Annual writing sprints like NaNoWriMo have many experienced and new authors alike testing their limits. Writing a book – a carefully, beautifully constructed book – does take time. Usually, much longer than 30 days. Yet trying this exercise is useful for building discipline, focus and just getting the first draft done. Here are 8 tips to help:
- How I Raised $20 000 In 30 Days To Selfpublish My First Book Published
- How I Raised $20 000 In 30 Days To Selfpublish My First Book Series
QUIZ: How much will it cost to self-publish your book? To sum it all up for you, we built this quiz to help calculate your total self-publishing costs. It takes just 30 seconds to take and find out how much it will cost to self-publish your book! All of our data is based on real quotes and collaborations directly from Reedsy’s marketplace. Schedule time into your day to read, that’s what I did, and that’s how I was able to read 30 books in 30 days. Always have a book with you, as well as your e-reader if you have one, so that whenever you find yourself with some free time use it to read. If this sounds like you, then this is the perfect solution you need. I will show you how to publish your book on Amazon and other retailers, whether you want to publish an ebook, print book, or both. I will help you with positioning your book to attract the best audience, and help you make money from book sales. The far better way to successfully self-publish your book is to get the basics in place first. In fact, there are now many free tools for new authors to make the process easier. You should do this well before you start the process of publishing your book. How to self-publish a book in seven clear steps.
1: Set attainable goals
When someone asks ‘how do I write a book in x days?’ Writers’ reactions are sometimes discouraging. ‘Never write a book with a deadline as small as 30 days!’ Says one Quora user. Reasons you shouldn’t attempt to write a book in such a small time-frame include:
- Being limited by time constraints could result in low quality writing
- Producing a first draft may be possible within 30 days but you also need time to revise and edit
- Burnout is possible if you don’t take sufficient breaks
These are all valid concerns. To work out it you can finish your novel in 30 days:
- Calculate how many words you write per minute: Use a free words-per-minute checker such as Typing Speed Test.
- Keeping in mind that you will also need to pause from time to time to think what happens next, halve your word count per minute. If you can type as fast as 60 wpm, take 30 as your base rate.
- Work out how many words you write per hour: If you can write 30 per minute, you can write approximately 1800 words per hour (assuming you don’t stop to edit or rest). Factor in resting time for a more conservative estimate (e.g. 1000 words).
- Work out how many hours you will have to write each day on average over the next 30. If you write 1000 words of draft per hour on a good day, an 80, 000 word novel should take 80 hours of writing to complete.
- Eighty hours of writing over 30 days would mean spending an average of 2.6 hours of writing per day. This is a lot when you have other commitments.
- Based on the amount of time you have available to write each day, adjust the length of your first draft until you have a word count you can achieve. You can always expand during subsequent drafts. Or write your first draft as a brief, novella version.
If this seems like an impossible task, give yourself more days. Or write some scenes in summary form. You can add connective tissue between plot events (such as scene transitions) later.
2: Set a realistic daily word count target
You might say to yourself ‘I can write for an hour each day, easily.’ The truth is that surprises, last minute obligations and life in general can hijack your writing time. For every hour of free time you have, bank on getting half an hour of that to write.
Start thinking about how you can make your word target attainable:
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- Cut down time taken up by other tasks: Make simpler, quicker meals, for example, and watch less TV – it’s only a temporary sacrifice)
- Ask for help: Rally friends and family who are willing to help you chase your goal (for example, grandparents willing to babysit if you’re juggling telling your story with parenting)
Once you know exactly which hours you have free, block them out in a calendar. Use a colour that separates them clearly from other events and obligations. Draw an ‘X’ through each day once you’ve reached your word target. The satisfaction of this action (the sense of completion) will keep you motivated to continue.
3: Reserve time for each part of the writing process
The different parts of writing a novel require different types of problem-solving. Sketching characters, for example, is more imagination-dependent, while editing is a somewhat more rational (though still creative) process. [You can create full character profiles in preparation using the step-by-step prompts in Now Novel’s story dashboard.]
When seeing if you can learn how to write a book in 30 days, being structured is key. Divide each writing session into different tasks. Complete different sections of outlining or drafting simultaneously. This keeps the process varied and diminishes chances of getting stuck.
If, for example, you prefer writing dialogue to introducing scenes and settings, leave your favourite part of the storytelling process for the end of each session. This makes your favourite part a reward that you work towards every time you sit down to write.
4: Maintain a motivating reward scheme
Create a reward scheme for yourself to keep yourself motivated. Big gyms and insurance policies take this approach to keeping members active. Because they understand motivation, how reward-driven we are. Maximize your commitment to your story (and your word count targets) by:
- Scheduling short breaks as micro rewards for reaching small targets such as completing scenes
- Scheduling greater ‘bonus’ rewards for milestone achievements such as completing chapters
Rewards don’t have to be expensive, overly indulgent or distracting. Take a walk somewhere inspiring or beautiful, read a few pages from a favourite book or grab a coffee with a close friend. Make your rewards relaxing activities that will help you return to the track renewed and focused.
One crucial piece of advice on how to write a book in 30 days:
5: Make it a game to avoid unnecessary pressure
If you’ve ever watched competitive reality TV, you might have seen cases where the most competitive and committed participant cracked early under pressure. Placing too much pressure on yourself is a fast track to burnout.
Instead, treat writing a book in 30 days as an impossible goal that you’ll see whether you can reach, playfully. It’s crucial that this time is fun and varied. Some ways to make it a game:
- Enlist a friend to join in the challenge: You can have your own NaNoWriMo any time of year
- Create engaging prompts for yourself: Instead of saying ‘In this scene, the villain will discover a secret that sets him back’, tell yourself ‘Imagine a villain has just been informed of a development that ruins his plans. What does he discover? How does he react? Write 500 words’
- Find an inspiring picture via Google images that captures the mood or tone you want a scene to create: Let images (or music) inspire you as you write
Try to write as freely as possible to maximize your speed:
6: How to write a book in 30 days: ‘Write drunk’
The quote ‘Write drunk; edit sober’ is often attributed to Ernest Hemingway, though it’s not clear whether Hemingway actually said this. Regardless of who said it, the quote does say something true about writing. It’s not that you should write drunk literally. But you should give yourself the freedom to write with that same uncontrolled giddiness. Before you get to editing.
A big part of how to write a novel in 30 days is letting go of complete control. Let the sober editor in you control when the time comes for that. The writing part should involve as little critical interference as possible, if you want to draft fast.
Some ways to ‘write drunk’:
- Make the font colour of your word processor match the background. Only highlight and change the font colour back when you reach your target word count. This will prevent you from focusing too much on what you’ve just said as you can’t edit until you reach a point of pause.
- Give yourself licence to be bad. Write terribly. Use clichés at every turn. Do this with the understanding that once you have the full draft and you’ve met your targets, you can go through and fix whatever you like.
- Leap in anywhere: Just because your novel tells a linear story doesn’t mean you have to be linear in your approach. If you’ve written the start of a scene, skip to the ending if you have an idea where it will go. Put in simple notes for whatever you’ll add later.
On the subject of speeding up, use shorthand in places to keep up your momentum:
7: Cheat and use shorthand
If you’re trying to write a novel in 30 days, you’ll likely only have time to fill in essential details of character, setting and the most important events of a scene. To keep going at all costs:
- Fill in names of characters, places and other nouns with generic words and agonize over the right choice later (e.g. ‘[Character Y: Add character name meaning stubborn/headstrong here]’)
- Reduce connecting sequences to basic elements. Instead of describing in detail how the party escapes the collapsing building, write ‘[Party manages to escape collapsing building; minus characters X and Y’]
- Keep filling in these blanks for moments when you are tired and you need a quick, small win
8: Remember that progress never counts as failure
What people don’t always tell you when you ask how to write a novel in 30 days is that the most important part of this challenge is committing to it and trying.
Determination and dedication will help you make progress. If, by the end of the 30 days, you don’t have a continuous, polished first draft, congratulate yourself for the progress you have made. You have a sturdy skeleton for a book you can turn into a better read.
If you’re doing NaNoWriMo or simply trying to get through your draft, try to write an 800 word extract every day for a week in the note-keeping section on Now Novel. That’s 5600 words further if you succeed.
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Updated December 28, 2015
Since it was founded in 2009, Kickstarter has acted as a groundswell of support for many innovative endeavors, connecting fans to the creators of the projects they want to see made.
In the 2014, the Coolest Cooler was the leader of the pack in terms of money raised. In spring of 2015, Ryan Grepper's invention was eclipsed by the Pebble Time, in a return trip for smartwatch maker Pebble, which got its start on Kickstarter in 2012. Now five out of the ten most funded campaigns getting major buy in from backers in significant numbers, it seems that crowdfunding has become a more viable option for new companies and projects than ever before.
Here are the 10 highest-earning campaigns to date.
Coolest Cooler
Raised: $13,285,226 (26,570 percent of goal)
Funded: August 29, 2014
Inventor Ryan Grepper struck crowdfunding gold just months after suffering a Kickstarter flop. Ten years in the making, Grepper's Coolest Cooler (which, in its first iteration, involved a precarious but resourceful mix of weed whacker and blender) pulled ahead of the pack to become the most funded Kickstarter campaign to date, ousting Pebble Technology from the top spot after two years. Thanks to 62,642 backers, the Portland, Ore.-based company raised $13,285,226. The cooler comes in three colors and includes several features, including a USB port, waterproof speakers, a bottle opener, and storage for food as well as plates and utensils.
Pebble Technology
Raised: $10,266,845 (10,266 percent of goal)
Funded: May 18, 2012
With heavy hitters like Apple, Google and Samsung working to perfect their smartwatch technology, perhaps it is not surprising that Pebble remains among the most funded Kickstarter campaigns to date, with $10,266,845 pledged by more than 85,000 backers in May of 2012. The Palo Alto-based company builds stylish, customizable and waterproof smartwatches with a full app store and batteries that can last more than a week. Run by Founder and CEO Eric Migicovsky, Pebble sold 400,000 watches in its first year.
The World's Best Travel Jacket
Raised: $9,192,055 (45,960 percent of goal)
Funded: Sept. 3, 2015
Husband and wife team Hiral Sanghavi and Yoganshi Shah came up with the idea for an all-in-one travel jacket after years of Hiral forgetting to bring his neck pillow on flights. The BauBax jacket comes in four styles for men and women and comes equipped with 15 features that include that aforementioned neck pillow, an eye mask, gloves, a blanket and all manner of pockets for technology. With the help of 44,949 backers, Sanghavi and Shah raised more than $9 million, going above and beyond the initial $20,000 goal.
Exploding Kittens
Raised: $8,782,571 (87,825 percent of goal)
Funded: February 19, 2015
The Exploding Kittens tag line is 'a card game for people who into kittens and explosions and laser beams and sometimes goats.' Kind of says it all, right? Created by of game designers Elan Lee (Xbox) and Shane Small (Xbox, Marvel) and cartoonist Matthew Inman, the mind behind popular web comic The Oatmeal, the campaign for the distinctive Russian Roulette-style card game became Kickstarter's most backed campaign ever with 219,382 backers.
OUYA
Raised: $8,596,474 (904 percent of goal)
Funded: Aug. 9, 2012
OUYA is a videogame console made on the Android platform for users to hook up to their TVs. With an aim to make games more accessible and less expensive as well as inspire innovation, the creators of OUYA, who also built Jawbone's Jambox, a wireless Bluetooth speaker, made an open-source gaming console and kit that allows developers to build their own games. Run by Founder and CEO Julie Uhrman, and designed by Yves Behar, who worked with the design for One Laptop per Child, the campaign raised $8,596,474 , blowing past its $950,000 goal.
Shenmue 3
Raised: $6,333,295 (316 percent of goal)
Funded: July 17, 2015
A highly anticipated installment to the Shenmue video game franchise, which first began in 1999 and was followed by a sequel in 2001, the RPG game follows main character Ryo Hazuki's travels across Asia to avenge the death of his father. In '99 it was among the first 'open world' games, meaning that the players could go wherever they wanted in the game. Shenmue 3 comes from the series' original creator Yu Suzuki, who is known for being one of the creative minds behind many popular Sega games. Shenmue 3 is expected to be in gamers' hands in December 2017.
How I Raised $20 000 In 30 Days To Selfpublish My First Book Published
PonoMusic
Raised: $6,225,354 (778 percent of goal)
Funded: April 15, 2014
PonoMusic's MO is pure sound fidelity. In 2012, legendary musician Neil Young started a digital music service that aims to provide fans with the listening experience that their favorite bands and artists intended. The PonoPlayer lets listeners hear clear-as-day studio quality sound, complete with a connected app and digital music store. More than 18,200 backers pledged $6,222,354. The initial goal was $800,000.
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Raised: $5,764,229 (288 percent of goal)
Funded: Dec. 12, 2015
Mystery Science Theater 3000, otherwise known as MST3K, premiered on local TV in Minneapolis in 1988. Created by writer and comedian Joel Hodgson, the beloved Emmy-nominated cult series starred Hodgson as a janitor that was trapped on the Satellite of Love by mad scientists who spends his time making fun of terrible movies with a bunch of wisecracking robots. The rebooted series will be comprised of 14 new episodes including a holiday special and will star comedian and Nerdist Podcast co-host Jonah Ray, genre favorite Felicia Day (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural) and comedian Patton Oswalt. Some perks for campaign donors included personalized voicemail greetings from favorite characters, invitations to the premieres in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, dinner with the cast and a chance to appear in an episode. Thanks to more than 48,000 backers, the creative team raised nearly $5.7 million, clearing their $2 million goal.
1. Pebble Time
Raised: $20,338,986 (4,067 percent of goal)
Funded: March 27, 2015
Talk about customer loyalty. Palo Alto, Calif.-based smartwatch maker Pebble got its start with a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign in 2012 – and now it's reclaimed the throne again. The company's latest Pebble Time watch is not only the most funded campaign in the platform's history, but it's also the fastest funded, raising $1 million in less than an hour (its initial goal was $500,000). Since its launch three years ago, the company has been at work perfecting its hardware (the most recently announced Pebble Time Steel has not only a new interface, but a Gorilla Glass lens and up to 10 days of battery life) and adding to its expansive (more than 6,500 apps) open platform app store.
10. The Veronica Mars Movie Project
Raised: $5,702,153 (285 percent of goal)
Funded: April 12, 2013
Veronica Mars was a beloved cult TV series that ran from 2004-2007 about a teenage PI investigating the haves and have-nots of her noirish CA town. Diehard fans, known as Marshmallows, loved the show for its sharp writing and indelible performances. After the series was cancelled, they, along with showrunner Rob Thomas and star Kristin Bell long held out hope that that the sassy sleuth could be seen on screen once more. The project's goal was for $200,000 and it was was met in only 10 hours. Funding reached $5,702,153 by the end of the campaign. The film was released in theaters on March 14, 2014.
How I Raised $20 000 In 30 Days To Selfpublish My First Book Series
Related: Why the Wallet Is the Perfect Product for Crowdfunding