If You’ve Ever Thought About Writing a Book

I can’t tell you how many people I meet who, upon learning that I’m author, reveal that they too have an idea for a book. It’s been said that everyone has a book inside them, and I believe it. Just last night we were meeting with our insurance broker and the same conversation unfolded. He asked me where I’m working now and when I told him about Empty Arms and my writing career, he shared a fascinating idea for a memoir. My insurance broker! Who would’ve thought?

One trend I’ve noticed is that while many people have great book ideas, few ever work on them. One of the most common reasons people give for not writing their book is that they have no idea how they would ever get it published. My first piece of advice to those people is to cross that bridge when you come to it. The fact of the matter is, no one knows how you’re going to publish your book because publishing options and technologies are changing daily. There’s a good chance it will take you several months – if not years – to write, revise, and edit your book, and by then there will be a host of new publishing methods available to you, so worrying about it now is futile. Even though it should be the last thing that is on your mind, there are options that you can consider now so that you are prepared for when your book is ready to be published. Some authors prefer to take the custom hardcover book printing option, whereas others may decide to have an e-book instead. The decision is ultimately yours, and it is one that you don’t have to make just yet anyway. The bigger, more immediate challenge is getting your words down on paper and creating something that people will want to read. (Check out the For Writers section for tips on plotting, writing the first chapter, editing, and more.)

For those who are standing at the bridge with manuscript in hand wondering how to publish it, I invite to you attend the 2nd Annual Author’s Expo this Saturday, September 22nd, from 1-6pm at Hughes Public Library in Stroudsburg, PA for an afternoon of publishing-related seminars and networking. I’ll be presenting along with author Mary Shafer and publisher Steve Feuer of Gihon River Press. The best part? It’s free!

Download the flyer

Hope to see you there!