Writing a Book

One of the most frequent comments that I hear from doctors is, “I really want to write a book.”
I had the same feeling a few years ago when I wanted to write a book for doctors about the subject of non-clinical careers. But I did not know where to begin. When I was starting something completely new to me, I was fortunate enough to receive some great advice and guidance from trustworthy people in the publishing industry along the way. If you are thinking about writing a book, here are several points you need to think about.

---

Why do you want to write a book?

• Do you have a creative story, a personal story or useful information that you want to share with others? Do you want to write fiction or non-fiction?
• Do you have enough information to write a whole book (at least 50,000 words) or just enough for an article (350-2000 words) or to create your own  blog (5000-50,000 words)?
• Do you want to write a book because you want to provide information for others, because you want to make money from book sales or because you want to promote and market yourself or your business? Rank these three in order and always keep your priorities for writing a book in mind to help you stay on task.
• Would you be willing to pay to self-publish your book, or do you want to have it published through a professional publisher?

Professional Publishing
It can be very difficult to get a publisher to look at your book idea. You must have a well-written proposal. I have already had many doctors tell me, ‘I just want to run this great idea by a publisher.’ If you are not already an established author, it is not easy to get a publisher to listen to your idea. You must have an excellent, well-written, clear and flawless book proposal.
Self Publishing
It is a good idea to look into self-publishing before you approach a publisher so that you can get a handle on the cost of getting a book in print. Calculate the costs of editing, printing, marketing etc. Estimate how many copies of your book will sell. Do you think your book would be profitable if you self publish it? Any publisher will do the same calculations; so think the numbers through even if you prefer to write your book using a publisher.
Building a Brand
Consider starting by writing an article about your topic of interest. Then gauge reader's comments and interest in your topic as you construct your book proposal. You can consider submitting an article to nonclinicaldoctors.com to see if you are ready to hear reader's responses to your writing. (article submission guidelines here.)