Writing and selling a novel is a dream for many people and it is possible to turn that dream into a reality. Some people basically just want their name on a book cover and will hire a ghostwriter for the writing, while others genuinely want to become a novelist and have the satisfaction of writing creatively themselves. If you seriously want to write and sell a novel, keep reading books in the genre you want to write in, learn the mechanics of novel development such as scene crafting, write a minimum number of pages daily and spend some time learning how the publishing world works.
You can subscribe to or purchase a good quality writer’s magazine such as Writer's Digest to get started on learning about topics such as how to write riveting dialog and how to compose a compelling book proposal. There are also many helpful "How to write and sell a novel" books available today. If you don’t have money to spend on a lot of writing resources, check them out at the library.
When you spend some time reading materials about selling your novel, you'll get a good understanding about which publisher suits the kind of books you have in mind. You'll find out whether you need an agent or not. It makes sense to learn about how you'll sell your novel when it's done and whose hands it needs to reach to get you the sale.
If you really want to write and sell a novel you need to develop and master your writing technique. Study the novels you love to read and analyze what makes them good. This can help you develop your own style and strategies for grabbing the reader's attention and holding it all the way through the book.
When you decide to write and sell a novel, above all you must write a minimum number of pages daily. You have to commit to the project and not let the excuse of not enough time allow you to procrastinate. You really can write and sell a novel as long has you have the passion and dedication to stay with it and see it through to the end.