One word and one page at a time. Seriously though, you come up with an idea and you start writing. If you’ve never written a book, then it’s worthwhile getting information on the basic building blocks of writing a book in the genre you’re writing, and it’s a good idea to be a voracious reader. The best way to learn is by writing, even if it’s not very good. The first drafts will likely be shit for the majority. That’s okay. Just keep writing…

How long is a piece of string? Yes, I know, not the answer you wanted. The truth is the time it takes to write a book varies on many factors including and not limited to, your experience as an author, the type of book you’re writing, how much time you have on your hands, how fast you can type or dictate, and more. You can write a book in a week (authors have done it), you can write a book in a decade, or write one in a time frame in between. To gauge how long it’s going to take you to write your book, consider the amount of words you can write in a day, and how many times per week you can write. For simple maths, a 70,000 word book could take you 14 weeks to write if you’re writing 1000-words, five days per week. If you write 500-words every day, that same book might take you 20 weeks; or if you’re writing 2000-words per day, everyday, you could have the book written in 5 weeks. 

Independent publishing is a form of self-publishing. It means you’re not asking the gatekeepers to unlock the doors of publishing for you. You are in charge of the writing, editing, formatting, cover design, publishing, marketing and everything in between. The highest cost is your time, but it also means writing and publishing what you love, and keeping the majority of the profits. It’s hard work and you have to decide whether it’s suitable for you.

1 – Read, read, read some more. Read good books, bad books, mediocre books, great books. You will learn from each one. Read in your own genre, read in every genre. Read fiction, read non-fiction. If you want to write, you must first be a reader.

2 – Write, write, and write some more. Writers write. It’s never been easier. Write for yourself, write for others. Write in a notebook or on a word processor, start a blog or submit to magazines. Write at home, in the bathroom, at the library, train, coffee shop, bus stop, in the backyard, at the beach, in a tree house. Just write.

3 – Get feedback. Feedback is paramount to growth. Some will be good, some will be bad, sometimes it might even be terrible. You don’t have to listen to everything because everyone has different tastes. But feedback will help you improve as a writer. Writing is a solitary activity but it’s not a loner profession, you need a community to keep you going.

4- Repeat the process. Every day. You are a writer. So write.