Teach on Udemy

Turn what you know into an opportunity and reach millions around the world.

Learn More

Your cart is empty.

Keep shopping

Step-By-Step Guide to Writing a Book

Name: Step-By-Step Guide to Writing a Book
Rating: 4.5 (10 reviews)

A roadmap for writing a book with ease and creating your book marketing plan

Highest Rated

Created byFrancesca Hepton

Last updated 6/2025

English

What you'll learn

How to write the blueprint for your book
A guideline for promoting your book
The basis for pitching to agents and setting up your SM campaign
A step-by-step system for writing a book
Why a book proposal is so important
A great way to beat writer's block
Improve your productivity

Course content

7 sections • 21 lectures • 1h 0m total length

Overview: Why you need a book proposal2:27
Creating a book proposal is essentially creating a blueprint for your book's life.
THIS IS NOT A GUIDE FOR SUBMISSIONS. IT IS TO HELP YOU AS A WRITER.
It provides a skeletal framework for your as the author to follow, and content for your future marketing efforts.
You can create one even before you have started writing, as you are writing or even apply it retrospectively to books you have already written.
Having this reference blueprint or road map of what your book is all about and who it is written for, will help keep you on track both in terms of momentum and direction.
By being clear on what you are doing your efforts will be more efficient and effective. It is when you are not clear that you tend to create a jumbled mess, get yourself tied up in knots with your plot and have no idea how to pitch your book because you don't know who your exact target audience is.
A book proposal helps to guide you out of murky waters and give you a goal to work towards every step of the way.
1.1 What is your book about?5:40
Don't skim over this question. Try to sum up the premise (story or message or purpose) of your book in a couple of lines.
This exercise really gets you to focus.
It will
stop you from meandering.
help you find your target audience
feel confident when you write
give you a signpost to work towards
keep you accountable in your content
ensure your readers get a book they will enjoy
get you out of a tough spot when in an interview
prepare you
Writing the premise for your book is the foundation stone. What is your book about? Does it solve a problem? Does it provide information? Is it designed to entertain or thrill? Will the reader go through a transformation process? Does it address a niche or a curious topic?
Download the print out, read through the examples, listen to the video again if you need to and take a few minutes to explain and describe what your book is about in a concise and understandable way.
1.2 Your Unique Selling Points4:02
Unique Selling Points are like a golden signpost in the world of marketing. They represent what your readers will be drawn to, i.e. why they will choose your book as opposed to other books in the same genre.
What does your book claim to provide?
Example:
There are hundreds of trainers in shops, why choose one pair over another? Some have more ankle support, others are more cushioned, some have flashy lights. They are all branded with a promise of making your feel a certain way when you wear them: invincible, comfortable or fashionable. The same applies to books.
Identifying what your book is specifically about versus other similar books, helps your ideal readers choose your book. If they are looking for a humorous book on cats, let them know that your book offers this, but it also has a scratch and sniff feature. If they are looking for a book that will help them improve their skating technique as a beginner, and you have written a book about it, let them know, but tell them yours is different because it is written by a professional.
Think about what makes your book stand out from the rest. This may seem rather difficult at first, but the method in your handout helps to break it down and keep it succinct.
This lesson will help you tell your readers in just two lines what is special about your story/content.
Magic formula: looking at what you are claiming to provide (e.g. a personal journey of discovery, the most extensive compilation of vegan recipes, an expert view on King Charles Spaniel's nocturnal habits, etc.) and then stating how your book achieves this.
Watch the video, download the handout and check out the examples for guidance.
1.3 An overview of your book3:52
A general overview of how your book unfolds.
Most fiction books follow a pattern.
Start (introduction), middle (build-up) and end (resolution).
There is also a pattern for what happens in between these sections:
Start/intro:
Part 1. Normal life
Part 2. Call to adventure/incident of change - intro of other parties (enemies, allies)
Middle/build-up
Part 3. The test
Part 4. Main ordeal
End/resolution
Part 5. Climax
Part 6. Return with new insight, joy, etc.
Non-fiction books also follow certain formats. I have provided one in the download based on one of my personal development books.
Purpose of creating a brief overview:
to guide you as you write
content for the pitch/back-cover copy*
tell the publisher in a succinct form what the book is about.
* Two to four compelling paragraphs that someone want to read your book.

2.1 Your current progress (status)1:09
Now you are going to look at the factual details of your book. We look at answering four main questions.
The first question is:
Is your manuscript complete, just started, half way through, etc.?*

(*Unless you have been previously published, your book must be finished before you approach agents and/or editors.)
2.2 Special features (images, graphs, etc.)2:10
The second question to address regarding your manuscript looks at:
Any special features
Graphs, diagrams, images, etc. that are important for the layout.
Plus: Are there discussion questions at the end? Is there any integrated content online? (These could be used as your unique selling points as well if, for example, you are the first to to use a feature in your genre).
2.3 The length of your book (number of words)1:55
Question three: How many words are you going to write?

Examples of standard wordcounts:
a memoir 25-50,000 words or more.
novels vary depending on the reader: Middle grade can be 50,000 words, YA and older can be 70,000 and more.
picture book (7 to 9-year-olds): 6,000-10,000 words
illustrated children's book (2 to 5-year-olds): 200-400 words
personal development book: 40,000 words trending now (or more if required)
Here is a definitive guide from Writer's Digest:
https://www.writersdigest.com/guest-columns/word-count-for-novels-and-childrens-books-the-definitive-post
2.4 Deadline for your manuscript and book3:58
Question four really gets the momentum going:
When do you think you will be finished/when do you want to be finished?
This gives you a finish line to aim for.

By completing question 3 first you can calculate how long it should take you to write (don't forget to include times for other material, such as images or photography, you might be waiting for.)
Set out how time you can dedicate to writing per day or week. Do the math and hey presto you have a feasible deadline or you will know if you can or cannot meet the deadline (special launch date) you were aiming for.

Without this your book will just drag on and never get finished. Writers are prone to procrastinating or continuously perfecting their work. Don't fall foul of either of these traps!

3.1 Your market (readers)2:33
Introduction video.
If when asked “Who will enjoy your book?” and you reply “Everyone!” You are going to have an extremely hard time marketing to the whole world. In this section you will narrow down precisely the type of person who is likely to read your book.
3.2 Characteristics of your readers2:52
You will be identifying the demographics of your target readers.

This is all part of choosing the right tone and language as well as helping you with your future marketing.
3.3 What drives your reader1:50
Look at what drives and motivates your reader(s). What do they want, their desires and aspirations. Example: to be inspired, lose weight, find new vegan recipes, be entertained, go on an adventure, find spiritual enlightenment.
If you know what they want, you will have a better understanding of your target audience and where to find them. You will also make sure the message ro story or information you deliver/provide in your book is in keeping with these desires and drives.
3.4 Where your readers hang out2:11
Finding out where your readers are both in the real world and online will help you target your marketing efforts more effectively. The two previous questions must be completed before attempting this section.

This 2-step process for pinpointing your readers will make it easier when you are promoting it.

4.1 The competition - what's out there1:31
It is useful to research comparable books.
In this “competition” section, you’ll include two to three books that are similar to yours in some way. It helps you to see what you have to offer and the editor develop a better understanding of your book.
Try to think of well-known books that will help your agent/editor better understand your book.
4.2 DIfferences between you and your competitors2:10
You'll be researching the title, author, release year, and a couple of sentences about the book and how yours is different and unique.
Download the Exercise sheet below for this section (4.2) and the following section (4.3) to complete the differences and similarities of your book with those of your competitors.
4.3 Similarities2:39
You'll be researching the title, author, release year, and a couple of sentences about the book and how yours is similar and how it would appeal to the same audience.

5.1 A little bit about you - your background2:14
Just a little bit about you. Here are some ideas:
Your training and qualifications.
Places and countries you have experienced.
Campaigns you have instigated or been a part of.
Clubs, associations or groups you have created or been a member of.
Your mission in life.
5.2 Previous writing1:43
An important factor when marketing the author and the book.

Use the download in section 5.1 after watching the "Previous writing" video.
5.3 Personal marketing3:28
In an increasingly noisy and busy world, marketing is key for successful sales. Whether you self-publish or go throgh an agent, you will need a presence online to increase your chances of reaching your target audience. Not everybody shops online and likewise not everybody shops in stores. You will need to campaign strong in both areas with one or all of the following: online roadshows, a blog, social media platform of some kind, podcasts, online roadshows and real life roadshows, book signing events, speaking events, online and real life book launches the list is long.

Key for your book proposal is to get all this information together so you or a potential agent can see t at a glance. Agents love it if you already have a following. If you are flying solo, this will help reveal what you may be missing in your marketing plan and/or where your strengths are.

Use the download in section 5.1 after watching the "Previous writing" video.

6.1 A synopsis of your book2:57
Completing the overview of your book using a chapter-by-chapter synopsis. This is a huge step in the writing and publishing process.
Your story will have shape.
You will have a roadmap.
You will have content for approaching agents.
You create content for interviews, Q+As, book clubs, and much more.
6.2 The magic of your book proposal4:35
Work smarter not harder:
Writing a book is already a great feat to achieve, well done you! But it doesn't have to be a gargantuan task. A book proposal follows the magic 80/20 rule (20% of your effort will result in 80% of your results): doing this 20% (book proposal) will make the 80% (writing and marketing) easier and effective.
An example of how you can use the content you create in your book proposal for marketing:
https://kikiandfriends.co.uk/2019/04/22/media-kit-for-a-case-of-mistaken-identity/

Requirements

You just need an idea for a book
Also suitable if you have already written or are in the process of writing a book

Description

A step-by-step guide to writing a book whether you are going to self-publish or traditionally publish, write fiction or non-fiction. It even helps you to plan and write an effective blog or article!

The course is designed to help you plan and write your book with greater ease. Goal-setting and having a plan drives you forward instead of always wondering what to do next.

Plus, your marketing develops alongside your planning: CREATING RICH AND POWERFUL GO-TO REFERENCE MATERIAL for you to dip into as you write AND to promote your story.

A plan for your book will keep everything simple and on track.

An effective book blueprint will:

- give you an overview of your book and target audience

- help you write your submission to all kinds of agents

- provide content and guidance for your marketing plans

- stop you from feeling overwhelmed

PLUS it will stir the fire within you to write. The desire to get your manuscript written and your story or message out there.

No more writer's block. No more frustrations. Just simply follow the roadmap you will create for you book.

Writers from all walks of life use outlines when writing their articles, books, blogs or just essays at school so they know which topic to cover in what order.

"An outline is a tool used to organise written ideas about a topic or thesis into a logical order. Outlines arrange major topics, subtopics, and supporting details." When everything is organised you don't get lost along the way, you make sure you cover all the important areas and give enough attention where it is needed (example, you don't write too much about one character or spend too much time just on the action pieces or climax), it ensures a smooth flow of writing. It is the thread that ties all the sections to your book together.

Knowing who you are writing for is key not only for the tone of your book, but ultimately in creating a targeted marketing plan. This important is you don't want to waste time and money and make sure your book ends up in the right hands - ensuring you have a satisfied reader and reach as many readers as possible.

This course makes everything else in your writing book easy and manageable.

Unlocking the steps to making writing a book a success.

Who this course is for:

Entrepreneurs looking to boost their credibility
Writers who want to self-publish and need help with marketing
Writers who need help overcoming writer's block
Self-published authors who need help marketing their book
Authors developing their pitch to agents

Step-By-Step Guide to Writing a Book

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Content and overview4 lectures • 16min

2. Your Manuscript4 lectures • 9min

3. Your Market4 lectures • 9min

4. Your Competitors3 lectures • 6min

5. All About You3 lectures • 7min

6. An overview of your book2 lectures • 8min

Your Book Title1 lecture • 4min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: