If you are anything like me, you began writing on strips of paper, notebooks, on the back of envelopes mailed to you, and anything your could find. Now, if you were ahead of the game in your writing you probably had a nice, themed journal and you were ready to get started. Maybe you had the nice, themed journal and wondered why the words did not map over to a polished manuscript. (Yes, this is me - I embodied the theme journals!) You know what though? Some of my best writing came from post-it notes all over the place, pieces of paper from multiple notebooks, and digital notes such as on my computer in Notepad. And guess what? It eventually did work out into my first book.
Do I recommend the above now that I have two self-published books? Probably not. It got me to where I am today and I am very proud of this and you should be proud you took the path you did - even if your book is in the process of being outlined, written, and published.
I am going to share with you 6 tips to get you started on the path to outlining your book:
Pull together your notes, post-it notes, notebooks, and journals into one place to account for what you have.
To enhance your creativity with your book, grab a storyboard or poster board and organize the ideas for your book.
Identify the purpose for your book and ask yourself (Who, What, When, Why, How) and determine the purpose of your book.
Choose a Title which resonates with you and encompasses your book’s purpose based on your ideas.
Use your main ideas as the chapters for your book.
Write an outline for your chapter using your main ideas and add supporting bullet points.
Once you have your outline, just write and do not worry about chapter length. You can go back and move wording or text around and, during your editing process adjustments can be made to your chapters. Some chapters may be longer in length and in text than others. Having your words in your voice jump off of the page is most important.
Have someone you trust take a second look at your book and securing an editor who has walked through the book publishing process, will propel you to success. Here at A Life With A View Publishing there is a digital download guide for purchase that is a roadmap to your success to publishing your book. There are free consultations available if you have questions about your book project and an editing service. I stay with you through the entire process from start to finish.
