The Finish Line
You did it! You are holding your dream in your hands. You may have dreamed about this moment for years and decided to hire a ghostwriter to get you to the finish line of book publication. Your book about your family legacy is complete. You thought about a brilliant idea to promote your business nine months ago, moved quickly, and now, with the help of a ghostwriter, your book is in your hands.
Let's look at the salient steps you will take to reach the finish line and achieve your dream.
Reach out and verbalize your desire to write a book with someone who can help you accomplish your goal. Moving through this barrier between thinking about something and the commitment to get it done is your most significant breakthrough in the process.
Discuss the details of your vision with a book coach or ghostwriter. This step may feel surreal since you have been thinking about the project for so long. The more you detail your vision, the more solid and honest it will become.
Know your purpose and audience. Who are your writing your book for, and why? Your audience may be your family, telling them the story of your family legacy. Your audience may be potential clients to grow your business. You may want to complete a personal memoir or work of fiction.
Complete a detailed outline of the topics and sub-topics you want to cover in your book. The readability of your book and ease of writing is proportional to the time spent on your outline.
Read the copy your ghostwriter provides in the beginning so that you are comfortable they are capturing your voice.
Establish the schedule for writing and reviewing content with your ghostwriter. Consider several check-ins or be comfortable reviewing your work at the end.
Understand the levels of editing and who will perform them for your book. Developmental editing, line editing, copyediting, proofreading, and layout design are all steps in the process.
Research the possible avenues to publish your book at the beginning of the process. You want to arrive at the end of your writing and editing process with a clear understanding of your next step.
Know what challenges and opportunities your face with marketing your book. You can take advantage of your social media following, volunteer for podcasts in your field of expertise, distribute your work at conferences or allow readers to download or print a copy, among many marketing ideas.
Celebrate. Completing a book is a huge accomplishment in your life. You may already be thinking about your next step in promoting it or your next book. Still, take a moment to savor this most important milestone, the finish line. Your long-dreamed-of book is in your hands. You are the author. Congratulations!