It’s a simple question, but cause unexpected problems. On the one hand, it is good to have people interested in something to do. If I told people fixing toasters for a living, I do not think I’d get lots of questions. People are curious about writing and that’s cool and flattering. Rock on.

On the other hand, the hand involvement of people who ask because they have no clue to do it themselves, is that writing books is a subject so old and well trodden by many famous people that anyone who asks me, with the intention advice would be to discover secret of my small brain and limited experience of writing, it is hard to take seriously.

This is the pure truth cuts: 20% of people who ask me are hoping to hear this – Anyone can write a book. They want permission. The truth is you do not need any. No license required. There is no test to take. Writing, unlike editing, requires almost no financial or physical resources. A pencil, paper and effort is all that is required for hundreds of years. If Voltaire and the Marquis de Sade could write in prison, you can do in the suburbs, at lunch at work, or after their children go to sleep.

To enter, kill the magic: a book is just a lot of writing. Anyone can write a book. You can suck or be incomprehensible, but so what: it remains a book. Nothing stops you at this time to collect all reports of primary school books, or drunken napkin scribbles, blending them to Kinkos for $ 20, hitting a title on the cover, and have the status of author. Want to write a good book? Ok, but get in line as the most pro writers are still trying to figure that out too.

Write a good book, compared to an evil, mean one thing. Work. Nobody wants to hear this, but if you take two books off any platform, I’ll bet my pants the author of best worked harder than the author of the other. Call effort, study, practice, whatever. Sure there are tricks here and there, but actually writing is a kind of work.

Be published. 30% of the time the real thing people ask is how to find a publisher. As if there was no phone or, for example, a little something on the internet where you can see all this. Writers market is literally begging to help writers find publishers. Many publishers, being positive on the idea of ​​communication, make information on how to present the material on its website. And so do agents. The great comedy of this is how few writers follow the instructions. That is what bothers to all editors: few writers do their homework.

The sticking point for the authors of most would-be released is, again, work. Want to hear a secret that skips over the hard parts. Publishers are rightfully demanding and get launched a zillion books a day. It takes effort to learn the ropes, sending intelligent questions, and research to craft both the idea of ​​a book, and then to propose effective. So while writing is a job rejection risk, even in the rock-star, finding a publisher is not a mystery. In fact the whole game is self-selective: people who are not willing to do the leg work to be published is unlikely to be able to leg-work required to complete a decent script.

But that said – it’s easier now to self-publish than ever. Seriously. But again, this requires work, so many prefer to continue doing what got published writers rather than themselves.

Being famous and rich: Now this is the kicker. About 50% of the time the real thing people want to know is how to become a millionaire uncle famous rock star author. As if a) I qualified, b) that could explain how it happened, or c) he would be willing to say.

First, this means that writing is a good way to get rich. Do not know how he began to write, but, like most creative pursuits, has always been a less lucrative lifestyle. Even if a book sells well, the $ $ $ $ per hour ratio is well below its work in an undertaking, without health benefits, sick days, and the month where you can coast without you noticing boss. These days people write books after becoming famous, not before. And if the only books I read are best-sellers, well, you have a myopic view of the publishing world. More than 100 thousand books are published in the U.S. each year, and few sell more than a few thousand copies, which makes the books it sells may have little to do with how good a book. Either way, to justify the effort you need reasons other than cash.

Discouraged yet? Good. Here’s the bright side: I love writing books. I love reading books. I love the idea that all people can do things on her mind and then make them real in a page, for pleasure or profit from another person. That is just awesome. If you like writing, if you like to pursue the bittersweet words into phrases, then you might love to write books as well, despite or even because everything I said above. If so, go to work – now:)