How do you write a book? Who can help?

'How Do I write a book and can you help me?' I've had several such requests. Today's comes from Cindy on Facebook.

Do I have expertise to help?

Yes. I've had ten books published by mainstream publishers. I've worked for publishers as a non-fiction book editor.

I've self-published several books on Lulu.com

I go to two annual writers' holidays, Writers' Holiday and Writers' Summer School. I've heard dozens of speakers. I've attended loads of courses. I have a house full of books and books on writing books. I go to a writers' circle where we listen to chapters of each other's novels, everybody in the circle gives feedback, and we hear the authors' sob stories and success stories. I link to other authors on Facebook and LinkedIn.

I replied:

Angela Lansbury I teach in London and Singapore, £40 an hour. Anything which needs writing. Or on line.

You want to write what? Novel? Memoir? Poems?

Ghost writers help with memoirs. Ghost writers expect a lot of money because it takes a lot of time.

One company writes memoirs for those who are retired. He and his francises charge about £3000. They do everything, They have a preliminary interview when they show you finished books. You agree to pay. Do you pay ad advance or all at the end? Not sure. They set a series of questions, such as ten, to cover various periods of your life such as starting with childhood. You record your life on tape. They type up the draft. You make corrections. They send it to the printers. You get 1-3 or 1-10 copies nicely bound as a hardback book for yourself and grandchildren or family.

If you are head of a company you can get your business to fund it or do it as a vanity project.

There are no sales nor marketing.

You have to pay separately for sales and marketing.

You can self-publish and sell to people you meet giving talks or at fairs or just pushing books on everybody you meet.

You can write a book then hope to sell just a few. Or look to see what would sell best in order to make money and become in effect a publisher. You can even go on sites to get strangers overseas to bid to write a book on any topic for a fixed fee which you then sell. A man in the USA has a business doing this.

Why would anybody read your book? Either because you or the subject matter are unusual, or very common and deal with a common problem.

At the opposite extreme is the book you want distributed as widely as possible to promote yourself and your business even if you give it away free to every business and social contact. So you want it small, light, cheap to print, paperback, quick to write, only on your area of expertise.

Self-publish first draft on Lulu.com Promote business through course write a book in a weekend.

To write your novel. Read advice on the internet. Subscribe to a magazine for writers. Get books on writing a novel from a library, bookshop, the internet.

Join your local writers' circle. You should have several nearby. If there isn't one, start one. Most centres for arts have a writers or readers group which will know of a writer's circle.

Attend Writers' Holiday, Wales or Writers' Summer School Swanwick. They are held in the UK. People travel from other English speaking countries worldwide, especially if they can combine a trip visiting relatives in the UK with a writers' holiday.

See Harrow Writers' website.

See my webpages. I'll write a how to write a book for you.

Tell me more about why you want to write and what you want to write. Where are you?

You can buy my books on lulu.com and through Amazon.