them.
Also, writer’s block can be a real struggle for a new author. To combat that, it’s best to set every day goals and work on them regularly. This will help to stay on track and ease this journey.
Step #6: Develop a writing routine
Writing a 50,000+ word count book is not a joke. Obviously you can’t spend your whole life first thinking of ideas and creating a link between them. After that, starting to write and completing the extensive word count, woah that’s A LOT! Sounds stressful and time-consuming, right?
To overcome this problem, you must adapt to writing regularly. This way you will start to train your brain to get used to this environment and give your 100% to this task. In addition, keep up with your momentum and work hard on your content.
Step #7: Revision and edit on your own
Your story, your book, and your passion combined with hard work and taking full accountability for your work is the real process. So, once you have completed the content, give yourself rest for a few days. After that, go through it and read it from a completely fresh perspective as if a reader would read your book.
Moreover, also look for minor errors such as lack of flow between the story, wrong spelling, grammatical mistakes, etc. In addition, you may fix them as you move on with reading the content or circle them out to fix later. The priority is to check the story flow and ensure that it is interesting to read.
Step #8: Get professional help
Yes, I know “your content, your accountability.” But for a new author, it can be hectic to work on different tasks all by themselves. And you can’t risk all your hard work only due to some minor errors, right? Therefore, it’s best to get professional help.
The internet is filled with the best eBook writing services in UK and experts who can provide exceptional aid for editing. So, reach out to a reliable expert and discuss your concerns with them. They can elevate the quality of the content and ensure it’s appealing to the readers.
Step #9: A good book cover design
We have been taught that books are not judged by their covers. However, how many of you actually believe this? Well, I don’t.
So now, it’s time to make a top-class book cover design for your content. In addition, it’s crucial to know the details of it before stepping into making. Every cover speaks and tells on behalf of the story.
For example, if you have ever observed that mystery thriller-based books have dull and dark-colored covers that represent fear, horror, or suspense.
On the other hand, a comedy book would definitely have popping colors, large typography, and fun elements.
Step #10: Professional book formatting
And here comes the last step for writing a book. Yes, it’s to format your content according to professional standards. Here’s a brief:
- Set the margin to 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the left and ensure equal spacing between the sentences.
- Indent the first line of each paragraph.
- Ensure to add headers and footers on every page that shows the chapter number or name.
- Add page numbering starting from the indexing page.
- Avoid leaving too much white space in the content as it shows poor formatting.
- Don’t forget to add chapter breaks after the completion of each chapter to show division.
Final Words
And that’s it for this guide. I am really excited that you are about to write your first-ever book!
Indeed, there will be numerous difficulties in this path and you might also feel like giving up. However, don’t let your passion and motivation die!
The best way around is to read this guide carefully and understand all the important steps for writing a high-quality book.
In addition, these include determining your “why”, setting realistic goals, developing a writing habit, editing, and more.
Also, don’t forget to properly format it according to professional standards and make a relevant cover design that resonates with the story.