A clear path to writing and publishing a book—from first idea to finished book
When you sit down to write a book you realize pretty quick that no one prepared you for everything it actually involves.
You could have a story idea you love, but no earthly idea how to develop it into a full-length novel that readers would also love. Maybe you’ve been writing the same chapters over and over again, polishing sentences in a story you haven’t finished. Maybe you finished a draft and now you’re staring at it, wondering what should be revised and edited—or if you should hire someone to do that. And what happens after your manuscript is done—what’s involved in getting your book published?
If you’re not sure what to do next, you’re not alone.
Personal Example
My first book, The Commander’s Desire, was published by a small press in 2008. I wrote the story and then took months to edit it as best I could. After all of that, I crossed my fingers and sent it off to a small press. Over the years I’ve submitted books to traditional publishers and every single one was rejected. So when I submitted it to the small press, I didn’t expect much.
But to my astonishment, they loved it! And they wanted to publish it. I was given a fantastic editor, and Pam helped me make the book so much better. The small press also provided a wonderful cover for my book and eventually published it. At last! I’d finally achieved my dream.
Then I dove headlong into marketing my book. Everything was new. The best part about being published with the small press was the camaraderie with the other authors, who were also trying to market their books. We hosted author interviews and giveaways on our websites and helped each other market to our small audiences.
After two years with the press, I’d sold a lot of books but hadn’t made much money. I realized the press was getting most of my profits. So I decided to take back my rights in 2010 and publish the book on my own—I entered indie publishing.
At the time, I didn’t have any clue about the steep learning curve that lay ahead. I had no idea whatsoever how to publish a book on my own. It is a lot, I’ll just tell you. But this Substack is here to pave the way for you. You don’t need to go through the trials and errors I went through. The map is here.
Stages of Writing and Publishing a Book
For example, designing a story asks you to think big and explore characters, conflicts, and what the story is really about. Writing a first draft asks you to keep moving, to get the story onto the page without stopping to perfect it. Revision and editing ask you to slow down and look more critically at what you’ve built. And publishing introduces an entirely new set of tasks — formatting, cover design, distribution — that have nothing to do with writing at all.
One of the most common places writers stall is in the writing stage. Many writers edit as they write — I did. I stopped every few paragraphs to rework sentences and paragraphs, trying to get them to sound just right before I moved on.
I didn’t realize that writing and editing use different parts of the brain. One part is creative and the other is analytical. Repeatedly switching between them interrupted my creative flow and slowed down my writing process.
Knowing that the stages of writing and publishing are separate — and that each one deserves its own attention — changes how we can approach and work through each stage of the process.
If you’re not sure where you are in the process, a few questions can help
Ask yourself:
- Do you have a clear story idea and a central conflict?
- Have you written a complete draft yet?
- Are you trying to revise a manuscript that isn’t actually finished?
- Do you have a finished manuscript but no idea what publishing involves?
Most writers find they’re stuck at one specific stage. Recognizing that stage is usually the first step toward making real progress.
The Five Stages of Writing and Publishing a Book
Stage 1 — Story Design. Build the foundation in this stage. Develop your central character, clarify what they want, identify the obstacles in their way, and establish what’s at stake. The goal is to create a story strong enough to sustain a full novel. If you are a planner and outliner, you would create your outline now.
Stage 2 — Writing the Draft. Once the story framework is clear, the next goal is simple: finish the manuscript. Momentum matters more than perfection here. Scenes will develop, characters will surprise you, and the story may move in unexpected directions. That’s normal. The milestone here is a completed draft. Not a perfect draft.
Stage 3 — Revision and Editing. This stage has two separate steps. Revision comes first. This is also called developmental editing—you can hire a specialized editor to do this, if needed. Look at the story’s big picture. Is the development clear and strong? Is the conflict sustained? Is the pacing consistent throughout the book?
Fix those larger structural issues. When you’re finished, move on to the second stage: line editing. Focus on clarity, language, sentence and paragraph level improvements, and maintaining consistent of story details (if Jack has blue eyes in the beginning of the book, make sure they’re not brown at the end). Trying to line edit before revising is a great way to waste time. (Many writing professionals suggest you send your manuscript to a developmental and/or line editor for a final edit if you plan to indie publish your book.)
Stage 4 — Preparing for Publication. With a finished, edited manuscript, you’re ready to think about publishing your book, if you’re an indie author. If you’d rather submit to a traditional publisher, then query them and submit it if they invite you to send in the manuscript. But if you’re going the indie publishing route, now you need to think about presentation. Specifically, how the book will look and also appeal to readers. You will need to format the book’s interior, get a book cover (a reasonably priced professional cover is worth paying for, if you’re not a graphic designer). Then you’ll need to select categories and keywords for your book’s metadata and obtain ISBNs if needed. The goal is to produce a book that looks professional.
Stage 5 — Publishing and Distribution. The final stage is making the book available to readers. You’ll choose platforms, such as Amazon’s KDP, choose book formats (ebook, print, perhaps audio), and set pricing. The technical details may feel confusing at first, but most platforms make the upload process fairly easy.
Marketing. Technically, marketing should begin before (or while) you’re writing your book. But at the very least, develop a marketing plan that will go into motion the moment your book is available to the public.
Plan of Action
Most writers struggle because no one ever handed them a clear roadmap of what the process actually involves.
Once you see the stages of writing and publishing a book, hopefully things will begin to make more sense and feel less overwhelming. You know what to focus on, and what to set aside for later.
You don’t need to master all five stages today. You only need to focus on the one you’re in.
If you’re designing your story, concentrate on character and conflict. If you’re writing your first draft, focus on finishing. If you’re revising, look at the structure before you edit the sentences. The stages build on each other, and progress at one stage makes the next one easier.
This website follows that same structure — articles on story design, writing, revision, and publishing.
The next article is a good place to continue if you’re at the very beginning: How to Turn a Story Idea Into a Novel Premise walks through how to take an idea you’re excited about and shape it into a story foundation strong enough to build on.