A Basic Rule for Successful Book Writing - Get Outside Help

If you want your book to be successful, here is a great rule to follow: Do not try to do it all by yourself. Savy authors get outside help and so should you. Hire professionals when you need them and develop a support team that can make your book the best it can be. Specifically:

1. Get editiorial and design help.

Book editors and other book professionals are definitely a good investment. They can contribute their years of experience and expertise to your project. They can save you from mistakes and help you polish your work. In short, they are worth their weight in gold. For more information about the types of editors that are available, read Cheryl Ann Gardner's in-depth article.

2. Hire a proofreader.

Kim Staflund has written an excellent article that includes a nine point checklist most professional proofreaders adhere to. The best advice is, do not try to proof read your own work. You are too close to your manuscript and are sure to miss some typographical errors among other things. You need a professional with "fresh eyes" to proofread your work. Your computer's spelling and grammar checkers are good for a first pass, but never rely on them exclusively. And remember, there is more to proofreading than just punctuation and spelling. Having your manuscript proofread more than once can be a wise decision.

3. Solicit peer reviews.

When their manuscripts are nearly complete, smart writers look for peer reveiwers, at least four experts, each to review a chapter. Some experts might agree to receiving two or three chapters but, if you want to get a timely response, most should get only one. What you get back from these reviewers will be extremely valuable. For example, they may suggest adding more items to a list you have created. They may suggest deleting or changing sections where a practice has changed. They may occasionally identify a comment that may be inaccurate. In short, their opinions will help you mold and "fine tune" your book.

Ken Blanchard, co-author of The One-Minute Manager Library, once said, "I don't write books, my friends write them for me." What he was actually describing was peer review.

When your book is finally published, if you have used outside professional help, chances are you will receive far less adverse reader reaction because your book will have been bulletproofed - at least to the best of your ability.

[This post was created from excerpts from Successful Non-Fiction, authored by Dan Poynter.]

Comments

[Kim Staflund]

Thank you for mentioning my proofreading article on your blog. :)

[Writing Professional]

Consequently, a close proofread needs to be done, and even after hiring a proofreader, an author should do his or her own proofread of the final book.

[Professional Writing]

Generally, most people think that book writing is not easy and they never venture into writing. But, the truth is 'everybody is a born writer' and his or her life experiences are so content rich that it's inevitable to convert them into a sort of a book.

[Proofreading Professional]

Any book can be read, but not all books are easy and enjoyable to read, and this is something you definitely want, and should strive for. In addition to ease of reading, your reader usually wants to learn something (in the case of non-fiction books), so you'll also have to satisfy him in this respect. How do you make your book readable?