Books are intimidating to write, so much so that many would-be authors never make it past a blank page.
But why is that? What is it about writing a book that makes it so difficult to get started?
In our experience, the biggest reason people don’t begin is because they don’t think they write well enough to become a published author.
We can honestly say that anyone can write a book. You don’t have to be a novelist or a professional writer. You just need to have an idea that you want to share.
If you’re afraid of your writing skills or think the idea of sitting at your computer for hours is overwhelming, here are some ideas for you:
- Consider using a transcription service-a program or professional who will listen to and turn all of your verbal recordings into written words.
- You could also simply take your phone with you in the car or on a run and write your entire book that way.
- Try a ghost writing program. Freelance writers will take your ideas and turn them into a book. It can be fairly simple and suited to your comfort level. Just be prepared to interview some potential writers.
- Also, you want to be sure to get some accountability. You can create an accountability schedule or hire someone to keep you on track. Choose an end-goal word count, and then calculate how many words a day you would have to write to finish. Getting some help to stay accountable will help you stick to it!
You might be intimidated or nervous, but don’t get caught up on what’s holding you back. There are always work-arounds to achieve your goals.
Should You Write a Book?
“Everyone has at least one story to tell—their own.”- Kelli O’Brien Watson
Are you wondering if you should write a book? Sure, all of these other people can do it, but what about you?
Maybe you don’t think you have the time or the skill. Maybe you stare at that blank page and can’t bring yourself to put anything on it.
What most people are missing is a direction, and that direction begins with your purpose. Everyone who writes a book has a purpose for doing it.
Define Your Purpose For Writing
Let’s say you’ve decided to write a book, but aren’t sure what direction to take it. Defining a purpose will help you figure that out. Your purpose for writing your book could be literally, anything. If you’re struggling, don’t worry. Here is some inspiration:
- Write simply because you love writing.
- Write to build your audience.
- Write because you are passionate about a particular topic.
- Write to make money.
None of these options are mutually exclusive. Just because you are writing out of passion does not mean you won’t make any money doing so. It all comes down to how much effort you are willing to invest in yourself.
Writing for Passion
When you are writing for passion you can start from the beginning and just bring your story to life. What is amazing about writing for passion is that it can be cathartic and informative. You will grow a deeper understanding of yourself as your own story progresses, which can bring you peace of mind.
Remember that there will never be an end to subjects nor will there ever been an end to readers. No matter what you write there will be someone interested in what you have to say. And standard publishing companies won’t be your only option.
Take one of our authors, Bernie Freytag, for example. He is passionate about art and life and wrote a book called Find Wonder in the Ordinary. He just wanted to share his ideas with the world and he ended up becoming an Amazon bestseller and went on to win 2 Gold Medals from the Feathered Quill Book Awards.
All because he kept up with his passion.
Writing to Build a Platform
If you are a professional or own a business and would like to expand your audience, then your purpose will be to develop your platform.
Maybe you care about the ice caps melting and write an informational book, or maybe you are into health and wellness and want to spread your ideas. Either way, writing a book is a great way to get the message across to a wider audience.
No matter your subject, writing a book about it will intrinsically give you authority in that field. A book can become a marketing tool to spread your message and to builds trust with a larger audience.
You can use your book like a business card and give it for free, or use it as incentive in an email campaign. People can sign up to receive a free copy of your book, and in doing so, opt-in to the rest of your emails. This is a great way of marketing your book and keeping potential customers involved.
Writing to Make Money
You can make money by selling your book, but perhaps even more importantly, you can create additional revenue streams for your business by using your book. Books can help you create educational and coaching programs, provide opportunities to present, and can also be used as a business card to reach more people.
As a self-published author, you retain the rights to your book which means you are able to retain all of the profits. That is a huge shift from the old-school traditional publishing industry. Today, self publishing accounts for 31% of all ebook sales, and Indie authors account for 40% of ebook revenue. The Big Five (Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster) only account for 16% of all books sold on Amazon.
You can sell your books on Amazon, the largest bookseller in the world, as well as other platforms. There are plenty of options and services that will help you publish and distribute your book.
No matter your reason for writing a book, the time has never been better to get started. It all starts with knowing your purpose, outlining your ideas, creating a strategy to get started and finding a way to stay accountable to the process.
As Anne Lamott suggests in her book, Bird by Bird, “You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something—anything—down on paper.”
