1. Make a written promise to yourself that you will write a book by a certain date. Write down that date. Whether it’s 1 year, 2 years, or 6 months away, write the whole book or make deadlines along the way so that you have a complete draft of a book by that date. You could pick your birthday, the New Year, or some other significant date.

TARGET DATE FOR STARTING YOUR BOOK:________________________

TARGET DEADLINE FOR COMPLETING 1st DRAFT:______________
TARGET DEADLINE FOR COMPLETING BOOK:______________________

2. Research and write a newspaper or magazine article related to the book you want to write as a preliminary finished (and published) writing project related to the book you plan to write. (If possible, get an assignment for the article or write it "on spec" and then submit it/try to sell it.)
3. For nonfiction, write a proposal and sell it. Get a deadline and an advance. That usually forces you to complete the book.
4. Get a job working for a publishing company.
5. Become an intern at a publishing company.
6. Get an advanced degree in and write a book for your thesis or dissertation.
7. Ghost or co-author someone else’s book as a way of teaching yourself how to write (and finish) a book.
8. For fiction, write a short story and get it published in a magazine or literary journal. The short story could be the basis for your novel.
9. Write with a partner. You could help each other along.
10. Teach a course or give a speech related to your subject matter. Plan the weekly sessions (or each different speech) as a chapter in your book. Research and write an outline for each chapter/lesson/speech. Type up your notes and/or tape record your classes or speeches. Transcribe the tapes and you have a first draft of your book.

What course might you teach?__________________________

Where would you teach it?_____________________________

When will you start? _________________________________

11. Create a writers group or become part of an established writer’s group and get support from other writers to cheer you on as you work on your book. Report back to the group on your progress.
12. Take a writing course with writing a book as part of the requirements.
13. Budget time every day, every evening, or every weekend to work on your book. Whether it is an hour each day, or five hours on the weekend, if you are persistent and keep at your writing and your book, eventually you will finish it.

(Use numbers 14 through 16 to write down ideas of your own about how you are going to turn your dream of writing a book into a published reality.)

14.___________________________________________________________________

15.____________________________________________________________________

16.____________________________________________________________________

*All rights reserved. Copyright ã 1999 by Jan Yager, Ph.D. This material is provided for educational purposes only. These suggestions may or may not work for each individual since every writing project, every writer, is unique. One single copy of this material may be printed out for the use of one individual but it may not be copied and reproduced without written permission of its copyright owner, Dr. Jan Yager. This material is from Dr. Yager's all-day seminar, "How to Write, Sell, and Promote Your Book," as well as from the manual and book-in-progress entitled The Complete Help Book for Authors and Publishers. For more information on these seminars, the manual, or the book, contact Dr. Jan Yager: jyager@aol.com.