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writingsofmctaylor

From blank page to published: A quick guide to the novel writing process



If your dream is to write a book, get it published and make money along the way, welcome to the club! 


Here's a quick guide on the fastest way to take your story from a blank page to published.


Optional at any point: 


Developmental edits

Developmental editors are paid professionals who firm up the structure, character arcs and message of your story. Some people hire developmental editors to work with their outline, others with the first draft and others after receiving beta feedback that points out major issues in the story. Not everyone needs a developmental editor, but they can be especially helpful for new writers who are still learning the basics.


Writing mentor or coach

Writing mentors and coaches help you through the writing process. They’re there to advise you, provide feedback on your work and cheer you on when things get hard. These professionals can be hired at any point in the process.


First draft

A potter cannot make a dish without clay, a painter cannot create art without paint, and a writer cannot create a book without a first draft. The goal of the first draft is to just get it down, it’s not meant to be good or even make sense. The first draft is there to give you something to work with. The magic comes in editing, so let the first draft be a flaming dumpster fire like it’s supposed to be.


Optional: Get alpha feedback

Some writers choose to get alpha feedback on their first draft to help catch and shape any structural or character arc issues. For some, this makes creating draft two easier, but it’s not necessary.


Second draft

The second draft is where you fix the big, glaring issues. It’s adjusting your structure, improving character personalities or changing them to match what your story needs, and it’s adding or deleting plot points to make the flow just right.


Get beta feedback

At this point many writers choose to find beta readers to catch remaining plot holes, confusing moments, pacing issues and more. However, you can also save the beta feedback until after your third draft.


Third draft

The third draft is for refining. This ranges from improving description or inner thought to clarifying character motives or plot points to bettering your wording.


Revision one

This draft is where you turn your plain speech story into a masterpiece. This is where you focus on descriptions, word choice for dialog, sentence structure and consistency. Many authors attack this revision by character or location — meaning they review and edit all the dialog and character actions for a single character from start to finish, before returning to the beginning to edit the dialog and actions of the next character. This process ensures characters always act and speak consistently and that locations have consistency without repetition.


Revision two

This is where you wrap up fine-tune line edits. Double checking punctuation, ensuring spellings are accurate (such as stationary vs. stationery), and otherwise perfecting the words used to tell your story.


Professional edits

Generally, writers look for either a copy edit, line edit or proofread. There are slight differences in these types of edits, but ultimately, they’re focused on grammar, punctuation, eliminating repetitive words and ‘was’, and ensuring your author voice remains consistent. 


Professional edits is one of the most expensive parts of the writing process. If you have a strong grasp on technical writing, then you might not need a professional, but for most people, professional edits is what can make or break your submission in traditional publishing. It doesn’t necessarily have the same impact in self-publishing, but if you want to make a living on your writing, you have to invest in your product, just like every other business. So don’t skip the edits if you can help it. Most stories will cost about $1,000-$3,000 for professional edits, so start saving early!


Start the publishing process


Self-publish

If you plan to self-publish, the next step is to make a cover, format your book, write a blurb and bio, decide which platform you want to launch on and go through their process. After that, it’s on to the marketing campaigns, ARC readers and beginning your next book to publish. Many authors choose to outsource these tasks to professionals, but you can do everything yourself with a lot of work and planning.


Traditional

If you plan to publish traditionally, the next step is making a query package that includes your query letter, blurb, bio, 2 minute pitch, full pitch, 50 page opening submission and more. Once you have the base material ready, it’s on to sending your pitch to agents and/or publishers that don’t require an agent. Landing an agency can take anywhere from a few weeks to a year or more.


If your story is picked up and sold, it can still take about two years until your book is published and distributed. And sometimes, stories don’t get sold. Needless to say, traditional publishing takes a lot of time, so be patient with the process.


Feeling overwhelmed?

You’re not alone! Most writers get started without realizing the work it will take to reach the finish line, and even for those who know what the process is like, it can still be frustrating and overwhelming. This is where a writing mentor like myself can help out. I can hold your hand through the process, provide support no matter the problem and help you reach your goals faster. Learn more about my services here.


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