I’ve sold over 50,000 books.

My first Kindle, AI Writer, has over 100 book reviews on Amazon and makes thousands of dollars a month in passive sales.

We also have trade books here on Smart Blogger like Six-Figure Copywriter that have sold thousands of copies.

In college, I wrote short stories and one rather terrible screenplay. One of my best friends is also a best-selling novelist, and he blabs endlessly about publishing fiction.

And I recently signed up with a literary agent to do my first traditionally published book. A memoir about my life.

So I feel like I have a well-rounded perspective on the publishing world. No, I’m not a famous author like Stephen King or Joanna from The Creative Penn, but I’ve done a lot.

If you want to write a book — any kind of book — this post will demystify the publishing process and give you action steps on what to do first.

Let’s dive in.

Why Writing a Book is More Complicated Than You Might Think

It’s so simple to get started. Just pop open a blank page and start writing.

But that’s not the problem, is it?

The problem is getting the darn thing published.

And that leads to all kinds of complicated questions…

• What’s your platform as an author?
• What genre does your book fit into?
• Will you pursue traditional publishing or self-publishing? 

If your response to any of those questions is “Um, I don’t know,” you’re not alone. Most aspiring authors are so eager to write that they dive in without understanding key publishing considerations. 

I get it.

The writing itself feels most important, and all that publishing stuff seems like something you can figure out later. But trust me, taking time up front to understand your options will save you tons of frustration down the line. 

For instance, did you know a traditional publisher will not consider a fully written nonfiction book?

They want a proposal, nothing more.

And if they sign a deal, they want creative input into how the book is written.

What that means is writing your entire book may in fact disqualify you from a traditional publishing deal. This in turn disqualifies you from most bestseller lists and some media outlets.

That’s just one example of how neglecting these questions can do serious harm to your book. You can’t ignore them.

The good news?

This article will walk you through everything. 

Let’s begin with the biggest question of all…

Fiction vs. Nonfiction: More Than Just Made Up vs. Real

This might seem like a dumb place to start, but it’s not.

Because here’s the truth:

Fiction and nonfiction have almost nothing to do with each other. They have different publishers, different agents, different book writing processes, and different marketing techniques.

So let’s be really clear about what you are writing.

Fiction refers to imaginary stories crafted from your creativity.

Think novel writing, short stories, poetry, and other creative writing.

Your primary focus is engaging readers through masterful storytelling, vivid world-building, and compelling characters.

Some well-known examples of fiction writing include:

• The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
• The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
• The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

On the flip side, nonfiction refers to factual information, real stories, and valuable insights.

Think biographies, history books, self-help guides, and how-to manuals. Your primary focus is establishing credibility, providing value, and packaging your expertise in a way that genuinely helps your potential reader.

Some powerful examples of nonfiction include:

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
• Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou
• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

While there are some universal writing craft elements, make no mistake: fiction and nonfiction are two very different beasts.

For example, remember how I said publishers refuse to read completed manuscripts for nonfiction?

It’s the opposite for fiction. It’s sold on the strength of the complete manuscript. You typically write the whole novel before trying to land an agent or publisher. 

Self-publishing is also more common for fiction. We’ll get into that later.

The bottom line is you need to be crystal clear about which category you fall into.

Demystifying Genres: Find Your Book’s Home

Okay, so you’ve determined whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction. 

The next step is to figure out your genre. And no, this isn’t just a fancy publishing term to make you feel confused. 

If fiction and nonfiction are the two major categories, your genre is the subcategory that determines what shelf your book sits on.

It also sets expectations for your content, book writing style, and target audience.

Let’s start with fiction genres. 

You’ve got your classic categories like romance, mystery, science fiction, fantasy, horror, and thriller. Each one comes with its own set of conventions and reader expectations.

For example, romance readers expect a central love story and an emotionally satisfying ending. Think Nicholas Sparks books like The Notebook or Dear John. 

Mystery readers expect a crime or puzzle to solve and a logical explanation at the end. Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express is a prime example.

Nonfiction has its own set of popular genres too. 

You’ve got self-help books like The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. Memoirs like Educated by Tara Westover. Business books like Good to Great by Jim Collins.

Each one targets a specific reader’s need and delivers on its promise.

So why does genre matter so much? 

Because it helps you write a book that actually sells. Your genre represents a huge group of readers who love that type of book.

The key to becoming a bestseller is to win those readers over, and you can only do that if you know what type of book they like.

Imagine you’re writing a psychological thriller. If you study the genre, you’ll notice most books clock in around 90,000 words, have short chapters, and use cliffhangers to keep readers hooked.

So when you sit down to write, you have a blueprint to follow.

Or let’s say you’re writing a self-help book on productivity. Your genre research will show you need to include actionable strategies, relatable anecdotes, and a conversational writing style. 

Long story short: understanding your genre gives you a massive advantage.

It helps you avoid writing in a vacuum and gets your book in front of the right readers. 

So before you get too far, figure out where your book fits.

Study the conventions.

And let the genre guide your writing and publishing process.

Traditional Publishing Versus Self-Publishing

Alright, you know if it’s fiction or nonfiction, and you’ve identified your genre. 

The next big decision is if you want a deal from a big publisher, complete with an advance and an army of people who want input on your book, or you want to fly solo and self publish and answer only to yourself.

The Pros and Cons of Traditional Publishing

Let’s start with traditional publishing. 

This is when you work with an established publishing house like Random House or HarperCollins.

If they accept your book, they’ll handle the editing process, design, printing, distribution, and some of the marketing.

The big benefit of traditional publishing is prestige and support.

There’s still a certain cachet that comes with being backed by a major publisher, and this can open doors to major interviews on TV and radio talk shows, a glowing book review or two or ten from influencers, and more. 

Plus, you’ve got a whole team of experienced professionals to guide you and get your book in front of a wide audience.

They know what works in your genre and what doesn’t, and they will hold you accountable for writing a truly great book.

You can also get an advance where the publisher pays you a lump sum like $50,000 or more, and then you finish writing and editing the book. The advance is paid back to the publisher from book sales.

The downside? 

Traditional publishing is extremely competitive and slow.

For most fiction and a lot of nonfiction, you first have to land a literary agent to represent you. That means writing a compelling query letter and book proposal, which is an art in itself.

If you do get an agent and they sell your book to a publisher, the process can easily take 1 to 2 years or more from contract to release.

And you’ll have less creative control and lower royalties than self-publishing.

This is assuming you can get published at all.

If you’re an aspiring author, you might get rejected by all agents and publishers and end up wasting months or years with nothing to show for it.

Traditional publishers care more about your “platform” than anything else. This is your email list, social media following, how many books you have sold previously, speaking engagements, and press coverage.

Personally, I was shocked by how high the standards are. 

When I started the publishing process for my memoir, I thought I would easily find an agent and publisher, because I have an email list of over 100,000 people, and I’ve sold over 50,000 books.

I also have an incredible, once in a century life story.

But it was barely enough for top agents and publishers to talk to me and many politely declined.

They wanted me to have hundreds of thousands of social media followers and recent interviews on major podcasts. Some also requested changes to the book I simply wasn’t comfortable with.

I did manage to get an agent but she is waiting patiently while I build my social media following and arrange interviews to increase the size of my platform. Only then will we seek a deal with a publisher.

Granted, the standards for a memoir are much higher than for other types of books.

If I wanted to publish a how-to book about writing or blogging, they would happily give me a book deal because of the size of Smart Blogger. For a memoir, however, you already need to be mildly famous for anyone to care about your personal story.

This has been a hard pill to swallow but it makes sense.

So, I’m growing my social media following and reaching out for major podcast interviews. It will probably delay the process a year, but it will result in many, many more book sales.

That being said, I wouldn’t attempt traditional publishing if I was a beginner.

I would go for the next option, which is…

Self Publishing: The Pros and Cons

As the name suggests, you basically become your own publishing house.

You handle every aspect of the process, from writing and editing to design and distribution.

In practice, most self-published authors publish on Amazon and ignore traditional bookstores, at least in the beginning. They focus primarily on Kindle e-books and then expand to selling print books on Amazon and then traditional publishers.

This staged process allows for you to see how successful your book is before investing in printing books or trying to get bookstores to carry it.

The major perk of self-publishing? Speed. 

Once you finish your book, you can have it up and selling on Amazon within a few hours, as opposed to years with traditional publishing. You also have total creative freedom and keep all the rights and profits, minus Amazon’s cut.

The other major advantage is distribution.

Publishers can more easily get your books in bookstores, not only in the United States, but in other countries as well.

If a book is doing well, they can translate it to other languages and publish around the world. This results in substantially more sales.

The challenge with self publishing?

You’re doing everything yourself or hiring freelancers to help. Editing, formatting the book, designing your cover, creating the Amazon listing — it’s a lot.

That means more upfront costs, a serious learning curve, and no guarantee of success. You’re responsible for quality control and marketing entirely on your own.

A self-published author also get less respect.

You might find it difficult to get major interviews, and the New York Times Bestseller list often shuns self published books, so if your dream is to become a New York Times best-selling author, self-publishing might not be the way to go.

The good news?

Occasionally major publishers do give book deals to an already self published book. You put it up on Amazon, it takes off and gets a bunch of sales, and then publishers come back and offer a deal.

Some well-known success stories:

• Still Alice by Lisa Genova, which later got a traditional deal and a movie adaptation
• The Martian by Andy Weir, which also went on to traditional publishing and a blockbuster film

So Which Path is Right for You? 

My personal opinion…

If you have a huge following and there is zero doubt you will sell gazillions of books, traditional publishing makes everything easier, so go for it.

But if you don’t?

Publishing the book yourself is almost always a smarter move.

It’s SO much faster and you’ll learn a ton.

If the book takes off, you can also get a deal with a traditional publisher later for greater distribution.

The Writing Process: Action Steps for Fiction and Nonfiction

We’ve covered a lot of ground.

You now understand the difference between fiction and nonfiction, the importance of genre, and the different publishing paths available. 

But what are your action steps? What are you supposed to DO?

I got you covered.

First Things First: Establish a Writing Routine

The biggest enemy of any good writer is procrastination.

All of us have a tendency to get busy with everything else and our lives and put our book off until tomorrow.

But you know what happens when you do that? 

Months or even years go by without you making any progress on your book. Then writer’s block inevitably kicks in.

I speak from experience.

Thankfully, it’s a simple problem to cure. Here’s what to do:

1. Set aside dedicated writing time. The first step to writing a good book is making time for it. Look at your calendar and block off at least 30 minutes to an hour each day for a writing session. Treat this time as sacred and non-negotiable.
2. Choose the right time of day. For most people, early morning is the best time to write. Your mind is fresh, distractions are minimal, and you can make progress before the demands of the day take over. If you’re not a morning person, find a time that works best for you and stick to it consistently.
3. Create a comfortable writing space. Establish a quiet, comfortable spot where you can write without interruptions. It could be a home office, a coffee shop, or even a park bench. The key is to choose a space that signals to your brain that it’s time to write.
4. Set achievable goals. Break down your big writing goal into smaller, achievable milestones. Set a daily word count (e.g., 500 words) or a number of pages to write each week. Track your progress and celebrate each small victory along the way.

Don’t skip any of this. Trust me, it’s the most important thing.

Once you’ve got time set aside, we can then talk about differences in the writing process for fiction and nonfiction.

Fiction Writers: Pantsers vs. Plotters

If you’re writing fiction, you’ll need to identify your writing style. 

Pantsers prefer to discover the story as they write.

They start with a general idea of the characters and plot, but let the story unfold organically. This style works well for writers who enjoy surprises and don’t mind a little chaos in the drafting process.

Plotters, on the other hand, prefer to plan out key story elements in advance.

They create detailed outlines that map out character arcs, plot points, and major scenes. This style works well for writers who like structure and want a clear roadmap to follow.

Whichever style you choose, there are some key elements of story structure to consider before diving in:

1. Character development. Develop your main characters, including the protagonist (main character), antagonist (opposing force), and supporting characters. Give each character a unique personality, backstory, and motivation.
2. Plot. Outline the major events and turning points in your story. Consider the inciting incident that kicks off the action, the rising action that builds tension, the climax or turning point, and the resolution.
3. Setting. Establish the time, place, and mood of your story world. Use vivid details to bring the setting to life and create a sense of atmosphere.
4. Theme. Identify the underlying message or truth your story explores. This could be a universal human experience, a moral dilemma, or a social issue.
5. Conflict. Create meaningful obstacles and challenges for your characters to overcome. Conflict can be external (e.g., a villain or natural disaster) or internal (e.g., self-doubt or moral dilemma).

Once you’ve considered these elements, it’s time to choose your publishing path. 

If you want complete control over the process and faster time to market, self-publishing may be the way to go.

You might also make more money overall, especially if you are publishing a series of books.

If you prefer the prestige and support of a traditional publisher, and you believe you have enough of a following to grab their attention, you’ll need to start reaching out to agents who specialize in fiction.

Once you’ve secured an agent, they will guide you through getting your book deal.

Nonfiction Writers: To Self-Publish or Not to Self-Publish?

With nonfiction, we go in the opposite order.

Your first big decision is whether to self-publish or pursue traditional publishing. This choice will dictate your next steps.

If you choose to self-publish, you have the freedom to write your book on your own timeline and maintain creative control. However, you’ll also be responsible for all aspects of production, including editing, design, and book marketing.

To self-publish successfully:

1. Outline your book. Create a detailed outline of your book’s content, using the conventions common to your genre (e.g., self-help, memoir, business). Consider including exercises, case studies, or practical advice to engage readers and provide value.
2. Write your manuscript. Begin writing your book, focusing on delivering quality information in a clear, engaging way. Use your dedicated writing time to make steady progress and stay motivated.
3. Hire professionals. As you write, start researching and hire a professional editor, designer, and marketer to help polish and promote your book. Look for professionals with experience in your niche or genre.

If you choose to pursue traditional publishing, your first step is to write a compelling book proposal.

This is essentially a business plan that convinces agents and publishers to invest in your book idea.

To craft a strong proposal:

1. Start with a hook. Begin with a one-sentence hook that captures the essence of your book and grabs the reader’s attention. Follow this with a brief synopsis that summarizes your book’s main points and unique selling proposition.
2. Outline your content. Provide a comprehensive outline of your book’s content, broken down by chapter. Include key takeaways, examples, and any special features (e.g., illustrations, appendices).
3. Analyze the market. Conduct a market analysis to show where your book fits in the current landscape. Compare your book title to similar titles and explain how it differs or fills a gap in the market.
4. Highlight your platform. Include an author bio that showcases your credentials, expertise, and platform. Mention any speaking engagements, media appearances, or online following that demonstrate your ability to promote the book.
5. Include sample chapters. Polish your introduction and one or two sample chapters to give agents and publishers a taste of your writing style and content.

Once your proposal is ready, research literary agents who specialize in your nonfiction genre.

Look for agents who have represented similar books and have a track record of success.

Send personalized emails to your top choices, following their submission guidelines closely. Expect to send multiple submissions and face rejection before finding the right match.

If an agent offers representation, they will work with you to refine your proposal and pitch it to publishers.

This process can take several months, so use your writing time to continue building your author platform and working on your manuscript.

Final Advice After 20 Years As a Writer

An aspiring writer learns the most from… writing.

It’s not from hiring a writing coach, discovering a secret writing prompt, or putting ideas into a book title generator or some kind of newfangled writing tool.

Budding writers learn from actual writing.

It sounds stupidly simple, and yet we routinely forget it or even actively avoid it.

When I look back, there’s not a single time I regret writing.

Whether it’s a book, blog post, scripts for YouTube videos, whatever. Even if it’s not popular, I learn a ton from each writing journey, and my writing skills improve.

On the other hand, I’ve also wasted a lot of time agonizing over which direction to go, deciding between projects, and getting advice from other people.

If I could go back, I would just write every day, publish every idea I have, and ignore other people’s opinion on my work.

Great writing is largely a volume game. The more you write, the better writer you become.

So don’t worry if you take the wrong approach with your book.

Don’t worry if you publish something and nobody likes it.

Don’t worry if you’re a beginner and you suck.

Just keep writing. Publish 20 books, not one. Write so much the world drowns in your words.

If you do that, then I think all the other stuff will take care of itself in time.

Set aside the time.

Ignore all distractions.

Write every day until you don’t suck.

Oh, and get started today.

Yes, I’m looking at you.

Enough procrastinating by reading this article. It’s time to get to work.