From Idea to Finished Book in 12 Steps!

From Idea to Finished Book in 12 Steps!

Studies say 70% of Americans want to write a book but they never will. Why? It’s intimidating sometimes when you have a dream but don’t know the steps to achieve your goal. Here are 12 basic steps to take you from idea to finished manuscript. 


1. Clarify Your Big Idea

Many think they know what their big idea is, but find it difficult to explain to others. Take a moment, in the beginning, to get clear on the subject before jumping in headfirst. I realize your topic may not be appropriate for children, but IF you wanted to explain it to a ten-year-old, would they understand the concept? If so, then your big idea is clear. If not, then maybe you should go back and work on it. 

2. Identify & Research your genre

So many aspiring writers claim their books cannot be labeled and won’t fit into the genre mold. Every book that is published (Even self-published) must have a category. Whether it is in a bookstore or on Amazon, a book is placed in a genre so it can be shown to interested readers and sold. If you cannot label your book when you already know how wonderful it is, how will a reader? 

After determining the best genre for your book, I suggest you find the top five authors in the category and start researching them. What is their subject? Take note of their book cover designs. Do they have similar titles? Look for patterns that you can emulate in your work. Notice I said EMULATE, not copy. 

3. Create an outline

I suggest everyone have a rough outline for their fiction and nonfiction books. Now I am not talking about all those nice bullet-pointed documents we all made in high school. I suggest writers have a basic overview of where they want their story to go and how their characters will grow. For nonfiction, create a list of 10-25 topics you want to cover in the book. Having some sort of outline will give you direction and keep you from writing yourself into a corner.

4. Hook the Reader

Hook your reader’s attention in the first line of your book. Follow it up with a riveting page or two before breaking off into the content of your book. 

5. Focus on VALUE

Focus on providing value in your narrative. Remember, you don’t get paid for time or products. You get paid for bringing value to the marketplace. How is the reader going to find this valuable? Is it entertaining? Is it Inspirational or educational? Focus on providing what the reader wants, and you will find more success than just peddling books on the street corner.

6. Set goals

Setting a deadline to finish your book seems like an obvious goal, but so many people don’t do it. 

They say they want to finish a book at some point in their lifetime, but they never set a date. Decide when you want to finish the first draft, when you want to have it ready for an editor, and when you want to send it to a publisher. The more goals you set, the better off you are. That is if you follow through and meet each goal. 

7. Establish a writing routine

Many people say they don’t have time to write, but they might carve out several hours to watch TV every day. Why not take one of those hours and write on your book? Even if you only have thirty minutes, take the time to work on your dream. The more you do this, the easier it will be to establish a writing routine. 

8. Set up a productive space

Having a specific place to write helps some people get into the writing mood. If you have a lot of distractions, then it might be a good idea to find a separate place away from the noise to work on your book. 

9. Keep yourself motivated

It’s easy to start your writing journey when you’re excited, but after that initial emotion expires, some writers find it hard to continue. Staying motivated during this lull is vital to your success. If you cannot do it alone, then I suggest you find an accountability partner. 

10. Don’t rush the ending

During the long days of writing, it can become tempting to hurry the ending. Most of the time, the writer already knows the ending and finds it exciting. To avoid this problem, I suggest you go ahead and write the ending. Then you can set it aside and get back to writing the middle of the story. The last thing you want to do is rush the ending and leave your readers hanging with questions. 

11. Get feedback

Many aspiring writers go to local writer’s groups and have them critique their work. I do not suggest this. I know it sounds harsh, but in many cases, these groups are a bunch of local aspiring writers who know little more than you do. Instead, find someone who knows the business of writing in your genre and have them read your manuscript. Get feedback from friends and family, but keep in mind that their opinions are just opinions. Don’t let them discourage you if they are negative. 

12. Publish your book

Now that you have finished your book, it’s time to get it published. You can choose to publish traditionally by submitting a submission package to a publishing house, or you can upload it to Amazon yourself. 


If you’d like more tips and tricks about the business of writing, check out Synova’s Simply Biz Facebook group and sign up for Synova’s Simply Biz Newsletter.

If you enjoy this content don’t forget to sign up for Synova’s Simply Biz Newsletter and get your copy of her Free Guide: Overcoming Writer’s Block.

Join Synova’s Newsletter here


If you’d like even more help with your writing business, Synova has recently launched a course for writers.

Author Biz 101 Writer’s Course:

This course will focus on helping writers develop their craft and show them how to build a business from their writing.

For more information check out Synova’s store page HERE


For more free tips about writing check out Synova’s Simply Biz Facebook Group

JOIN SYNOVA’S SIMPLY BIZ FACEBOOK GROUP HERE

This 1 Thing Will Put You in the Top 3%:


This 1 Thing Will Put You in the Top 3%:

What if I told you one thing that would put you in the top three percent of Americans and put you ahead of the pack? This simple procedure will determine your future success more than almost anything else, and yet a staggering 97% of people do not take the time to do it. What is it, you ask? Goal Setting.

I know you’ve probably heard of goal setting a thousand times, but have you created your list of goals? Probably not. I know it sounds harsh, but most people have a vague idea of what they want, but never actually sit down and decide what they want. So many people say they want to write a book and make more money. Ok. Well, here you go. Write the book, upload it to Amazon, beg your mom to buy it, and now you have more money. I’m sure that’s not what you meant, but it technically achieved the vague goal you set, didn’t it?

A well thought out goal is like a compass. It points you in the right direction; it keeps you on target and helps clarify your dreams. So what kind of goals do you need to be a successful writer? Well, that depends on how you define success. A New York Times Bestselling author has a different set of goals than a grandfather writing a children’s book for his grandkids. Decide today what exactly do you want and then write it down. 

Start your goal setting session on a positive note by writing down five things that you’ve already accomplished in your life. Then spend the next few minutes creating a list of desires by answering this question, “What would I love?”

Remember when we were all kids, and someone asked us what we wanted for Christmas? We didn’t think of practical things. We wanted a flying car, a purple pony, a rainbow unicorn, etc. After a while, we become more cynical and stop asking for our desires and ask for practical things. A lot of times we don’t even ask at all. For this goal setting exercise, I want you to step out of the practical and get back into that childlike imagination. It’s still there somewhere deep within the recesses of your mind. Dig it out, dust off the cobwebs and put it to use.

What would you love if I had a magic wand, and everything worked out perfectly? Include desires from every aspect of your life. Make sure to include relationship goals, spiritual goals, financial and personal. Don’t miss any area of your life. Write for a solid half-hour if need be. Let it all out without holding back. Then you can look back over your desires and start setting goals and creating plans.

Remember what Les Brown said, “Shoot for the moon. If you miss, you’ll still be out there among the stars.”


Download Synova’s Goal Setting Worksheet here


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Want all of Synova’s Insider Secrets? Check out her book!

Can a local writer build a big enough audience to attract Hollywood? I did.

Can you publish independently and build a large platform that attracts the attention of a traditional publishing house? I did.

Can an indie author make six figures a year? Yes!

This go-to guide will show you how I built a business so large that a publishing house came to me and offered to buy reprint rights to three of my books. I got the chance to tell them “no” for one of the books. I made too much money.

Have you ever been able to send a rejection letter to a publishing house? It’s a lot of fun. Trust me.

Order you copy today!!

The Haters Are Wrong About You!


How many times have you been told that you’re a failure, and you’ll never amount to anything? How many times have you been told you will never be a successful author? How many negative things have you told yourself? Well, stop believing it!

Some of the greatest, most influential writers of all time have suffered rejection. Here are a few examples for you to look at when you get discouraged about your writing.

Animal Farm, by George Orwell, received this scathing review from a publisher. “It is impossible to sell animal stories in the U.S.A.” This book went on to be named one of the 100 best English-language novels by Time Magazine. It was number 31 on the Modern Library list of the Best 20th Century Novels. It won a Retrospective Hugo Award and is included as one of the Great Books of the Western World.

The Diary of Anne Frank, by Anne Frank, was given this horrible review. “The girl doesn’t, it seems to me, have a special perception or feeling which would lift that book above the curiosity level.” Frank could have taken that review personally, but she pressed on until she found a publication that would publish her award-winning book. 

If you have found yourself dealing with critics in any area of your life, then take heart. Usually, critics only attack those with which they can’t compete. You can write your book and be a great success if you choose to. It’s up to you. You can choose to become the next author millionaire, or you can let the comments of the narrow-minded critics stop you from achieving your dreams. 

“You can have excuses or results, not both” – Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

What will you choose? Excuses? Results?


JOIN SYNOVA’S SIMPLY BIZ FACEBOOK GROUP HERE


Want all of Synova’s Insider Secrets? Check out her book!

Can a local writer build a big enough audience to attract Hollywood? I did.

Can you publish independently and build a large platform that attracts the attention of a traditional publishing house? I did.

Can an indie author make six figures a year? Yes!

This go-to guide will show you how I built a business so large that a publishing house came to me and offered to buy reprint rights to three of my books. I got the chance to tell them “no” for one of the books. I made too much money.

Have you ever been able to send a rejection letter to a publishing house? It’s a lot of fun. Trust me.

Order you copy today!!

P.M.A. for Authors

What is P.M.A.?

P.M.A. is an acronym for Positive Mental Attitude. This concept was first introduced in 1937 by Napoleon Hill and has been adopted as the key to success by all the greatest motivational speakers from Tony Robbins to Zig Ziglar. So, how does this concept relate to a professional writer or a published author?

“Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it.” – Charles Swindoll

A successful author’s life can be difficult, and without a positive attitude, most fail miserably. Some aspiring writers face a pile of rejection letters as tall as a stack of books. This type of disappointment can be devastating if you don’t have a positive mental attitude prepared to deal with the rejection.

The great literary master, Henry James, began each day by repeating the following affirmation in front of the mirror twelve times.

“I am the best writer.”

I highly encourage you to do the same. Add in your genre and repeat it every day. By telling yourself that you are the best fantasy fiction writer every morning, you are slowly programming yourself to become just that.

P.M.A. will carry you through the dreaded “author slump” that occurs during the book writing process. Many people don’t realize that after the first 8,000 words, the excitement wears off, and it’s hard for some writers to keep going. Unfortunately, 8,000 is not a completed book, so having a positive mental attitude during this slump will pull you through this slump.

There is a great book titled, “As a man thinketh” by James Allen. This book dives into the concept that we, as humans, become what we think about consistently. If we always think about the negative things, then this will snowball into a giant mess. How many of you can relate to this? I’m sure you all can. It’s human nature to dwell on the bad and completely ignore the good.

What people don’t realize is, your thoughts determine your emotions, your emotions determine your actions, and your actions become your reality. So thoughts truly shape your world.

Thoughts —> Emotions —> Actions —> Reality

What if you could completely change your world by developing a positive mental attitude? What would your world be?

Tony Robbins has a great saying that I have taped to my mirror. He says, “Where Focus Goes, Energy Flows.” When trying to explain this concept to my fellow writers, I ask them this question. What is life? Your life consists of energy. You only have so much of it before your eyes grow dim, and life ends. When you focus on negative, you are literally giving that negative person or situation a piece of your life. Think about it. Does that hateful coworker deserve a part of your life? Does that problem deserve a portion of it? The answer is a resounding, NO!

How To Develop A Positive Mental Attitude:

  • Visualization

  • Affirmations
  • Gratitude
  • Optimize Your Environment
  • Transform Self-Talk

What is visualization, and how can it help you to develop P.M.A.? Visualization is simply using your imagination to visualize what you want instead of using your imagination to blow the negative out of proportion. Take a few moments to imagine what life would be like if you were a New York Times bestselling author. What would that do for you? How would it feel?

Next, create a vision board of things that you want to have in your life, whether it’s a new house or a significant other. If you’re going to be a New York Times Bestseller, print out the image and post it on your vision board. When the board is complete, place it where you will see it every day.

How can affirmations help a writer? It’s merely a matter of subconscious programming. If you tell yourself that you are a N.Y.T. Bestselling author, you will start to behave like one. Your actions will then lead to the fulfillment of that reality, whether it takes one year or ten, the affirmations will lead you to your desired outcome.

Gratitude is the key to flipping from a negative mindset to a positive one. When you find yourself in a bad situation, it’s hard to be positive. There’s an old proverb that says, “In everything give thanks.” Well, people have taken this out of context, and an say we should be thankful for everything. It doesn’t say that at all. It says “IN” everything give thanks. It means despite the negative situation, we should look around and find something that makes us grateful.

Optimize your environment is a phrase I heard when I started studying with my multi-millionaire coach Christan Mickelsen. He talks about how you need to optimize both your physical environment, but also your human environment. Who do you spend the most time around? Are discouraging your dreams, or are they pushing you towards them?

The last way is to transform your self-talk. Tomorrow I want you to take note of all the things you tell yourself. We have this voice in our heads, and it can ruin your day, your year, and even your life when it’s negative. Take note when your self-talk is negative and flip it to a positive thought. If you keep this up long enough, you will reprogram that inner voice to look for the positive.


If you’d like more tips and tricks about the business of writing, check out Synova’s Simply Biz Facebook group and sign up for Synova’s Simply Biz Newsletter.

If you enjoy this content don’t forget to sign up for Synova’s Simply Biz Newsletter and get your copy of her Free Guide: Overcoming Writer’s Block.

Join Synova’s Newsletter here

If you’d like even more help with your writing business, Synova has recently launched a course for aspiring writers.

Empowering Aspiring Writer’s Course:

This course will focus on helping aspiring writers develop their craft and show them how to build a business from their writing.

For more information check out Synova’s store page HERE

For more free tips about writing check out Synova’s Simply Biz Facebook Group

JOIN SYNOVA’S SIMPLY BIZ FACEBOOK GROUP HERE

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