Partly AI-generated post: Write Your Book In 12 Actionable Steps

And fiction & non-fiction book proposals & writing prompts

These checklists were created and prioritized with the assistance of AI. Of course, different people may go about the process differently, either planning generally or in great detail, according to how you work best.

Write a book in 12 basic steps

1. Choose a genre and theme for the book

2. Brainstorm ideas and concepts for the plot

3. Identify the target audience

4. Create and develop character profiles for main and supporting characters

5. Create a table of contents with chapter titles

6. Write a brief synopsis of the story

7. Plan key scenes for each chapter

8. Break the story down into major plot points or events

9. Set writing goals and a schedule to draft the book

10. Overlay the story with unique surprises, excitement and inspiration

11. Revise for clarity and interest

12. Get an editor or two to look it over it

FICTION book proposal

Cover letter, synopsis & the first 3 chapters of book (Write the proposal before getting too far into the book manuscript.)

1. Define the book's purpose and target audience

2. Research successful fiction book proposals

3. Give it a compelling title (and subtitle)

4. Outline the chapters, give chapter titles

5. What is the main concept of book and why is it important? (elevator pitch)

6. Write a fiction synopsis

7. Create an author bio highlighting relevant experience

8. Revise and edit the proposal for clarity and interest

9. Research literary agents or publishers and their specific submission guidelines

10. Submit proposal according to each agent's or publisher's guidelines

11. Include a marketing plan (promotion ideas and platforms)

12. Prepare a cover letter to accompany the proposal

13. Choose the appropriate format (e.g., print, ebook) and length of the manuscript

14. Format the proposal according to industry standards

15. Submit proposal according to each agent's or publisher's guidelines

NON-FICTION book proposal

Cover letter, author expertise is more important, market analysis and research on similar books is more important, overview/chapter breakdown, and sample chapters (strongest chapters)

1. Define the book's purpose and target audience

2. Research successful non-fiction book proposals

3. Give it a compelling title (and subtitle)

4. Outline the topics of each chapter, give chapter titles

5. Select strongest/most interesting chapters to be your sample chapters

6. What is the main concept of book and why is it important? (elevator pitch)

7. Write a non-fiction synopsis

8. Create an author bio highlighting relevant expertise and experience

9. Revise and edit the proposal for clarity and interest

10. Research literary agents or publishers and their specific submission guidelines

11. Research similar books and how they were marketed

12. Include a marketing plan (promotion ideas and platforms)

13. Provide details on potential endorsements or testimonials

14. Prepare a cover letter to accompany the proposal

15. Choose the appropriate format (e.g., print, ebook) and length of the manuscript

16. Format the proposal according to industry standards

17. Submit proposal according to each agent's or publisher's guidelines

Generating the lists using AI was surprisingly time consuming; the fiction and non-fiction lists were totally different, so I made them uniform to better highlight their differences. I also added items based on my experience. AI can help you break down each item into further steps if needed.

---

Writing Prompts

• Write about a light bulb moment, the moment everything about a situation made sense.

• Write about something that brings a smile to your face.

• Write about what happens when two different animals cross paths?

• Write about a drama queen, a character who attracts drama every day.

---

This playlist is nice writing music: