Do people always ask you for style advice? Have you ever wondered how to write a book of fashion tips?
If you’re a fashion entrepreneur, writing a book is the best ways to establish your expertise. There’s still a lot of clout around the title “author,” even if you’re not the Great American Novelist. When people see you’ve written a book, they assume you know what you’re talking about.
Writing a book is also a great way to generate passive income. That way even if your fashion business has a dry spell, you’re still earning money.
These are great reasons to write a book, but you still have to write it to sell it. After that, you have to find a way to publish it, self-published or otherwise.
But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a brief, but complete run-down on how to write a book.
Figure Out Why You’re Writing a Book
Before you sit down at your keyboard, you need to know why you’re writing this book.
Creating a book is not a “get rich quick” scheme, no matter what you might read. It’s going to take time and effort to write the book, and then you have to market it.
Ask yourself why you’re making a book. Are you doing it to help people? Do you want a book to add to your resume? You’ll need to keep your reason in mind while you’re writing, or you’ll lose steam.
Know Why People Will Buy Your Book
Now that you know why you’re writing, do you know why people want to read your book?
When people buy your book, are they looking for advice on capsule wardrobes? Or do they want to know how to revive their mom fashion?
It’s going to be hard to sell your book if you don’t believe that people want to buy it.
Research Your Audience
Knowing how to write a book won’t be much help if no one buys it. That’s why you need to know about your audience.
One way to do this is to look at other books in the fashion niche. Check out the reviews to see what audiences liked or didn’t like. This can give you an idea of what to write about.
Make a Book Budget
Books, especially self-published books, are like gardens. You get what you put into it.
That means you need to put some money away at the beginning of your project. Editing will cost the most, but it’s also the most important step in book writing.
The cover design is also a big deal. Covers are your book’s first impression, so don’t skimp on this either.
Set a Deadline For Yourself
If this is your first time writing a book, give yourself about six months to a year to put it together. That includes three drafts, editing, and putting the book together. You might get quicker after writing a few books, but allow yourself lots of time for your first one.
One reason to set a deadline is that you’ll get lost in the writing process. This could be research, editing, you name it. Having a deadline will give you a solid goal to work towards.
How to Write a Book Using Two Methods
There are two major ways to write a book. The first is pantsing, where you wing the entire thing. This could work well for fiction writers and some non-fiction writers.
The second is plotting. This method seems to work best for non-fiction writers. Since you’re writing a fashion book, this could be the solution for you.
Start Your Research
Researching your topic is another important step in writing a book. Some writers do minimal research; they trust what’s in their brain already.
A little bit of research won’t hurt you though. At the very least you might find a better way to say something you already know. Interview other people for more insight.
Don’t get too bogged down in research. Remember the deadline you set for yourself.
Write Your First Draft
Just so you’re aware, the first draft is going to be crap. There’s no way around it. A bad first draft is a part of how to write a book.
Even if your first draft has curse words and exclamations like “I don’t know what I’m doing!” keep going. The goal for your first draft isn’t to write something amazing, it’s to get it on paper.
Relax After Your First Draft
After you’ve finished your first draft, we give you permission to do something else for two weeks. Don’t edit, don’t tweak, don’t even think about writing.
Read a book, watch a show, or something else. Let that first draft sit in your drawer so that when you come back it’s fresh.
Write Your Second and Third Draft
When you do take that first draft out of your drawer, you’ll have new eyes to see all the problems. This will help you start your second draft.
The second draft is when you start making the choices of what will stay and go. The third draft will have even more cuts.
It might seem disheartening to cut up your book this way, but it has to happen if you want a book worth reading.
Send It to An Editor
At this point, it’s time to let someone else see your work. Send your book to an editor so they can go over it with a fine-tooth comb.
You should also start proof-reading. You can send it to a grammatical proofreader or use Grammarly. It won’t be perfect, but it will catch the stuff that you’re too close to see.
Format Your Book
Formatting your book is the last step before you send it out!
You should already have a book cover. If you don’t, now is the time to buy one.
There are a few ways to format the book. If you’re self-publishing, Scrivner is a program that has a built-in formatting tool. You can use their thirty-day trial, although the program is worth the money if you want to write again.
Now you can upload your book to Amazon using their simple method.
Congratulations! You Know How to Write a Book!
If you’ve followed these steps, you’ll have a book at the end. Way to go! Now marketing should be your first priority. This website is a great way to find out more about getting your book to sell.
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