The Writing Process - Don't be Afraid of it!

The writing process is a long and strenuous progression that involves four developmental levels for a book: Writing, publication, distribution, and promotion. Each level or stage is necessary in order to make money from writing.

There are a couple of ways to complete the four processes including the author performing all of them on his or her own or a joint effort between a publisher and a writer. The decision on how the processes are done is primarily made based on the writer's budget; a higher available budget usually goes with a publisher and a lower budget writer tends to perform all of the processes on their own.

Writing is the most difficult stage of the four processes and involves the most work for the author. This writing process requires creative thinking, creative writing, basic grammatical skills, basic editorial skills, and artistic abilities. Though not mandatory, some writers attain professional editors to review their work (usually at a hefty price), ghost writing services (also very costly), and illustration services (yet another expensive approach). For low budget writers, performing all of the writing functions is an achievable feat with the use of references and a little more work.

Once a book is written, edited, and formatted, it can now be produced into an end product form such as an ebook, paperback book, hard cover book, or any other media type. Essentially, the publication stage is printing your book in its final form.

There are several ways to produce a quality end product in the writing process. The author can choose an electronic format which is practically free to produce (but is dependent on the use of an electronic device for viewing), several paper formats which (depending on the size) can be quite expensive (and is a preferred reader's format). The determining factor for the writer when choosing the production method should be the question of how much money they want to make for each book they sell. Essentially, with electronic publishing, the writer can name their price and keep all of the proceeds from the sale.

The next process is to determine the method of distribution. This level of development is handled by either the writer or the publisher. Distribution is the method of getting the book from the printer or electronic storage location to the buyer. Hard copy books must be shipped via postal mail (involving shipping and handling charges). Electronic books, on the other hand, can be distributed via electronic means such as by downloading them on the Internet. Of course that means that your book's electronic file must be placed on a web site (which costs a little money) and for your readers to have access to your book's download link.

The final stage in the writing process is promoting. This is the second most difficult step and is the sole responsibility of the writer. If the writer doesn't promote their book, their book doesn't sell, and the book will simply collect dust. Promoting can be a very expensive task since most advertising does cost money. However, there are several methods the author can choose to promote their work that are free to use.

It can be a very scary thought to take a book out of the first stage to the final three. Lack of confidence is the primary factor that can hold a writer back, followed closely by the cost involved. Don't be afraid to proceed to the final three processes. The author must create a working budget and base their publishing decision on what they can afford. But whatever is decided, an author should never let their book sit idle in a box waiting for the right time to proceed with publishing. The processes should be fluid, flowing from one step to the next until the book is on the market.

Jason W. Moser is a self-published author and master niche website manager. He has published several books and self-help articles for fiction writers including Don't be Afraid of the Writing Process!. Jason has retired from the Navy and now lives in Chesapeake, Virginia with his wife.

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