Writing and publishing science fiction is no doubt a challenging task. Here are some helpful guidelines that will help you write an award winning science fiction story and publish it successfully.

Step 1: First draft and structure

A science fiction book should be structured in three portions: the opening, the middle and the climax. Once you develop your story idea, you need to back it up with any necessary research. Thereafter, you just have to draft your ideas on paper. High doses of imagination are the chief imperative for a triumphant science fiction book.

Make an attempt at uplifting your readers from the prosaic insipidity of mundane routine life with your book. Try to maintain suspense in each chapter of the book to make the story line gripping. Leave the reader to indulge in speculations over imponderable tension situations. Sketch each character of the story clearly tracing his past, his present and his eventual destiny.

Keep in mind that good science fiction has plausible elements. Science fiction takes existing technology and expands upon it. If your ideas are too far-reaching or beyond average comprehension, your work will not resonate with readers.

Step 2: Evaluation by peers

Your initial draft needs to be reviewed by several of your peers. They will serve not just as proof readers, but will help you identify fragment story lines, situations that are not plausible, plots that don’t make sense, and characters that are too unrealistic. Science fiction is based on the suspension of disbelief, but that disbelief can only be stretched so far.

Online workshops like Critters.org provide useful advice and evaluation. You can also join your local library critique workshop. Workshops allow you to get the book draft read by multiple persons resulting in more comprehensive feedback. By supplying you the opportunity to critique other’s books they help you hone your writing mettle.

Step 3: The final draft

After evaluation by your peers, you need to edit your draft to tie up loose ends and do away with the fallacies pointed out by your evaluators. Eliminate the imperceptible details and abridge the final version to provide a taut narrative. In case you face a creativity block it would be prudent to stash the book in a shelf for a few days and engage yourself with something else. Once you are revivified you can complete your blurb with renewed zeal. If major changes have been made to the work, it should be reevaluated by your peers.

Step 4: Getting published

There are several ways to find a publisher for your book. The first is to read science fiction trade magazines. Publishers who openly accept submissions oftentimes advertise in these magazines. A second method is to contact publishers directly. Pick up a few of your favorite science fiction books and contact the editorial department. Ask for a copy of their submission standards and guidelines. It is best to do this by mail and include a self-addressed stamped envelope. In some cases, a publisher may have this information posted on their website.

When selecting a publisher make sure they are writer friendly. They should have a history of promoting the writers and books they choose to publish.

Step 5: Critical review

Get your book critically reviewed before it is published. Give early review copies to known critics. Then, right before final publication, include their reviews on the inside jacket or back cover of the book.

Giving the book to a person who will heap profuse praise on it even if it is balderdash is not going to help you in any way. You need to have the book reviewed by a real critic. An honest draft evaluation can save you from much future abasement. Additionally, by getting your book reviewed by a real critic, you’ll secure some promotion by the entity the critic represents.

Conclusion

These simple yet effective guidelines will go a long way in helping you write and sell your science fiction work. It is a long process and should not be rushed. In some cases writing, rewriting, and publishing a book can take several years. It requires a great deal of patience and fortitude. If you possess these qualities and a good deal of creativity you can go a long way in the science fiction world.

One difficulty that is often encountered when writing book proposals is that of writing an outline for a non-fiction book. It can be a difficult and time consuming task if done wrong.

The key to doing it right is in the system you have used to write your non-fiction book.

If you’ve picked a good system then you already have an outline. In LearningCreators’ system this is the Content Map. In other systems it could be a mind map or an outline. However you do it, the more detailed the tool’s outline the better the book proposal outline.

There are actually three different outlines you need for a book proposal:

1. The first outline you need is one paragraph in length. It will be used for both original query letter and in the executive summary. The easy way to write such a synopsis is to write one sentence for each chapter in the book. What is the chapter about? What does it discuss? Why is it included? What are you trying to say in it? Theoretically you could just use this as your synopsis. However, a much better technique is to use each sentence as a bullet point. Then write your paragraph from the bullet points. The result will be a much improved paragraph that more closely carries the intent of the book.

2. The second outline you will need is two to three paragraphs which appear in the Introduction or Overview section. This synopsis is more difficult to write than a single paragraph. What are the three key points of the whole book? What are the 3 key points in each chapter? Start with the bullet points in the previous outline. For each chapter you can expand on the bullet points to two or three points per chapter. Organize the points into the three key points of the book. If you have structured the book well you should be able to do this reasonably easily. Now write a paragraph for each of the three key points of the book. Use the key points of the chapters to fill in the paragraph.

3. The third outline you need is a two or three page detailed outline. This will be used as a standalone section in the proposal. Initially you want to use the Content Map (or alternative). Each topic will become a sentence and each chapter roughly a paragraph. Periodically the sentence should be a quotation from the actual book, although this is a problem if you wait to write the book until the proposal is accepted. Since you need to include two sample chapters, by writing three chapters you should have enough material to include quotations that are not in the sample. The idea is to convey both the content and the tone. Of course you’ll need to smooth the writing out and ensure that the whole sounds similar in tone and voice as the final book will.

If you’ve chosen a good system, writing an outline for your non-fiction book can be done in either order.

However, if you’ve chosen a system that doesn’t provide a good, paragraph level design, you need to create a proper design. Use the completed book to create the detailed outline. Then use that outline to create the two or three paragraph outline and finally, use that outline to create the one paragraph outline.

A book review describes, analyzes, and evaluates the quality, meaning, and significance of a book. It should not retell, and it is not a book report or a summary. A review is a commentary. Although no “right” way to write a review exists, some essential information is needed in each. Fiction and non-fiction books have differences not only in the content but also what components should be in a review. Let’s look as some suggestions to consider when writing a book review for a book of fiction. I will use one of my books in the examples.

First of all, do not give away the story, climax, ending of the book. Do use occasional quotes from the book to support or explain points made in the review.

The first paragraph should include the title of the book and the author’s name. Sometimes publishing information such of ISBN, publisher, type of book, and general subject matter is noted.

Example of a first paragraph: The Base Stealers Club, by V. Gilbert Zahel, follows the progress of a middle-school-aged baseball team as it plays its way to a championship. A part of the team also help solve a mystery plaguing the community. Published by 4RV Publishers, ISBN: 978-1-84728-220-0, the book appeals to those who interested in sports, mystery, and adventure.

Other points to be covered, in different paragraphs, are as follows:

Characters: Are the characters flat or round? A round character is multiple dimensional. Round characters make a story line more interesting and believable; therefore, the analysis of the author’s use of three-dimensional characters or flat characters is important.

Example of character portrayal: Ryan Scott not only is an excellent athlete, but he also cares about others. He helps find the thief in the story; then he wants to help the young man who stole money from locker rooms. An instance where he acted as peace maker on the team is shown in the following excerpt: Ryan stood beside Colby, slipping his arm across the shorter boy’s shoulders. “Hey, Colby, settle down. Josh is just repeating what he heard. I’ve heard my dad say the same thing about some criminals.” With a slight smile, Ryan turned to Josh. “Josh, what does the preacher say about forgiving? What have we learned in church about forgiving others?”

Theme: The theme of a book may not be written word for word, but the review should note how the author reveals or develops the theme or themes. Mention whether you, as the reviewer, agree or disagree with the author’s theme(s) and why.

Example of theme: The author gives support for moral values and actions through the book. Yet, the message isn’t preachy or blunt, but the theme flows throughout the story. The author’s opinions are solid and are ones that young readers need to realize and learn to accept.

Plot: Are the various elements of plot handled well? The elements of plot include introduction, conflict, climax, and conclusion.

Example of plot: The Base Stealers Club introduces the conflict, the problem in the first two chapters of the book, both the start of the games leading to a successful season and the missing money in locker rooms. The suspense intensifies as the team plays and tries to help find the thief. The climax is unique, as is the reaction of team members.

Author information: V. Gilbert Zabel, who also writes under the name Vivian Gilbert Zabel, for adult level books, and Granny Zabel, for children’s books, played baseball and helped coach a baseball team. Her interest and background in the sport, as well as with children, can be found in the pages of this book.

Give a brief summary of the book: Give an overview, but do not give away the plot climax or conclusion.

Example of summary: The Jonesville Chargers, a baseball team of middle school-aged boys, pursues championship dreams and the solution of a mystery plaguing their team.

Give your opinion of the book: Tell how the book affected you. Say whether or not the book is interesting, entertaining, or memorable. Would you recommend the book to readers? Why or why not?

Example of opinion: I enjoyed The Base Stealers Club because I became swept up in the chronicling of a team’s season, games and attempt to find a thief. This book will appeal to readers aged ten to fifteen who love baseball. Young sports fans will be better for having read the book.

Important note: Having correct grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and other components of good writing are as important in a review as in writing a book. Reviews are a form of writing.

The suggestions can be arranged differently or combined, and some others can be added. Some can be eliminated, but most of the information needs to be somewhere in the review.