'If you ever want to publish a book in this world!'
"Writing to Become a Writer" is packed with practical advice, not pretense.

“This book is filled with both sweet and bitter tips for writing a book.”
From how to write good sentences to selecting a topic, submitting, signing a contract, and publishing.
The raw, unvarnished secrets of book writing, learned firsthand by full-time author Seungsu Lim.

A writing book for those who want to become writers.
This book is the definitive edition of a writing book that contains the 20 years of writing know-how that author Seungsu Lim has acquired while writing in various fields.
As a writer who started out as a freelance writer and became a full-time writer, I reveal the core secrets I learned through my own experience while making a living through writing.
From how to write good sentences to selecting a topic, submitting a book, signing a contract, and publishing it overseas, we will cover only the most essential parts of writing a book.
It also contains interesting episodes about specific methods for completing a book, such as naming it, tips for appealing to publishers, and promoting a book, which is more difficult than writing it.
This book peels back the romanticism of writing to reveal the real life of a living writer and the vivid publishing scene, without embellishment.
Between the ideal of writing and the reality of publishing, the author breaks through with honesty and without pretense.
The worries and trials and errors that anyone who dreams of publishing will inevitably face are captured in a humorous style.
A practical guide to writing for anyone who wants to grow as a writer.
This book is a book that kills two birds with one stone: fun and usefulness, and is filled with witty advice on how to become a writer.

These days, there are many people who want to write books.
Whether you're looking to organize your work life experiences, document a turning point in your life, share your expertise, or simply want to publish a book, this is the place to start.
Although their motivations are different, they all have one thing in common: the hope that their story will reach someone.
--- p.5

Yes, that's right.
The writer is generally of the type whose love of values ​​and ideals overpowers his love of bread.
This group has a 'desperate' desire to convey to people what they consider valuable through writing, even if it means facing some difficulties.
If we were to express the abstract word 'urgent' concretely, it would be as follows:
The manuscript writing period can take several months, or even more than a year.
Even if you put so much effort into writing it, there is no guarantee that a publisher will publish it.
Even if you are lucky enough to sign a publishing contract, the expected royalties are unlikely to exceed several million won, even if you make a generous estimate.
Is there something you desperately want to say, even if it means enduring "all these circumstances"? If you have that level of "urgency," you have the makings of a writer.
If all of this seems like a waste of opportunity cost, then it's better not to choose the life of a writer.
--- p.21

As a typical science and engineering student who believes in 1+1=2, I was really bad at writing from childhood through adolescence and into adulthood.
How difficult it is to fill a single sheet of A4 paper.
It seems like my head is overflowing with ideas and brilliant thoughts, but when it comes to putting them into words, there are countless instances where they don't even add up to five lines.
To be honest, I never had any desire to write well.
So there was no reason to envy people who were good at writing.
'Pfft! Are you good at writing? I'm good at math and physics.'
It was in the early to mid 1990s, when I was a college student, and I was teaching math at a cram school as a part-time job.
I confided my concerns to an older literature teacher who taught Korean at the same academy.
“I have a lot of thoughts in my head, but when I actually write something, the amount is too small.
“Even though I have so many ideas and so many interesting stories, why can’t I write more than five lines?” he said coldly and firmly.
“Mr. Seungsu, I have a lot to think about, but it’s not that I can’t write.
“Mr. Seungsu only has so much in his head that he can write it down.”
--- p.40~41

To move people's hearts, I must stimulate the reader's senses with my writing.
Wouldn't the reader's heart be moved if we showed them a little more, told them a little more, and let them experience the flavor a little more?
The amazing thing is that everything I've said so far is something everyone in the country has already learned in middle school.
How could that be? It's so unfamiliar? Those with a keen eye will have already figured it out.
It is 'imagination'.
Show me in words? A visual image.
Tell me in words? Auditory imagery.
Let me smell the words? Olfactory imagery.
Give a taste of words? Gustatory imagery.
Give your writing a tactile experience? Tactile imagery.
Stimulate multiple senses simultaneously with text? Synesthetic imagery.
This cannot but be a negative aspect of Korean education, where students are so fixated on finding the right answer to multiple choice questions that it is difficult to learn the true meaning of knowledge.
--- p.99

People are surprised that an author who has published several books can write a book-length piece.
Authors seem to think that they write books by simply piling up sentences one by one on a blank sheet of paper, but the reality is different.
Can a house be built properly by an architect just laying bricks one by one without a blueprint?
The same goes for writing.

--- p.112

Differentiating factors.
Publishers always ask:
"If there's already a similar book, why bother publishing this one?" This is the place to answer that question.
Simply saying 'it's different' is not enough.
You need to be able to explain specifically what, how, and why is better, and furthermore, prove that this difference can lead to a purchase by the reader.
Differentiation may arise from the depth of content, the tone of writing, the range of target readers, or the formal structure of the writing.
If existing books were academic and difficult to understand, the strength of this book is that it can explain things more easily and clearly.
Moreover, while existing books only list superficial information, this book's strength lies in its rich case studies and in-depth analysis, which fundamentally resolve readers' curiosity.
In other cases, the author's unique background is what sets him apart.
For example, if the authors of existing classical music appreciation books are all enthusiasts, a book written by a professional musician can provide the refreshing feeling of an “insider’s perspective.”
--- p.197~198

But ironically, this intense self-consciousness creates challenges when working with editors.
When an editor offers advice like, “This part might be difficult for the reader,” “The flow isn’t smooth,” or “The explanations are lacking,” the writer, who views the manuscript as an extension of himself, often feels a bruise to his pride.
What on earth is there to fix? Are you trying to pick a fight with me? If this continues, an invisible wall will form between writer and editor.
What editor in the world would want the book they've worked on to fail? Just as a writer cherishes their manuscript, an editor is just as attached to the books they edit.
Since we have a common goal of making the book a success, wouldn't it be better for the author and editor to maintain a cooperative relationship?
To do this, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the editor's work and respect its scope.

--- p.229~230