If you have never published a book, just thinking about the work involved in creating it may seem overwhelming. To be honest, it’s not easy, but it is doable, as the millions of books in print attest. This post helps you decide whether becoming an author is something you want to do, and if you choose to “take the leap,” it suggests steps to follow to help you accomplish your objective.

FIRST: Decide You Want to Write a Book

Before you start the actual work, you must be committed in your mind to writing your book. If you have had spiritual experiences or a near-death experience, writing a book is a great way to process your thoughts about what happened. Similarly, if you have ideas you would like to share with others, writing a book or an eBook is a way to organize your thoughts that makes it easy for readers to digest.

SECOND: Find a Mentor

Talk to people who have already written a book to learn what to do—and not do. It’s very easy to waste time and money in the writing, editing, and publishing process. People who have already been down the path you are considering can provide valuable insights about the road ahead and help you avoid an epic disaster! The best way to connect with mentors is to join a writers’ club. I suggest three: 

  • A local club near where you live, so you can meet and ask questions of other writers whenever you need assistance,
  • A type-specific club, such as the Alliance for Independent Authors, to learn about publishing and marketing based on the type of book (i.e., fiction or non-fiction) you plan to write, and 
  • A genre-specific club, such as metaphor.ink, especially for people considering writing in the spiritual and metaphysical genre. Check out our website’s Resource Reviews to learn about other people and organizations that can assist you along your journey. 

THIRD: Create a High-Level Plan

Writing a book is a project, and it is helpful to plan how to accomplish it. Check out the metaphor.ink blog posts on organizing, editing, and publishing your book for ideas on how to proceed.

A Suggested Plan: Start Small and Build from a Strong Foundation

    1. Add your story to metaphor.ink’s anthology page. When we get enough entries, we plan to create an eBook that will be available for purchase on amazon.com. This will be an easy way to get published for the first time—and receive feedback from readers of your work.
  • Create an eBook. An eBook is a digital book, and it is a great way to get started writing on your own. There are a number of eBook publishing applications and eBook publishers that can help you. The entry point is low in terms of cost and the time commitment involved in learning. 
  • Write eBooks Before Your Printed Book: A good strategy is to first write significant portions of your printed book as multiple eBooks, then update that content based on reader comments. Writing eBooks first is an easy way to get reader feedback before publishing your first book.
  • Publish an Inexpensive First Book: You will be exceedingly proud of your first book when you publish it, but you will soon find problems with it that you will want to correct in later works. Save money on your first book by publishing it in black & white and using a standard trim size. Also, people are more likely to purchase a book from an unknown author if it is inexpensive.

Focus on the Cover: Readers DO judge a book by its cover. If you want to splurge on your first book, consider doing it on the cover. Also, consider having a graphic artist who specializes in book covers create it instead of trying to do it on your own.

Mark Hunter Brooks, author of the book Earth’s Hidden Reality, has had numerous spiritual experiences since 2003 that have profoundly changed his worldview. Today, he writes and speaks about the mechanics of the non-physical world, helping make what many consider to be mystical easier to understand. Professionally, Mark Brooks managed large IT and business projects for a Manhattan-based Fortune 100 financial services firm and has an MBA from New York University.

Web Site: www.earthshiddenreality.com