Basic tips on writing a novel

Hi, my name is Michael Mcgrew and i am going to give you a step by step procedure on helping you get over the hill of writing the story that has been circulating over your dinner table for the last ten thanksgivings! Maybe nobody has ever told you before because of unknown reasons, but more than just your family would love to hear your story! If you dont belive me then allow me to share a story of a kid who made something out of nothing. at a young age this kid had no direction and with negative influences surrounding him, it was likely for him to become what his mother ultimately knew what he would grow up to be. A statistic in the system was the normal thing to look forward to in his community and dreams were lost due to the lack of support that many need in their households. As he grew older, he experienced hardships and dealt with the temporary loss of his mother as she succumbed to drugs and it was until his son was born that he knew that his purpose in life was to serve more than just time in the penitentiary. Fighting the odds of his peers expectations, this young man crawled from underneath a rock of burden and hate,later turning his life around to become an inspiring figure in his community, with one word to describe his travels....determination. Now this 27 year old man is setting trends and living a life that he figured would never be seen through his own eyes. This man is me.

every story begins with a reflection and even if your story is fiction, it is your story! Paper would be a great start and since you took enough initiative to do that then a pen would be just as valuable as well. Before you sit down and just go on and on with no sense of direction, i recommend that you start to develop a skeleton first. A skeleton is like a basic storyline to follow with options to change in the process of completion. some authors might say "just write and don't look back" and believe me, i have heard it plenty of times but a structure is just as important in character development as well as setting up plots, scenes, ect. so it is very important to have a plan and it helps in the long run. As you begin to write your story, it will consume you, so micromanagement also play a major role in your life and scheduling time for yourself and your deadline should come in to play as well. For instance, a chapter every two weeks is enought time and very flexible to commit too.

(remember, novels aren't written over night)

A title to your story is just as important and might not seem as serious in the beginning but thinking down the line of a customer making a decision between your novel and someone elses, key elements such as your title, synopsis or even book cover needs to catch the attention of a consumer immediately. all of these factors affect the outcome of a purchase. And remember be creative, nobody can tell your story like you!

Step 1: Research your market

you must know the rules of the game before you play it. It's helpful to know the difference between a self published author and a published author. the pros and cons of both and most importantly, which one better suites your needs at that time. Also it is neccessary to look into the genre of literature that your interested in and if there is a market for your style at that time. If it is, then it probably won't be hard to pick up a literary agent to assist you in establishing yourself and alot of writers would agree that an experienced agent can open doors for you that obviously would take longer on your own. Finding a agent to pick you up as a client is not easy but keep trying. Kiki Swinson, Best selling author of "Wifey" told me that she was turned down 75 times before she caught the attention of a an agent and her opportunities has widened tremendously. There are many ways to get a book published and as a new author, i would recommend printing on demand for starters. You have companies like I UNIVERSE, BOOKSURGE or LULU that specialize in self published print.

STEP 2: Identify your market and create a basic website for your readers to learn more about you as a author

Identifying your market is the #1 trading tool in any profession that you can possibly name. you need to know who to solicit your product to and how to reach them in order to generate a high demand for whatever your selling. For instance, if your selling ice cold lemonade in the middle of december, maybe two people just might buy a cup out of sympathy for your effort and those two would most likely be your parents! but if you would have researched items sold during winter seasons, then you would have made a better decision in your inventory. your website will be a great advantage for you since you cannot be everywhere at the same time, it doesn't have to be fancy, something like www.goodgameent.com

Step 3: marketing your project and excepting rejection

please, and i repeat, please DO NOT expect to be the next best thing upon completion of your novel for the simple fact is that writing is the easiest part of your journey! If you decide to pitch your query letter to an agent to represent you, it is a strong possibility that you will face rejection but do not become discouraged. it will take some time to develop a niche and when you do, your career will take off and remember, there is no better feeling than a complete stranger telling you how your novel changed them.

If you enjoyed what you've read so far please feel free to check out my website @ www.BookBizCoach.com and remember your are only as good as your first and last book and if you need to know exactly how to keep your readers attention, just read my novel!

hope to hear from you

Michael Mcgrew
BookBizCoach.com