Hey, who remembers the quaint days of “desktop publishing” back in the late ’70s and 80s’? Publishing technology has increased by exponential leaps and bounds since those dark days of the Apple IIc or the 386 desktop systems!
There’s something very rewarding about writing your own book, and an even greater sense of accomplishment in actually publishing it yourself. Today, there are many options and tools available for making your own books, and we’re about to focus specifically on how to make a book online.
Online publishing is a good way to get your words out there for all to see
What Kind Of Book Are We Talking About?
It’s not enough to sit there and say “I’m going to write a book”. You need to decide what kind of book you’re going to tackle. After all, you could write a novel, a book of recipes, a photo scrapbook, or even a children’s book. There are many choices out there!
Also, do you have a particular plan in mind for the book? Is this something you’re doing just for your own personal gratification, or do you have bigger plans? Will friends and family see it? Harkening back to the idea of writing a children’s book, is this something you are writing to share with your children? Talk about creating a family heirloom!
If you’re considering something like a novel, then perhaps your intentions are on a grander scale. After all, writing a book is quite an undertaking. Other than for something like the National Novel Writing Month exercise (otherwise known as NaNoWriMo), people, as a rule, take the time and effort to write a novel in order to do something more with it, such as either shopping it around to an agent or going the self-publishing route.
Decide Who You’re Going To Work With
There are some online publishing platforms to choose from that can help you on the way to making that special book. It pays to take some time and do some research on the different sites that offer online book creation. For instance, the blog “How To Make A Book Online”, highlights Bookemon as one such platform that can help create any kind of book you want.
Find one that best suits your needs and expectations, and set up an account. Once that’s done, it’s time to start creating!
Line Up Your Material
Okay, so you chose an online publishing site to work with. Next, you should decide what material you’re going to use. For instance, do you already have a manuscript that you want to upload, or will you be writing as you go?
Adding Those Nice Extras
A book’s content is, of course, paramount, But it doesn’t hurt to have it look nice as well. This is where you apply images, clip art, backgrounds, frames, and other design features to really make it pop. A little color goes a long way.
What Next?
Once the book is completed, what you choose to do with your masterpiece is limited only by your ambition. For instance, in addition to the ideas mentioned earlier, perhaps you can release your book online through your blog if you have one. For additional inspiration, check out “Benefits of Self-Publishing”.
We live in an incredible time where anyone with ideas, talent, and inspiration can be a writer. Check out one of the online tools, and express yourself through writing!
Born in the Boston area in 1959, I started writing in 1985. I live in Nashua NH with my wife and three cats. We have four kids in our blended family. I am an utter geek who's into gaming, horror, SF/fantasy, the Red Sox, trains, running, history, and a bunch of other things.
