Practical strategies for becoming a successful medical book author.

Objective: The authors, all senior editors in the Books Division of American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc., provide practical advice to authors who may be considering writing or editing a medical book.

Methods: The authors summarize strategies for developing a book proposal and outline an approach to developing a focus for a book. They also list a number of common errors that authors frequently make when they develop a book proposal. The authors provide guidance on publishing research and discuss how authors can collaborate with a publisher's marketing department to publicize their book.

Results: By employing a systematic and well-considered approach to preparing a book proposal and writing or editing a book, authors may achieve professional success and personal satisfaction.

Conclusion: Writing or editing a medical book requires a different series of steps than authoring a journal article.