5 Tips to finish your book

Woman with her book

Woman with her book

You know what you want to write a book about. You’ve decided if it’s fiction or non-fiction.

You know who your targeted audience (niche) is. You’ve braindumped.

You’ve written the chapter title headlines and the chapters. Now what?

Here’s 5 tips to help you finish writing your book BEFORE you write that last page:

1. Buy an ISBN no./barcode. You can purchase this at isbn.org, Vervante, Create Space or other POD (Print on Demand company that prints your book).

From their website: “An ISBN uniquely identifies your book, and facilitates the sale of your book to bookstores (physical and digital) and libraries. 

Using ISBNs allows you to better manage your book’s metadata, and ensure maximum discoverability of your book. Your book is listed in Bowker Books in Print®, which is used by all the major search engines and most bookstores and libraries.”

2. Hire a graphic designer for the front cover, back cover, and spine of your book and ecover. For your printed (physical) book cover copy, I HIGHLY recommend Christine E. Dupre. I hired her for my memoir Promises In The Dark: One Woman’s Search for Authentic Love. She does BEAUTIFUL WORK. I’ve seen her work for other authors and she just did mine and I LOVE it!

Christine can also design the cover for your eBook, but if cost is an issue (Christine isn’t cheap, but worth every penny!), I recommend Pro_ebook covers at Fiverr here. She does amazing work, too, and I’ve been very pleased!

3. You might also hire a professional to edit your manuscript and/or format your book/ebook. While it’s great for mom, sis, or BFF to see your precious baby before anyone else and to hear how much they love it, you want your book and ebook as professional as possible. (Again, strive for excellence; remember, progress and not perfection. Perfectionism will paralyze you and keep you from ever writing or finishing your book! Your book/ebook will probably never be perfect!)

If you use SpellCheck, are good at spelling, grammar, and editing yourself, you might be able to edit the book better than someone you hire! However, you will want to make sure the book is edited before it goes to print.

You also need a professional to format your manuscript for an ebook, because its format is different from printed books.

For professional editing and formatting for a printed book, I recommend Hanne Moon at Heritage Press Publications.

For professional formatting of your eBook for Amazon, I recommend hiring a formatter at Fiverr, specifically hajath here

Remember, this is a wise investment of your time and money. You want to offer something beautiful to others-your best content/offerings!

4. Market AS you are writing the book. Share on Facebook and Twitter that you’re working on chapter 21 and encountering resistance today. Let your peeps know that you’re enjoying a cup of hot, creamy coffee or herbal tea as you’re working on your book in the blissful quiet of the house before anyone is awake, or late at night.

Ask your targeted audience which stock photo they like best for your cover and have them vote on your book title and which professional photo they like best for the back cover. 

If you build it (write it), and THEN suddenly one day launch it, they may NOT come (and buy it!).

As you’re writing the book, talk about it naturally and and passionately. Engage and involve others. Build the buzz as you’re writing your book!

5. Keep track of your resources. You’ll likely include an End Notes section and/or Resources section. You want to be sure to carefully document and give credit to your research sources for this book. You can get in a LOT of hot water violating copyrights.

Have your resources listed in one central place on your laptop, Ipad, computer, phone, or in a notebook for quick reference. Use The Chicago Manual of Style for citing sources in your book/ebook.

There’s no feeling like seeing your name on that cover and holding your book!

The most exciting part of a pregnancy is when the baby is about to be born. It’s the same with your book. There is nothing like the feeling of holding your beautiful baby—seeing your name on the cover of a book and holding your own printed book!

This last “trimester” feels like it is taking forever, but the baby will be born when God says the baby is ready!

Get ready to birth your beautiful baby! Now, get busy writing!

To find out more about or to buy my books, visit my Amazon Author Page here.

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