Guest Post by Heather Erdmann
My bucket list was only three items long. I wanted to read the Bible from cover-to-cover, run a marathon, and learn to write books. I had accomplished the first two many times over by the time I was 42 years old. But, when my 50th birthday came and went with no more than an outline and a few handwritten pages of a book manuscript, I had resigned myself to never being able to complete the third item on the list. My fourth-grade teacher had encouraged me to use my gift for writing in the future. But no matter how many times I tried, I could not learn how to write a book.
Oh, I could write pages and pages of manuscripts, but knowing there were so many steps to learn on how to write a book that I had no idea how to do, left me paralyzed by inaction. It wasn’t until our local Christian writer’s group informed me of an upcoming writer’s conference hosted by Christian Book Academy that I realized I had finally found the people who could guide me through every step of the process of learning not only how to write a book as a first-time author, but to see it published and birthed into the world!
When I joined the Christian Book Academy
Within six months of joining Christian Book Academy, I had learned how to write a book from cover to cover including every step of the process from idea to publication. With their help I had accomplished the third item on my list and published my first book “Unlocking the Mystery of Marriage: Loving Your Spouse the Way Christ Loves the Church” on Amazon!
Now that I know how to write a book and get it published, I have been able to replicate the process and am already completing my third title! It is the process of learning to write a book as a first-time author that I want to share with you here.
Help Me Write a Book: The Most Important Step
Learning how to write a book as a first-time author can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. You may already have one main idea you would like to write about or perhaps you’ve considered several and weren’t sure how to narrow down your ideas. The very first and most important step to write a book is to seek the Lord in prayer for wisdom. Ask Him to help you prioritize the topic and guide your words as you write. He will lead you as you learn how to write book content and glorify Him with your gift.
How to Write Book Content
The next step is getting your ideas onto paper and organized. Take time to do a “brain dump” and write or type out all the ideas you are considering. It helps to set a timer for 10-15 minutes and let your ideas flow. Don’t worry if they are not all related to one topic at this point because you are just clearing your thoughts. Also, you are getting ready to organize them in the next step, which is writing a chapter outline template.
Writing a Chapter Outline Template
Now that you have your brain cleared of the clutter of ideas you have considered writing about, it’s time to organize them. Start by looking for similar ideas and grouping them together under headings.
Then you can make a chapter outline template by organizing the ideas in a logical order. If you are writing fiction, this will be the flow of your story. Non-fiction book chapters can be organized by sequence of importance, order of directions (such as in a how-to book), or by grouping similar themes together.
Format for Writing a Book
After you have your book outline written, you may want to use a template for writing a book. This gives you an overview of the structure of the book itself. It is also a guideline for starting to format the contents. A quick Google search will give you ample free book template samples online. If you want to write a book using Google Docs or Microsoft Word, both have built-in sample book templates available. If you are planning on publishing on Amazon, you may want to consider using a free book template directly from KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) here.
Having a format for writing a book is important because there are certain elements that need to be a part of every book including a title page, copyright page, and permissions notifications–both for anyone who wants to use parts of your book, as well as for any Bible translations you may have used for verses in your book, publishing contact information, ISBN, a table of contents, references and footnotes or endnotes, and other items that are included in what is called “front matter” and “back matter”. There is also optional material you may want to include such as a dedication page, foreword, endorsements, author bio, information about any other books or resources you would like to offer, or even a request for book reviews (which is highly important to reach more readers with your message).
The Independent Book Publishers Association has published a free downloadable “Industry Publishing Standards” that will give you the information you need to write a book as a first-time author that is polished and professional.
Conclusion
Writing a book for the first time can be both intimidating and exciting. With some prayer, preparation, and persistence, you can write a book as a first-time author. You will finally see your work in print! There is nothing like holding that first copy of your own book. Knowing that your words can now go into the world is an incredible feeling. Furthermore, the thought that they can make a positive impact in the lives of others is truly rewarding.
For detailed support in writing a book as a first-time author, I highly recommend using Christian Book Academy to guide you from idea to publication and even beyond (into the marketing phase), as you will most likely have many questions on your journey from idea to publication.
Seeking God first as a Kingdom Writer will truly help you learn how to write a book. Additionally, it will empower you to make a positive impact on the world!
About the Author
Heather is a Christian wife, mom, dental hygienist, devotional writer for Lifeway, and best-selling author. Her current books include:
- “Unlocking the Mystery of Marriage: Loving Your Spouse the Way Christ Loves the Church”
- “A Week in the Word: Dig Deep into God’s Word One Passage and One Week at a Time.” This is an inductive Bible study journal that lets you take any passage of Scripture and explore it deeply. To help you readily apply it to your daily life.
Her experience includes online training from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and the Biblical Counseling Institute. She has written devotions and Bible studies for women, taught children’s Sunday School, VBS, and women’s Bible studies.
Get bible study resources for women at her website Good Portion Promises.
Resources for Writing a Book
- 9 Free Book Templates
- How to Create A Book Template in Google Docs – Wordable
- Paperback and Hardcover Manuscript Templates
- IBPA’s Industry Standards Checklist for a Professionally Published Book
- Christian Book Academy
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