Co-author: Writing A Book In Collaboration

By Author: Tanisha Williams
Total Articles: 11
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The most successful authors in today’s time typically do not work alone. Writing a book is a tedious task and producing a bestselling book is even tougher. For this reason, authors often need to collaborate with each other to produce the best work possible. Finding a co-author to join forces in producing a bestselling book is highly achievable. Consider the following tips and you’re well on your way to the bestselling list!

Find a Co-Author Whose Vision You Share
Make a list of the goals and objectives you want to accomplish by writing your book (e.g. educate and enlighten teens, thrill an audience with horror stories, tug at heart strings with romance gush, etc.). Next, find someone who shares your same vision; someone that you can work with harmoniously. If your strengths and weaknesses complement each other, the two of you can sit down and work out what each of you will contribute. Keep in mind that everything two authors write together is the result of their combined imaginations, knowledge, experience, and energy. Ultimately, the ideal collaboration for writing a book is one in which the book you are ...
... writing together is a book that neither of you could have written alone.

Set an Agreement
Once you and your co-author have determined who will do what, it’s time to document your agreement before beginning the process of writing a book. Your agreement should be very detailed and list everything you’ve decided on. Such decisions can include: who will own each character in the story, what each of you may or may not do to the characters owned by the other, who gets the final edit of the manuscript, how you will divide the work itself, how you will resolve differences if an issue arises where one of you produces work that the other believes is inappropriate or unacceptable, and whose name will go first on the cover. If you take your time in figuring these things out early in advance, you’ll prevent a lot conflict in the long run.

Split the Work
Writing a book with a co-author allows you to split the work and minimize time to completion. As early as the planning phase, you should divide the work load clearly. This can mean one author writes the even chapters while the other author writes the odd chapters. To pull this off, you’ll need to work jointly in creating an outline of each chapter in order to maintain the flow of the storyline. Another way to divide the wok is by designating one author to write the first draft while the other author writes the second. The main goal is to hold up your end of the workload to ensure you produce a successful final piece.

Writing a book that charts the best-seller list may seem unattainable at first thought. However, the goal of producing a top-selling book may feel more reachable if you have the support of a co-author. By collaborating with another author of the same mind, the two of you may be able to produce a successful masterpiece that is esteemed by millions. So give co-authoring a thought at least, if not a try. You may be surprised at the results – and the rewards!

Tanisha Williams is the author of two non-profit e-books “501c3 In 12-Steps” and “Simple Internal Controls That Protect Your Assets”. Her desire for more interaction with readers was the key inspiration behind the development of her latest business venture ChatEbooks. ChatEbooks, launched in October 2014, harnesses the strengths of social media in order to help authors and their readers engage and connect within the context of the selling/reading experience.