You Need a Method. Putting words on the page to write a book begins with choosing a method. NaNoWriMo.org is a great tool, program, and starting place for beginners. You are challenged to write every day for one month. You get coaching, mentoring, and even prizes at the end for reaching certain goals.
Another program is through ACFW.com, for Christian fiction writers. They offer a novel writing track and an editing track. You can write every day for a month and set your own goals, be hooked into critique groups, and take separate classes.
Start your novel at the beginning of a month of your choice. But don’t wait or put it off. Start in November by signing up now at one of these two websites. You’ll be glad you did!
I used the NaNoWriMo website four years ago and wrote three books! If you have a story inside of you begging to get onto paper, take the NaNoWriMo challenge. I wrote approximately 19,000 words in November, 2012. By December, I had approximately 27,000 words. By the end of January I had written 34,000 words. By the end of February I had nearly 42,000 words. By the end of March I had nearly 52,000 words. By the end of April I was counting up to 59,000 words. (All these are guess-ti-mates).
You May Need an Editor. I hired an editor from David C. Cook. She helped me with cohesiveness and content. She didn’t have time to correct all my grammar because I had a pending deadline. But she was excellent with what she pointed out regarding my overall storyline, that every scene had meaning and good transitions.
You Need a Publisher. I completed my novel in June and hired a self-publishing company, Xulon Press, out of Orlando, Florida. My first title came out in 2013, second in 2014, and third in 2016. I completed my trilogy and I am so proud of it. It’s entitled, Dragon Riders of The Realm. Self-publishers are not cheap. So, weigh the options compared to traditional publishers.
My publisher took care of the ISBN number, front and back cover art. I wrote the back copy for the back cover. I wrote the front pages: dedication, prologue; the back pages: author information, and bibliography. Xulon took care of the binding and typesetting. Xulon prints the books as needed, on demand. Xulon sells my books at a discount from their online bookstore. My books are returnable if the purchaser decides they do not like them. Xulon placed my books on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Apple.
I am re-editing book one due to some grammatical errors. Mentally, this re-editing will take a load off my mind that has rested there for four years. I’ve also added a map of The Realm of Lasting. I hope new readers will enjoy my trilogy and old readers appreciate the fresh, new look. This second edition of book one should be available by the end of October, 2016.