Becoming an Author in Canada

You have an idea, or at least the glimmering of an idea for a book. The path to becoming an author in Canada is in essence fairly straightforward, though the details of each step and the work involved might make it appear complex and even a bit overwhelming.  But understanding the main steps and working through each one will eventually pay off for you. 

Step 1: A Love of Reading

A step that is likely to help is to read as much as you can. Reading widely is a very good way to learn about storytelling. Discover different styles, explore the authors’ worlds, and see how they bring their stories to life. 

Step 2: Start Writing Your Own Stories

Starting with the idea you've chosen to explore, outline a plot of how the story could go. It doesn’t have to be a fully baked plot line, just get the jist of it written down. Then you can flesh it out, work it around, and continue to improve it. Start writing regularly. Write a certain number of words per day or set aside a slot of time within which you write. Writing is a skill like any other that will improve with practice.

Step 3: Get Feedback

Once you’ve fleshed out your story, refine it and then get feedback from family and friends or even from a writing group. Having an outsider’s view is essential if you want to grow as an author. Don’t be discouraged by critiques; even the best authors edit and revise based on suggestions. 

Step 4: Publish

Getting your book into the marketplace can be one of the easiest steps now that Amazon KDP and similar platforms are available for self-publishing.

But ensure you have all your ducks in a row as in Canada, as even with self-publishing through platforms such as Amazon KDP, you’ll need to pay attention to the dual-language market opportunities as well as make sure you follow Canadian-specific business requirements.

Get your book done by following the above steps and stick with it until you are satisfied. You are your first customer and if you love the story, it's likely others will love it too.