Want To Publish a Book? Get Organized...

If you really want to be an author or publish a book, you must get organized.

An outline is the best way to get started.  After you've written a detailed outline, then you can get back to writing or hire a ghostwriter.  Even for the most seasoned authors who employe a ghostwriter, the content provided to the ghostwriter must match your approach.  It's the author's name that goes on the book, so be clear on your intent and goal of the book.

How many words will you reasonably be able to write a day?  This is a common question.

It really depends on the story, how detailed it is and if you're getting help from someone else.

I know an author who writes 12,000 words a day when she can focus all day long, but that's rare. Sometimes I only write a few thousand words a day.  Sometimes, I've written 10,000 words a day when I'm on a roll.  It takes time to write amazing prose and you need to be thoughtful sticking to the story.  I remind new writers or people who want to publish their memoir not to worry about the word count.  Just get to writing... even if you're only writing an outline for a ghostwriter.  Be sure to include as many details as you can.  Make the reader feel as though he or she is right in the middle of the action.

If you're self-publishing on your own without anyone else's guidance, editing, help or support, the process can take a little longer because there's a learning curve.  If you employ a ghostwriter, things will move faster because a ghostwriter will also help with content editing.  If you employ an editor only for grammar, things may move slower and more of the work will default to you.

Working on memoirs and self-help books, there's a huge need to get organized and maintain organization throughout the process from beginning to end.  Being organized and detailed in that organization makes for a smoother process.

Here's to happy writers making it easier on themselves!

Superfly: Murder by Author? Who Is Responsible for Every Word in an Autobiography?

If you love a murder mystery, you will be fascinated by this story.

TMZ published a story about Jimmy Snuka, the author of "Superfly: The Jimmy Snuka Story," now being charged with the 1983 murder of his girlfriend.

Why?  Apparently he was charged with murder because of book details that were recently published about his girlfriend's death in 1983.  Reportedly, the details of his girlfriend's death differ from the version of her death given to police back in 1983.

When the story changes involving a death, watch out. The police will be paying attention.

As a result, Jimmy Snuka was arrested for third-degree murder.

The book in question is available on Amazon.  It was published in October 2012.

Writers are abuzz about this story asking the questions:  Who wrote the book?  Who is responsible for what is written in the book?  Who is responsible for the final published stories?

Real ghostwriters know the answers to these questions.

At the end of the day, the author of the autobiography credited on the book is solely responsible and liable for publishing his own story.  Even if there's a co-writer, as there is in this case, or a ghostwriter, the person whose story is being shared in an autobiography is responsible for every word and story published in the book.  The buck stops there.

An author who is credited on an autobiography must read every draft or revision even if he's getting help from a co-writer or a ghostwriter.

The police haven't detailed their investigation dating back to 1983, but I imagine there's more to this story that will be coming out in the days ahead.

Still, it's a good lesson for anyone who wants to publish his or her story and chooses to expose details around a death in published form. You are liable for anything you write. You are liable for anything you publish.  Make sure you get the facts straight or someone will raise the red flag of attention to the police.  Jimmy Snuka has apparently learned that lesson the hard way.