How do you get started as an author?

love_b00ks · Post by **love_b00ks** » 07 May 2018, 19:42

It has been a dream of mine to write a book and have it published in Amazon. I have written one content but I do not know what to do next?

Anyone here who can give tips or simplified step-by-step on how to get published?

Thanks!

NRoach · Post by **NRoach** » 10 May 2018, 06:34

Publishing on Amazon is pretty straightforward. The hardest parts are the actual writing and the promotion. Do you have any specific questions that'll make it easier to give specific advice?

Lgs1089 · Post by **Lgs1089** » 11 May 2018, 15:37

My first piece of advice is to invest in a journal. Continuously write every day about anything and everything even if it seems irrelevant. Go to a restaurant, park, or a movie theater and people-watch. Take a stranger, and create their story. Try writing a short story first. The great thing about short stories is that they prod concise writing and may help you set your scenes. A short story can easily be turned into a larger piece. Before you know it, your short stories will become chapters. Once your story has been told, edit, edit again, edit again, and edit again. Seek out an outside editor to get feedback and advice on flow. Edit again. Then sit down and write a query letter. The purpose of a query letter is to recruit an agent. Look up agents online and send them personalized query letters. Be careful, and pick one that has a good reputation and rating. See which published authors they already work with. You'll need to sell your work in that letter. Include your age, and talk yourself up. It's important to have an agent. They protect you, they are already connected, and they won't get anything out of your work unless they sell it to a publishing house. A good agent will make negotiations for you and will have your success in mind. Most importantly, they will know when someone is low-balling. Once you land an agent, they will prompt you to write a synopsis of your piece. They will take that synopsis to multiple publishing houses and try to sell your work. Ideally, several publishing houses will want your work, and that is when the bidding begins. It's a lot of hard work. Before pouncing on the commercial side of things, write, edit, and write again. If you really want to do this for a living, it will come, but you have to be willing to put in the effort.