The Book Development Process  

Most people who would like to write their book have trouble knowing where to start and what steps to follow. They typically have many photos, newspaper clippings, and mementos in multiple places, important historical dates jotted down, and favorite stories to share that have not been written. The thought of taking on a writing project is so overwhelming that many people don’t begin.

One of the most satisfying things for me is to help coach others through the process that I have outlined below. Encouragement, awareness of the steps, and guidance through them are what I find first-time book writers need most.

DESIGN: We begin by determining your book’s audience purpose, and scope. Who do you envision reading it, why are you writing it, and what years/topics/events do you want to cover? These elements are important stakes to get in the ground at the beginning.

OUTLINE, TIMELINES, AND TREE: I help you create a high-level outline, a family events timeline, and a family tree. I also help you write the book’s Preface, which covers the design elements: who, what, and why. We also set a date for the book’s completion.

GATHER INFORMATION: I work with you to gather what will be used in the book (photos, newspaper articles, letters, etc.) or used as source or reference material for writing it. For stories not written, I meet with you (typically in your home) and tape record your telling the stories to be included. I let you know in advance what topics we’ll discuss. I ask a few guiding questions along the way, but I mainly listen. You will be amazed at how quickly time passes when you relive stories from your past.   

WRITE: I transcribe conversations and use the material to write a draft of each section of the outline - in your voice (not mine).

REVIEW: You read and review the draft(s), making whatever additions or corrections are required. I encourage you to have others read the draft; the more readers the better. I incorporate comments and return a confirmation draft. Some sections of the book may require several iterations of writing, reviewing, and incorporating comments.

EDIT: The complete manuscript (all sections of the outline) is professionally edited.

SELECT AND SCAN PHOTOS:  I scan photos you select to be in the book and work with you to add captions for each.

LAYOUT: I integrate the final (edited) text and photos to create the book’s print-ready draft. At this point, I discuss topics with you such as the number of printed copies you want, book trim size, cover (hard/soft), font type and size, etc. These are items that relate to the final look of the book and details the printer will need for providing a printing estimate.

PROOFING AND PRINTING: You and the editor do a final proof of the manuscript. The printer creates a digital proof for your confirmation. Upon your signoff of the proof, copies are printed. 

CELEBRATE: When the copies return from the printer, we celebrate our efforts!

That’s it. I’ve followed this process many times with my clients. It is structured. It is proven. And it produces results.