So you want to write a book. I want to write a book; a lot of people do. How many of those people actually get published? Better yet, how many actually even start writing? Not many. Writing a book and seeing it on the shelves of bookstores is a far-off fantasy for many people, but why is it so seemingly unattainable? After researching the steps to getting published, I’ve realized that getting your work bound and sold is easier than you might think.
The most important thing you can do is start writing! Sitting in front of your computer with a blank page and blinking cursor staring back at you is a very daunting experience—I shudder at the thought. However, write! Even if you think it’s atrocious, just get something down on paper; you can always change it later.
You have something; you made it over the first hurdle, but at this point, people often hit a wall because they start nitpicking at every little thing. “Progress is more important than perfection,” says Matt Hackney, author of The Fire Within. Matt told me about a number of things he did to help get past these writing roadblocks:

First, legitimize your book. Come up with a title and design a cover. I cannot stress enough the importance of designing your cover. Having a tangible cover for your book is so motivating! Try using something simple like Book Design Wizard, which you can download for around $40 online.

Second, write your favorite part of the book. You will write best when you are passionate about what you’re saying. No one ever said you had to write a book in chronological order, so start with the part that is most interesting to you and that will set the tone for the rest of your work. These are simple things you can do to get yourself excited; something solid that will remind you of your ultimate goal.

Third, start a blog. Not only will the blog serve as a database for your work, but also it will validate your book. You can start a blog for free at websites like www.wordpress.com or www.blogspot.com; Hardmagic Web and Book Publishing uses Wordpress for all of their projects. When you tell other people that you’re writing a book, you can actually tell them to check out your blog and see your progress. They will (hopefully) be impressed with what you’ve got, motivate you to write when they ask to see more, and will also be a source of useful feedback from potential readers. If people respond negatively to what you’ve got on the blog, perhaps it is a sign to abandon the project and write on a different idea. However gratifying it would be to write a book, it would feel like a waste of time if critics, readers, and friends alike slam you. That said, you should not write your first book for the sole purpose of making money. You want to write a good book, but you can’t expect your first piece to be a number one best seller. Your first book should be a stepping-stone and a source of publicity while you establish yourself as a credible author. The criticism you get on your first published piece, both positive and negative, will help make the next work even better. Thomas Edison once said, “I was always afraid of things that worked first time,” so don’t give up on yourself if your writing career is less than lucrative after your first book.

When you decide on the dimensions of your book, keep it simple! Do a standard paperback six by nine inch, and avoid writing to a large page count. Say what you need to say and say it well, but don’t be over-indulgent in the length of your book. It’s your first book, you want to develop a readership so don’t overwhelm them with page after page of convoluted wordiness.

Now you’ve written a draft of your book, and here comes the hard part: getting a publisher to back it. Surprising as it may seem, there are small publishing companies that are just as anxious to publish books as you are. Large publishing companies receive thousands of manuscripts, so there is a good chance that yours will get lost in the shuffle. Instead of depending on luck, contact some smaller publishing companies, like Hardmagic Web and Book Publishing. Although competition is still fierce, it is on a much smaller level. Smaller companies will be more willing to read and publish your work because they are at the same level you are—trying to establish a name.

Most importantly, try! You cannot achieve anything unless you make an effort, so getting published is like anything else; you just have to get out there and do it! Now.