Make it a good read! Ah, easier said than done, I hear you say. Not really. If you have a way with words, and are prepared to tackle this matter with discipline and intelligence, you, too, can write and publish a book. I know, because I’ve done just that, and I’m no Shakespeare, or Grisham, come to think of it. There are thousands of truly dreadful books published every year, which should give you hope, and the occasional gem, which should tell you something else: publishers are snowed under with manuscripts from new and aspiring writers and are always on the lookout for the glint of something special. Book editing services can support you once you are into the writing itself, but first you need to ‘buy the land, and draw up some plans’.

Your initial task is to have a cracking theme to work with. And, as a professional book editor, I have to tell you something. Many new writer have difficulty grasping the difference between theme and plot. A theme can cover a lot of ground, but its essence is a generalisation that sums up a human condition or attitude about life.

A few examples: lies can come back to haunt you; affability often masks a sinister character; you can’t teach an old dog new tricks; the meek shall inherit the earth; conflicting loyalties – my family or my country; one law for the rich, another for the poor. The trick is to keep your theme general in nature, yet one that is universally accepted or capable of being accepted.

Every writer, often unknown to themselves, has a personal arsenal of themes just waiting to be tapped into. Not surprising really, when you think that life is so rich and varied that no two human beings are going to experience the same things, in identical ways, and be similarly influenced.

To explore this goldmine of themes just beneath the surface, ask yourself what really moves you, infuriates you, arouses strong feelings. Cruelty, physical or mental, might be high on the list, or brutal games of sport, like rugby. Talk to yourself – when nobody’s around –and list a couple of dozen of these themes. You’ll soon have a shortlist of candidates for a theme that can act as the bedrock upon which the next stage in the writing journey will be launched: the search for a plot.

Let’s say that you hate money, and what it can do to people who have either too much of it . . . or none. Your possible theme, a bit hackneyed I admit: money is the root of all evil, or a variant of same. Now you need a plot; a structured sequence of events that involves a few central characters. And of course, your plot revolves around money and what it does to them. You want to be creative? Now’s your chance. Come up with a great plot that will mystify, intrigue and enthral. All you then have to do is write it. It can be done, and after your patient planning it will be far easier than you imagined.

Of course once you have produced a well planned and executed 'masterpiece' that pulls all the right strings and presses all the right buttons, then the publishers will take it seriously. Because that is exactly what they are looking for.