One of the largest problems in small publishing is the lack of precision, planning, and preparation.  Small and large book projects take time.  Documents must be read, corrections must be made, and layout options must be defined early on.

Book publishing is not difficult. But there is much to learn. Books do not just appear from thin air; they are the product of much thought, planning, discipline, and effort.  What follows are the 7 essential steps to take you from concept to completion of your book:

Planning is the first and most important step. It means asking yourself what book you are attempting to create. Write a book proposal, which has a triple purpose: to help you think through the book, sort out form and content questions, and to provide you with source material you will use later to write the book.

Writing is the nuts and bolts of producing a book, and it takes isolated bursts of time.  There is much stopping and starting, usually in isolation.  The most skilled writers go away, think, sketch their ideas, order them and begin to freestyle and freeflow.  Begin with the first chapter you are best prepared to write. The first chapter you write will help you find your voice, pace, and style. If you submit your proposal to a publisher, the chapter you attach must provide a sample of your best writing, your best work, your best style, to serve as a model for the entire book. In addition to the chapters, you will also have to write the introduction, preface, core, sections, parts, table of contents, and index.  Let someone else write your blurbs.

1. Qualify the proposed book/Research the subject/Check for other books (resources and competition)/ Check the possible title/ Get a model book/ Select a working title.
2. Draft the cover copy.
3. Set up your binder with dividers, front matter, and backmatter. Slip the mock-up of the covers into the outside pockets.
4. Assemble research materials into chapter piles.
5. Research. Gather more content.
6. Decision: Keyboard or dictate
7. First draft, rough draft. Get what you have into the binder. Draft all chapters before going back to edit.
8. Second draft. Content edit. Research and fill in the gaps.
9. Gather quotations, if you decide to use them.
10. Draft question list. Start getting answers.
11. Draft an illustration list: the photos and drawings you will need. Start locating them.
12. Third draft. Peer review. Send out chapters for feedback.
13. Get testimonials for the back cover, page one, etc.
14. Fourth draft. Copy edit. Clean up the punctuation, grammar, and style
15. Fact checking.
16. Confirm stories and facts.
17. Confirm addresses and figures.
18. Decision: Sell to publisher or Self-publish
19. You are published. 

Get help from writers, readers, friends, editors, graphic designers, book reviewers, publicists, agents, and attorneys---if you feel it necessary.  Or go at it cold turkey.  The task is to just get started after you have mastered the fundamentals.

Production  is concerned with the elements necessary to transform your manuscript into a book.  There is a lot of work here.  Actually there is more work here than in writing the book itself.  Layout, tables, charts, diagrams, organization, borders, pagination, chapter starts, bold/italic, font size and type, glossy covers, blurbs, symbols, etc., are the nuts and bolts of the books form of presentation.  Even poor book content can be dressed up to make the book appealing.   The important rule in editing is as the author of the book, you should never do the final edit. If there are mistakes, you probably won't catch all your own mistakes, no matter how many times you proofread your manuscript.  Allow a trusted reader or an expert editor to read your work.

Page Layout: The next step is to adjust the page layout of your book. This is also more difficult than it sounds.  The page layout of your book should be adjusted to look exactly the way it should for printing. This includes choosing colors, pictures, tables, etc. that fit the book's overall purpose and target market.

Publishing makes your book come to life, breathe, glow.  Someone finances the printing of the project.  There are several options, including, buying your own printers and self-publishing, print on demand (POD), electronic printing via internet to large print companies, and conventional "walk the manuscript over to a local printer." There are positives and negatives linked with each option. They include quality of print, volume, cost/price, speed of publication, copyrights, contracts, profits, distribution, marketing, scheduling, learning curve, and control.

Promotion is the important stage that many writers/self publishers skip. It takes work to get your message into the hands of your target audience. No matter how your book is published, promotion is your job. You can send out advance review copies, print promotion cards, call people, send out promotion emails, hand out samples, tour book fairs, make presentations at bookstores and libraries, launch a Web site, or even hire a professional publicist.  Books die in the first 6 months.  You must promote your book while it is new; in book publishing, you cannot start off slow.  Think big. Open in a big way.  Be driven, aggressive, and get the word out.  Do not take no for an answer.