I have talked to a few schools about my book-publishing journey, and the teachers always tell me afterwards that I inspired their students to go after their dreams, especially if they dream of becoming an author. The hope that I inspired those children, is, indeed, the reason for creating "Write On!" -- and, therefore, encouraging children to read and write. In my speech to those schools, I always told them how I published my book in the hope that some of them may be interested in following my lead. Well, I have been thinking that everyone who views this website, whether you be children or adults, may also be interested, so here it is, my...

Seven Steps To Publishing Your Own Book

STEP 1: Write your poems, stories, or novel.

STEP 2: Set your work aside for a few days or even weeks or months. Then go back and make some changes when you have some new thoughts or ideas. This is called the editing process. It is when you polish your work. Make it the best it can be. It is also a good idea to have someone else look at your writing, like a parent, teacher, or sibling, and to have them make corrections. There might be a few areas that are confusing to them, but not to you because you know what you are trying to say. Get their feedback and help!
I was on a book talk show once and the host said that re-writing, re-writing, and editing, editing is the key even for professional authors like J. K. Rowling.

STEP 3: Type your story onto your computer and USE SPELL-CHECK!

STEP 4: Print up your pages on the computer and add illustrations if you like. One tip: color pictures cost more -- a lot more! -- to print up than black-and-white do. I also printed up my book in black-and-white because I like the way Shel Silverstein's "Where The Sidewalk Ends" turned out.

STEP 5: Get your book published. If you only want to make 10 or 20 or even 50 copies, you can do this at Kinkos. The staff there can help you. I did this the first couple of times, but when orders kept coming in I went to a print shop that I found in the phone book (check a couple and get quotes for the best price). A print shop will be cheaper per book, but you will need to order more copies, like 200, 500, or even 1,000.
My first batch of books at Kinkos I used a simple staple binding, but at the print shop I was able to get a glue binding and glossy cover all for less per book than at Kinkos.

STEP 6: Sell your book. Be creative and be brave. Send a copy of your book to a newspaper or magazine and ask them to review it. If they reject your book, don't take it personally. Try another paper or magazine. I was rejected a number of times. In fact, the book review columnist at the newspaper my dad works at didn't even reply to my request, yet the book reviewer at the L A Times called me up and did a story on me! I also had an article about me and my book appear in Girls' Life -- a national magazine with a circulation of 250,000!
You can also pass out a flyer at school or work -- you'll be amazed how many sales you'll get that way.

STEP 7: This is the last and perhaps most important step: CONGRATULATE yourself on accomplishing your goal! You dared to try, and you did it!!!