| November is National Novel Writing Month. | | | | even written the first sentence. For nine months |
| NaNoWriMo, as it is often called, is a fun approach | | | | straight, I couldn't take on any new clients |
| to novel writing. Participants begin writing | | | | because I was working night and day trying to |
| November 1 with a goal to write a 175-page | | | | get everything finished by May 2007 so my |
| (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30. | | | | publisher could take a galley copy of my book to |
| While this event is a fantastic way to get writers | | | | BookExpo America (BEA) in June. It's true the |
| into a steady habit of writing with a purpose, and | | | | book wasn't set to publish until October, but it |
| it works well with fiction, I don't see how a good | | | | takes the publisher several weeks to layout the |
| book can be pushed to the market with | | | | book's interior, design the cover, and get |
| accuracy-especially if a lot of research, interviews, | | | | everything uploaded to Lightning Source (or |
| and documenting of sources is required. | | | | whatever printer the publisher uses) and get |
| If you're pushing to get a book published in a | | | | copies shipped to the event. The field of stem cell |
| short time as I was when I released Right to | | | | research changes very rapidly as new discoveries |
| Recover Winning the Political and Religious Wars | | | | are made. I had to give up on having the latest |
| over Stem Cell Research in America, there are | | | | statistics and information in the book and go with |
| some things you need to know. | | | | what I had. By rushing the book to finish by the |
| It's important for those considering a career in | | | | middle of May, I turned in an unedited copy |
| writing to realize how much time writing a | | | | knowing there would be tons of changes to be |
| non-fiction book really takes. Everyone thinks that | | | | made before the final copy could be printed and |
| their time is free, but that's a quick trip to the | | | | released. |
| poorhouse. You may or may not make any | | | | If you need motivation to write, there's nothing |
| money when you take into consideration the | | | | like having a deadline to meet. Therefore, I urge |
| amount of time it takes to prepare a book. I put | | | | writers to participate in events like NaNoWriMo |
| more than 600 hours into the research, writing, | | | | that give incentive and encouragement to help get |
| editing, and proofreading Right to Recover. | | | | the juices flowing and develop the habit of writing. |
| I started my research in late summer of 2006, | | | | But, if you are writing a non-fiction book, I |
| and had a publisher grab the book from my | | | | suggest you make consistent progress each day |
| tentative outline. I had a contract before I had | | | | without letting the task take over your life. |