Want to write a book? If you do, you need to decide from the outset whether you'll sell it yourself, or will offer it to publishers. Although a book publishing credit is highly valuable, it can also be a way of losing money.

This is because the majority of published authors fail to make any profit on their books, when you consider the time and energy they invest in the process. However, if they understood the benefits and downsides to choosing a publishing method, they'd make a profit.

1) Is Book Publishing Profitable?

Sadly, for 95 per cent of authors it's not. Here's how it works:

You spend one to two years writing a book and selling it (licensing it, in reality) to a publisher for an advance on royalties;
You spend a couple of years waiting for your book to earn out, and start earning royalties... if indeed the book ever earns out.

If you add up all the time this takes, and estimate an hourly rate for published authors, you'd make more money serving burgers and fries at the golden arches. Of course, a lucky few authors (very few), do hit the bestseller lists and make great money.

2) The Benefits of Writing a Book and Having It Published by a Major Publisher

There's really only one benefit, and it's this: credibility. A publishing credit legitimizes you as a professional writer. It will help you to sell your writing, and writing services, for years to come. It establishes your writing career, as nothing else can.

3) The Downsides to Writing a Book and Having It Published by a Major Publisher

You spend months and years in publishing limbo.
You wait for an agent to get back to you... you wait for your editor to get back to you...

If you're a successful, published writer, this won't matter much. You've got lots of other projects in various stages of completion, so you won't notice these long delays. If you're a new writer, the delays can kill your career, because you'll become depressed and downhearted, which means your writing suffers. You're too busy waiting to do what you should be doing, which is writing.

You lose money.
If a book idea is hot enough for a publishing house to give you a contract, the book idea is worth money. Guess who makes the bulk of the profits?

While you're waiting for your book to be published, you could be selling it yourself, and earning an income. The time you spend waiting equals money you'll never get back.

4) Make the Choice Early

It's up to you which publishing method you choose. For many authors, writing a book and self-publishing, whether electronically or by Print on Demand (POD) is the best option -- but only you can decide. But if you want to write a book and make it profitable, you must decide.

Also read: How Much Time Does it Take to Write a Book?

There are many ways to make mistakes when it comes to book marketing. You may find yourself in a predicament if you are not careful with how you choose to market your book. Take a look at this to find out ways to keep from making those mistakes. You are more than likely finished writing your book if you are looking into marketing. You have probably spent a long time focusing on your writing before you even considered marketing. If you have already found a publisher, then they have probably told you that they will help you market your book.

What you may not realize is that they are not going to put out a ton of money in order to market your book. Most of the time, they are not going to put that type of risk out there by shelling out money to market your book. This will leave you having to market your book on your own. Once you get your money from your publisher, you will want to use it for book marketing. If you spend your money, like most people do, then you will find yourself in a predicament if you do not save any for marketing.  

Another thing that you will want to do is get people to review your book. If you do that, it will make your book that much easier to sell. First of all, you will want to make sure that the reviews give an accurate view of your book. This will help you when it comes to the satisfaction of your readers. If you do not focus on true reviews then you will ruin your credibility as a writer. This can be a huge mistake. Be sure that your book marketing does not go unnoticed.

Also read: Develop your Book Marketing Strategy Now!

Any good writer having an authentic style for writing evades providing unnecessary descriptions and details which are not required. Situations alter in the writings exactly at the point when a reader feels they should; therefore diversity is always an important feature in the life of writers.

Any good writer can surely make the beginning of his book or article in an appealing way. Those writers are admirable, who successfully capture their readers' attention with prominent openings as well as their writings have some kind of surprise at some point of time or at least they provide information, which is already available, in such a way that the information looks new.

HG Nadel a writer says having refined the inborn talent for writings, while a good quality writer dwells on all subjects, he or she comes with well-examined content alongside his or her own innovative thinking. The life of writers is always hard-working and sincere. The wisdom and depth in the writing comes with keen observation, extensive reading, as well as by going at the life overwhelmed with hardships. Going through a huge number of problems may only award you with the insight of human psyche, profound understanding of different problems and sensible solutions of them. No other resources are possible on the earth!

Any good writer has to include some sparks of humor in the text because they endow the good sparks in the writing. Real humor points reveal the weak points of humanity without contempt. This is a reviewer of life and not the opponent of it. Its objective is to strengthen and not demolish, and to ease the loads of others as well as not adding to them. Fine humors do not promote or belittle stereotypes, for the springs from your heart and not from your mind. This is a safeguard, which helps us getting over the bounces of life. Those having a good humor have a better way to live life.

Also, any good writer needs to be well responsive to the modern requirements, and today's optimum demand is communication of knowledge and information in the easy-to-understand and clear language.

To summarize, although there can't be any set formulas to indicate what that precisely is which makes somebody a good quality writer; though, a good linguistic sense as well as dedicated efforts for learning any language to the finest of your capabilities are two fundamental things which can help you standalone among the writers. To show up, that is, for becoming a good quality writer, you have to go through others' successful writings with a watchful eye and study and develop methods, which can assist you to control the interest of your readers. The listing of such methods is long; though, some most important methods are an opening, which is impressive, variety, depth and perception, optimistic approach, a good sense of humor, providing solutions to the problems, as well as easy-to-understand language.

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Most people define a "real" writer as one who is published. However, the longer you are involved in the business of professional writing and the teaching of writing the more you question that definition. For HG Nadel a professional writer, being a "real" writer is much more about a state of mind rather than a state of being. She believes very strongly that you need to become a real writer before you can become a published writer while most (if not all) published writers are real writers that the reverse is not necessarily true. There are real writers who have not yet been published but they will be some day -- if they just stick with it.

Real writers are made. No one is born to be a writer although many real writers are born with a drive or need to be a writer and this is certainly a help during the difficult times and challenges that all real writers face. A real writer requires five essential tools.

The first, and most important, is a unique writing process. In order to write well and effectively not to mention to grow as a writer, you must develop a writing process. A nonexistent, or inefficient, writing process can greatly hinder your ability to write but a writing process tailored to your unique strengths and weaknesses can make your writing stronger and easier.

The second element goes along with the development of your writing process. This is learning your strengths and weaknesses as a writer. What is the most difficult part of writing for you? What is the easiest? The more you know about your own writing then the better equipped you are to take advantage of the areas where you are strongest and to work on the areas where you are weakest.

Another essential element to becoming a real writer as per HG Nadel is criticism. Writers need to develop the skills necessary to be critical of their own work and to edit effectively. Most real writers also have a support network in place, such as a critique group or critical reader, to assist with this process.

Real writers also need to be readers. Writers must read a variety of authors and types of writing in order to learn more about the language, its structure, and its varied uses. Reading provides inspiration in terms of ideas but also language use and vocabulary. Real writers love language and words and cannot get enough of either. Real writers are readers.

The final essential ingredient for a real writer is a strong work ethic. Real writers practice their craft on a regular basis (usually daily). Some writers only write a few hours a day while others spend many hours writing. The length of time is not as important as a regular writing schedule that is only altered for major holidays or life-threatening illness. Even if you can only carve out an hour a day that is enough time to write a novel if that is your goal. The important part is making your writing a priority and giving your writing muscles a regular workout.

If you want to be a real writer then you must work on these five essential tools of the writing trade: individual writing process, knowledge of strengths and weaknesses, criticism, reading, and work ethic. Once you have mastered these five tools of the trade then you are on the way to becoming a real writer.

Turn Your Idea Into a Book

Maybe you're one of those lucky writers whose head is bursting with ideas. Or perhaps you have one idea that's been nagging you for weeks, always at the edge of your thoughts. Either way, you're itching to begin writing. That's good. But before you rush headlong into your story, stop and ask yourself one question: Is this just an idea, or is it a book?

Ideas, of course, are the seeds of any work of fiction or nonfiction. But until an idea is fully developed, until you can envision its beginning, middle and end, that one idea might not be enough. The experience of writing for pages about an idea and ultimately getting nowhere (or getting a pile of rejections) has taught many writers to outline their books before they begin. But if the thought of an outline sends shivers up your spine, at least thinking your idea through and making sure it merits months of writing can save you future frustration.

Ideas for Fiction

A lot of writers, especially when they're beginners, get ideas for fiction from their own lives. This can be useful for several reasons: you're emotionally invested in the topic, you can relate directly to the main character, and if the situation actually happened to you, you're less likely to be unconsciously basing the story on a book you've read. But remember, just because you find this thing that happened to you or your child fascinating, it doesn't mean it will be fascinating to thousands of potential readers. Very often, a real-life event is just that--an event. It's a vivid scene you recall with pleasure, or a family joke that's repeated over and over. It evokes strong emotions when you remember it, perhaps you even look back on an event as a turning point in your life. But only rarely does reality provide a plot.

Fictional writer HG Nadel says when writers stick too closely to what really happened they fail to develop the elements necessary for a good story: a believable main character who is faced with a problem or conflict, mounting tension as that character tries to solve her problem and experiences setbacks, and a tension- filled climax followed by a resolution that's satisfying to the character and the reader. If your main character is really your son, you might not want to get him in trouble or throw rocks in his path. But you have to. It's the only way you'll create a story that will keep readers hooked and wondering how it will end.

Speaking of endings, if the resolution of your story comes too easily, it's probably obvious and predictable. Try mixing up real life and have the situation evolve in a different direction. Surprise yourself, and you'll surprise an editor.

However you get your idea, focus first on whether it's a plot or a theme. Many times, an initial idea is really the underlying meaning of the story, what the author wants to convey to the reader. Themes should be universal in their appeal-- such as friendship, appreciating one's own strengths, not judging others too quickly. Then play around with the sequence of events until you develop a plot (what actually happens in the book) that makes this theme clear to the reader. And remember; if you're using a childhood incident as the foundation of your story, tell it from your childhood viewpoint, not how it feels to you now as an adult.

Ideas for Nonfiction

Your nonfiction book should be based on something you're truly interested in and passionate about. After all, you'll be living with this idea for many months. The key to successful nonfiction is to take your idea and approach it in a way that no one else has ever done before. This means doing most of your research before you begin to write. Don't settle for the most easily-found information on your topic--your readers have probably read the same information. Keep digging until you find an aspect to your subject that strikes you as unique. Then search through the library and book stores to make sure no one else has already beat you to it.

For a nonfiction idea to become a book, you need enough information to fill the number of pages necessary, depending on the age group for which you plan to write. Younger children need a foundation of basic facts, but you can also get fairly detailed within the scope of the approach you've chosen as long as you explain concepts in a simple and straightforward manner (how animals hibernate, why insects are different colors). Older readers can draw on a broader foundation of knowledge, and infer connections between your topic and related subjects. A detailed outline of any nonfiction book is essential to help you see if your idea has enough substance and originality, or if you need further research before you begin writing.

HG Nadel suggests whether it's fiction or nonfiction, your idea should mean something to you, but also have the potential to mean a lot to your readers. Think it through, add to it, take the nonessential elements away, and make sure it has a beginning, middle and end. Only then will your "idea" turn into "an idea for a book."