You might be surprised at how much the process of building a house can teach us about writing, designing, and publishing a book. Authors Yvonne DiVita and Tom Collins combine decades of experience in both house building and book building to share with you in this insightful, inspiring, and yet practical how-to book. From foundation to flooring, from fixtures to furnishings, they reveal how the steps in a home construction or renovation project give us important guidance on the essential sequence to follow from your idea to your first book signing appearance! Part 1 lays out the steps and shows how the seemingly disparate kinds of work really do correlate. Part 2 examines each step in building a quality book in depth, with lots of practical tips from these two book publishing veterans. Then, in Part 3 , they treat you to more than a dozen "Stories from the Trenches" by a group of published authors they've gotten to know over the years, including Guy Kawasaki, Ellen Langas, Robert W. Bly, Michele Miller, Andrea Learned, and Dick Richards , to name a few. You'll come away knowing not just how to write your book, but how to publish and market it, too. And with a new confidence that you can become "the author of ..."! Raves from the galley readers: "Aspiring authors ... quit planning to write your book. Get this one! Spend a weekend with it, get fired up, and get going!" — Anita Campbell , Founder and CEO of Small Business Trends "A great primer for bringing authorial dreams to life! The authors’ analogy to building a house is a great way to frame the need for conscious planning, solid foundations, and creative design in creating a successful publication." — Katherine McGraw Patterson (KP), Business Strategy, Speaker, Founder of WEBO Network, author of Lunching with Lions: Strategies for the Networking-Averse "A gem! Covers all the bases with wonderful, vital, essential insights and tips for producing your book." — Lonnee Rey , host of the “Midlife My Ass, I’m just getting started!” podcast, and #1 International Best-Selling author of Life lessons learned from a lousy mother "Aspiring authors ... quit planning to write your book. Get this one! Spend a weekend with it, get fired up, and get going!"When Yvonne and Tom helped me with a book project some years ago, I put my trust in them and it paid off. And now you can get their expertise in the form of an easy-to-read book. They're the real deal."Succinct. Direct. Inspiring."-- Anita Campbell, Founder and CEO of Small Business Trends "Yvonne DiVita and Tom Collins' The How to Write a Book Book is great primer for those writers who want a step-by-step process for bringing their authorial dreams to life. As someone who appreciates a good How-to, I was impressed by the thorough start to finish approach to publishing your first work. "The authors' analogy of building a house is a great way to frame the need for conscious planning, solid foundations, and creative design in creating a successful publication. The stories and anecdotes from other authors highlighted the value of the advice offered by DiVita and Collins. I wish I had a detailed outline like this when I was writing my first book, and I will definitely be referring to this one when I embark on the construction of my second one."-- Katherine McGraw Patterson (KP), Business Strategy, Speaker, Founder of WEBO Network, author of Lunching with Lions: Strategies for the Networking-Averse "This book provides guidance and a stepped process that shows you how to go from the burning of an idea to a full-blown book that will promote your brand, your business, by demonstrating your expertise. It's a game-changer for those of us who have a book in us, but don't know how to take the words from our hearts and minds to the page."-- Joanne Grobbelaar, Strategic Business Consultant and host of the All In podcast "I loved reading The How to Write a Book Book by Yvonne Divita and Tom Collins for a couple reasons. First, I loved the practical, relatable, easy-to-follow advice on writing, publishing, and marketing a first book in Parts 1 and 2. As a published author myself, I was then inspired by Part 3, Stories from the Trenches, with words of wisdom from experienced authors that got my energy revving ... more than ever before to make writing a constant part of my entrepreneurial life."-- Tracy Chamberlain Higginbotham, Founder, Women TIES, LLC, Speaker, and Author of Under the Rose-Colored Hat From Yvonne:  My own first book launched a publishing company, fueled my first blog that still gets traffic and contacts 15 years later, and helped me get speaking engagements all over North America. And that is why I offer you this book. So you, too, can add published author to your resume. As I wrote in the book,  "Writers who tackle the big job of putting their souls into a book awaken the universe. They show they are serious about making their mark ... transforming themselves and their readers."