This is perhaps the most obvious question for a writer to ask a publishing insider: How do I get my book published?

Funny thing is, people normally don’t ask it that boldly.

More often I get questions like:

• How do find an agent?
• Is there some way for me to submit my proposal to you?
• What are you looking for right now?

Writers are scared, I think. They’re scared to come right out and ask, “How do I get my book published?”

I get that. The creative process is nothing if not scary. To ask “How do I get my book published?” and receive a negative reply might well be more damaging than not knowing the answer.

So for this blog post let’s make a deal. You can ask the question, and I’ll do my best to be careful and generous as I answer. Deal?

So how do you get your book published?

Behind that question is so much wistful yearning and ambition. It is for a lot of people one of the most important questions they’ll ever ask because their book contains so much of themselves.

Sometimes the subtext for “How do I get my book published?” is “Will you validate me?”

Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe you’re not that attached to your book. Maybe your manuscript is just a bundle of paper you pounded out, and the world can take it or leave it. Who cares?

Sorry, I don’t buy it. That’s not how it is for most of you. When I read your emails or talk to you at writers conferences or read your comments on blog posts, I hear deep, deep longing.

But longing is not the same as perseverance, and desire for the results of hard work is unfortunately a poor surrogate for the hard work itself.

How to Get Your Book Published

So here it is: The way to get your book published is hard work over a long period of time. I wish it were easier, I really do, but that’s just the way it is. Some mentor or other probably told you at some point that things in life worth having are worth working for, and this is no exception.

Having said that, some kinds of work are smarter than other kinds of work. When it comes to publishing, “work smarter not harder” is definitely wisdom worth heeding.

So below are in my opinion the wisest steps to take on the road to publication.

Step 1: Commit to Healthy, Sustainable Living

First and foremost, commit to rhythms and a lifestyle of healthy sustainability. Would you try to run a marathon without proper training? Of course not. As difficult as preparing for a marathon is, I would argue that pursuing publication for your book is even harder.

So you’re going to need to take really good care of yourself—relationally, physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. I don’t know what that looks like for you, but it’s important to decide and be committed to it. After all, what good is your book if it kills you?

Step 2: Build a Tribe

Second, start building a tribe. A great way to do this today is starting a blog and capturing email addresses. Resources for doing these things abound.

• A good place to start is this video from Michael Hyatt, which will help get you set up with a WordPress blog.
• Next, the cheapest, most effective tools for building your email list are available for free at Sumome.com.
• Then take Jeff Goins’ Tribe Writers Course and read Platform by Hyatt.
• For ongoing tips and training, enroll in Jonathan Milligan’s Blogging Your Passion University.
• Another great option, though more expensive, is Bryan Harris’s “Get 10,000 Subscribers” course.

To review: Start a blog, post regularly, and start capturing email addresses.

Step 3: Hone Your Craft

Third, hone your craft. Blogging will help with this, but you’ll need to go further. Read voraciously the things that make you come alive. Subscribe to other bloggers in your area and comment on their posts. Get engaged.

And write. Write every day if you can. Try to establish some sort of pattern, a groove. The difference between pros and amateurs is that pros show up, and they keep showing up.

Step 4: Develop Your Concept

So let’s say you’ve started a blog and have thousands of email subscribers and the whole time you’ve been building a tribe you’ve been honing your craft. I’ll bet by now you have some ideas about what you’d like to write. If you haven’t already, start blogging about those things. Start sending up some test balloons and getting some reactions to what you have on your mind.

Go with it for a while and see what resonates.

Step 5: Write a Book Proposal

Writing a book proposal will help you get more concrete with your book idea. It will force you to bring it into some sort of structure. You’ll have to think about things like your bio and your marketing plan. (If you don’t have my proposal guidelines, click here.)

Step 6: Find an Agent and Follow Through

As you’ve done this work of blogging and writing and reading other bloggers and proposal building, I’ll bet you’ve come across a few books that have inspired you in the direction you want to go. Look at the copyright pages of those books to see if their agent is listed. Go to the author’s blog and search for the word “agent.” See if you can find five or so agents who are working in your area.

Of course, this whole process is a lot easier if by now you’ve made friends with a few of the bloggers you’ve been following. Maybe now’s the time to email them and let them know about your book. Ask them if you could have just ten minutes of their time—you promise it won’t be more than that. Tell them about your book and ask if they would put in a good word for you with their agent. If you’re friends I’ll bet they’d do that for you.

Assuming you sign with an agent be sure to take the agent’s guidance. Go above and beyond in response to each request. If you make it to this point, you’re likely well on your way to publication. But be sure to promote like crazy when your book releases so that you can get your next book published!

Question: Thanks for reading this article! I’m in this mode of answering questions with blog posts, so let me know: What are your questions about writing and publishing and creativity? What are you working on? Where could you use some help? You can leave a comment by clicking here.