Space Coast Writers’ Guild creating a book in a day

Is it possible to create a book in a day? Can you go from a simple theme of “Love and Rockets” (reflecting Valentine’s Day and the essential nature of the Space Coast) and a blank sheet of paper at breakfast to a published book by dinner? The members of the Space Coast Writers’ Guild (www.scwg.org) will find out Saturday at their annual conference.

Creating a book in today’s publishing climate is very different than it used to be. There are still authors (myself included) who choose to go the traditional route, with an established publisher who manages most aspects of the business, leaving the writer to focus on telling their story. The result can be a print book, a digital book, or both, but the process can take 12-18 months.

For authors who are a little more tech savvy (or who don’t mind paying someone who is), there’s an alternate route: publishing online, using platforms such as Amazon.com’s Kindle, Apple’s iBooks or Barnes & Noble’s Nook. The Kindle Direct Program in particular commands the lion’s share of the market, making it the platform of choice for many authors.

Writing a book remains essentially a creative activity. Where technology can help is with some of the main tasks involved in taking a project from concept to completion. For example, brainstorming story ideas and writing collaboratively with a group of fellow authors can be made easier with software that lets you manage the plot and visualize character interactions rather like scenes in a movie. Agile editing is made possible using word-processing software that lets the writers blend their individual contributions into a single document with a unified voice.

If your interest is selling your book, not just writing it for pleasure, then you can’t ignore the business aspects of modern publishing. Cover design and graphic arts are essential components of any successful book. Fortunately, there are templates you can use to get things started. Or you can hire a freelancer to deliver proofs for you online at relatively low cost with very rapid turnaround times.

When the book is ready, you still need to spread the word to attract readers. Online publicity usually involves social media marketing tools, such as Facebook and Twitter. This means there is more technology available for you to use — but you must first learn how to use it properly.

Many authors are uncomfortable with this sort of publicity activity, but it’s a crucial part of success. You can’t afford to be a shrinking violet if you want to stand out from the online crowd.

Scott Tilley is a Professor at Florida Tech in Melbourne. Contact him at TechnologyToday@srtilley.com. Follow his column on Twitter @TechTodayColumn.