How to Make Music Textbooks

Music textbooks were once written almost exclusively by college professors. No longer. Today, thanks to the rise of e-books and online distribution, any musician with a clear vision and thorough knowledge of his subject can write and publish a textbook. All a freelance scholar needs to get his ideas on the page and into the hands of students are a musical notation program, word processing software, photo-editing software and an Internet connection.

Things You'll Need

  • Computer
  • Word processing program
  • Music notation program
  • Photo-editing program (optional)
  • Program for making PDF files (optional)
  • Printer (optional)
  • Binding materials (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Choose your subject. Be as precise as possible. The more defined your subject, the more likely your book will appeal to a specific readership.

    • 2

      Do your research. You'll need to refine your knowledge, even if you're relying primarily on your own expertise. A textbook must be authoritative. A misstatement of fact compromises your authority and sabotages the project.

    • 3

      Organize your materials. Compose on outline that determines the order and structure of your book. You might find it helpful to use a published textbook similar to yours as a template.

    • 4

      Write. Sit down at your computer, fire up your word processor, and put your ideas into words. You will undoubtedly require musical examples, so make sure you have a decent music notation program. If photos are required, you'll also need a photo editing program. Acquiring a basic proficiency with these programs and learning to integrate them with one another will make your job much easier.

    • 5

      Lay out the finished manuscript. The better your book looks, the more it will appeal to readers. If you have the resources to hire a graphic designer, do it. In publishing, beauty is more than skin deep.

    • 6

      Choose the method of publishing. You can distribute the book yourself as an e-book by converting the finished manuscript to a PDF file and placing it on your website for download. You can also print the manuscript and submit it to traditional publishers, or you can use an online print-on-demand service. The latter can also distribute your book online. Some will even place it in brick-and-mortar stores.

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