How can I write and publish a book in 6 months? (and makes money)?

Question

How can I write and publish a book in 6 months? (and makes money)?

Answer 1

You can't. You can probably write a book in six months, but it takes a lengthy process to get one published. And even after that, you won't see the money right away. First, you have to write a query letter and hope that it gets noticed. Then after you get a response from your query letter, you have to wait for them to read the manuscript. After that, the editor has to reply to your query. Usually they will ask for several revisions if they accept the manuscript at all. After the revisions are made, the editor still reserves the right to say no, your manuscript was rejected. If it is accepted, it could take months to get published. Then you have promotions and the like. My best advice would be to start small. Write your book and then send a query letter but be warned. Most of the time, you will be rejected. Writing is a very challenging business. You have to have extremely thick skin and be able to take constructive criticism well. The editors will pick you to pieces and you still have to get up and keep going.

If you'd like to make some quick cash off your writing, I would suggest getting a magazine market guide, such as "The Best of the Magazine Markets for Writers" and start out small. Choose a magazine that best fits your article. Write and send a query letter. You'll go through the same process as for the novel but it's a little quicker and you'll get paid faster. If the editor accepts your article, you'll be paid according to their guidelines, which would be listed in the guide. Also, hit up your local newspapers. See if they're interested in any freelance writers. Usually, you can get a guest spot somewhere. You can also enter writer's contests. Most of them require a fee to enter but if you place, they do offer cash rewards. The only free contest I know of is through Faithwriters.com. They don't offer cash prizes (except once annually) but they really help with exposure. The only glitch is that it's a Christian website. So unless you can write Christian material you're better off looking elsewhere. I hope this helps. Writing is a tough business to get into but it's worth it if it's what you enjoy doing. Good luck.

Answer 2

That's a question every author in the world asks themselves!  It's the same as saying, "When I complete school, how can I be the president of the company and have everything I want in six months.  It's called dreaming.

Answer 3

Come up with a dynamite idea and get pen in hand and push it along the lines of paper, or sit down at your computer or typewriter and bang away.  With any luck, you can write a book within a month.  Either pay someone to go over what you've written or buckle down and do it yourself.  Hopefully, you got some cash stashed away.  Contact a Print On Demand publisher for the detailed information and sign on the bottom line of the contract.  Send them your manuscript and the cost of producing it and you are on your way.  Providing there's not any errors in your presentation, you will see that book in print in less than 2 months.  However, if you opt to approach a "real publisher" then it can take forever.  Most don't take unsolicited manuscripts, meaning they want you to submit your work through an agent.  Agents can be so hard to persuade to take you on if you don't have any credentials in the business.  Also, farming your work out to publishers is time consuming.  They usually get back to you in as little as 3 months or up to 6 months to a year and more.  If they accept your work, it's given to readers to find any errors and editors decide if they think you need to do a rewrite or eliminate or change things around.  Then they'll send you a galley and you have to read it through again and again until both sides are satisfied.  Then it goes to press.  Average time for all this could be up to two years at most.  And if your book doesn't sell well, it's off the bookstore shelves in 6 months.  No matter how you get your book published, the hardest thing is trying to sell your book.  Suddenly, all the people that you thought you knew don't have time to read.  Writing a book and getting it together is nothing in comparison to trying to get people to buy it.