Many people feel that they have a book inside of them, but when it comes to writing that book, they find themselves unsure of what to write or how to get started. These feelings can become road bumps that prevent self-publishing authors from finishing their stories. Here are some thoughts to help self-publishing authors narrow things down.

1. Write What You Know

Write what you know is sage advice, but people often take it too literally. A lack of knowledge shouldn’t deter a writer from a project they are passionate about. With a little research, gaps in knowledge can be filled.

Writing what you know for this discussion means self-publishing authors should start by considering genres they are already familiar with.

If a self-publishing author has never read a fantasy, writing a fantasy book probably isn’t a good starting place. Readers of different genres have different expectations, so writing in a genre the self-publishing author understands gives them a better chance of creating a book readers will love.

If a self-publishing author doesn’t have a genre they are already familiar with, the best research they can do is to read a dozen or so books in the genre they are interested in self-publishing a book in.

2. Consider Retelling a Classic

Readers love new takes on classic stories. If a self-publishing author has a favorite work in the public domain, they can use their love of that work to create a new one. Fairytale retellings are common, as are revisiting ancient myths. Jane Austen’s works are frequently reimagined, and not just by writers of the romance genre. Some books mix her classics with monsters or turn her characters into mystery detectives.

Readers love stories about characters they already know or that follow similar beats to stories they are familiar with.

3. Are You an Expert?

Most people have hobbies, education, jobs, or life experiences that are interesting to others. Self-publishing authors can look at the non-writing things in their lives and determine what could make a fun book. This could be a humorous non-fiction book about working in retail, a heartfelt memoir about a difficult time in their life, or an informative book about a niche hobby.

If a self-publishing author wants to stay in the realm of fiction, they can use their knowledge to create exciting characters or describe places readers may not have personal knowledge of.

The self-publishing author can set a mystery at an interesting location they visited or have a romantic lead with a chronic illness they suffer from. In the book publisher world, there is a heavy leaning toward own-voice stories. These are stories about characters with specific life experiences written by people with that experience.

Readers love to be entertained, but they are also curious learners.

Deciding what to write is hard, but the book publishing process shouldn’t be. InstantPublisher has a vast array of tools to help self-publishing authors. Their book publishing services include custom book covers, interior book design, personalized book printing, and more. Visit our website today to learn how we can help you on your self-publishing journey.