I would like some information on how one goes about getting a book written and published. More specifically, I would like to know the workflow involved. Whether you need to work within a set guideline set by the publisher or would I be allowed to write my book any way I wish. The type of book will not be a novel in a sense that there will be characters and a storyline. It's a book containing an outlook on life, authors thoughts and opinions.

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Well, I always start out by thinking up a wide array of characters, many I probably will never use, who work well with the general idea I've come up with. I morph that idea into a basic plot then decide where my main characters will show up and how they all relate to each other. The other characters will fit in slowly as I develop the plot, but not yet. Next I spend a week or two reflecting on the idea, letting images and events influence plot events that I might want or just imagining things through my main character's eyes so I can understand them better. After I've decided most of what I want to happen I start outlining, in detail, the plot- maybe I'll even draw a map of where the characters go, especially if the setting is one I created. Next I start writing, by hand, until I've finished the story, then I go type it up on the computer while adjusting my wording, fixing any mistakes and adding or deleting any scenes I've decided I want to add or aren't necessary. Once you've had a few people proofread your idea get yourself some form of agent, sometimes your parents can do this, make sure the idea is copyrighted under your name, and start sending the manuscript to multiple publishers, though never more than one at a time. In my experience it's best that way in case more than one accepts your story, no better way to ruin your career with a publisher by telling them you've sold the novel to someone else already.

With non-fiction, the process is somewhat different than writing fiction. With non-fiction, you can sometimes sell your idea to a publisher before you write the actual book. A quick google search ("publishing non-fiction") gave me this website: http://www.writing-world.com/publish/bookprop1.shtml, which seems to be fairly comprehensive. I'm still kind of personally horrified by the notion of trying to sell a book I haven't written yet, but... not my genre.