Becoming a published author isn’t easy. As with anything it takes hard work, practice, and determination.
But even though it takes a lot of words it isn’t as difficult as people make it out to be. The truth is that most of the mental hurdles that writers set up for themselves are just that.
Mental.
Writing and publishing your own book has never been as easy as it is today.
So here are some helpful tips to get you over those hurdles!
Hurdle 1: You Don’t Know How to Write a Book
The best way to write a book is with a clear and repeatable process. These 5 steps break it down into their simplest form.
1. Set deadlines
If you are really serious about writing and publishing a book, you must have deadlines. For instance, you must have a first draft by a certain date, second draft, final draft etc. Setting deadlines is important because it helps you avoid wasting time. Considering the nature of typical authors, it is possible to write a book for years if you aren’t serious.
2. Outline your book
After setting deadlines, you need to create an outline. You can do this easily by thinking about what your book intends to solve or discuss and break down this information into small sections. You can use the introduction, body and conclusion format to start outlining your book. As you move down towards the body, think about your book’s purpose and write that down.
3. Write your book
You can start writing after you have an outline. Since everyone has a different voice, you need to bring that out clearly in your book. How do you do this? Well, the answer is simple; write how you speak. Guided by your outline, expand what you want your book to address. You can tell stories, give examples etc. Just make sure you give your content your own voice.
4. Rewrite
When writing a book, the initial drafts are a mess. You must keep rewriting them to create a perfect continuous flow. Rewriting also helps you add humor, stories, facts etc. to make your book more factual, interesting and authentic. You must repeat this step several times until you are satisfied with what you have written. Alternatively, you can get someone to rewrite the book for you. You should also give your book out for reading to get valuable feedback.
5. Hire an editor
After the book has been rewritten and read by many people, you can hire an editor after making the final changes. You shouldn’t use your aunt or spouse as an editor for obvious reasons. You need a true professional who will add that magical touch to your book to make it attract many people, get people talking etc. If you want a good book, you must hire a professional editor. It’s as simple as that. Although professional editors are seen as an unnecessary cost, they add priceless value to books. Also, most professional editors have valuable connections, which are crucial for any book to succeed. After handing over your book to a professional editor, the only thing you have to do is wait and publish.
Hurdle 2: You Don’t Have Anything New To Add
Look at your bookshelf.
How many books do you have about any given topic – love, leadership, personal development, finances, business, mysteries?
You see, there are many aspiring authors who tell me they haven’t written a book because there are too many other people who have written about the same topic.
No doubt, you have multiple books on the same topics. As I look at mine right now, I can easily locate multiple books on leadership, marketing, business, publishing, and I quickly lose count of the numerous books on personal growth and development.
The point is that even if someone else has written about a topic, you can STILL write about it. That’s because NO ONE has written about it the way you will. No one has had your experience, or the unique background which you will bring to your story.
And why do you read multiple books on the same topic?
Because you learn something new from each person’s unique perspective and experience.
Your readers will do the same.
In addition, a good predictor of what an audience will care about is a look at the topics in which you have multiple books. If you have multiple books on the same topic, then your readers most likely will, too. And now yours will be another one they can put on their shelf.
All this is to say — don’t worry about writing something that has already been written. Your point of view will make it unique, and the information you provide will be valuable to those who choose to read
Hurdle 3: Your Writing Isn’t Good Enough
There is a moment, as a published author, when you have to take the words you have written privately and put them out into the world for the public to read.
The mere mention of that idea might make you shudder. That’s because it can be one of the scariest and most vulnerable moments you ever encounter.
There is a fear of being judged and somehow coming up short. There is uncertainty about whether your words have value or if your writing is “good enough”. There are even fears that you don’t have enough authority or experience to be writing a book for the general public to read.
Those fears are real, but they are also what prevent most people from becoming published authors!
So how do you overcome that fear?
The answer is – you don’t!
You cannot overcome fear. It is too powerful and ever-present. Grappling with it, resisting it, denying it or pretending it isn’t there will never work. In fact, those methods only serve to make it stronger.
So what’s the answer?
The answer is to learn to ACCEPT it.
Stop fighting with it and start embracing it. Fear has many qualities that are helpful to you in life. It is there for a reason. And if you want to have creativity in your life, then you will have to accept that fear will be right there with it.
Elizabeth Gilbert explains it beautifully in her book, Big Magic. She writes, “In fact, it seems to me that my fear and my creativity are basically conjoined twins – as evidenced by the fact that creativity cannot take a single step forward without fear marching right alongside it.”
She goes on to say, “This is why we have to be careful of how we handle our fear—because I’ve noticed that when people try to kill off their fear, they often end up inadvertently murdering their creativity in the process.”
The best way to make your dream of becoming a published author come true is to make room for fear, welcome it for the purpose it serves, and accept that it is there.
Then get on with it. You have a book that needs to be published!
Hurdle 4: You Don’t Know How To Get Published
Let’s face it! Gone are the days when authors send their book ideas to publishers, get hefty advances to start writing and almost instantly find themselves on the bestseller list.
Publishers today are more demanding.
For instance, you need to have a huge following i.e. on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter before publishers will agree to work with you.
Unlike decades ago, today’s publishers don’t want to take any risks. Also, if you aren’t famous and/or your book is a memoir, you have a very slim chance of getting a publishing deal.
This shouldn’t however stop you from publishing your book.
Publishers no longer have the power to stop you from pursuing your authorship dreams. You can write a book about any subject and self-publish it without the help of a “traditional” publisher.
Many authors are taking advantage of self-publishing to get as many books out there as possible.
You shouldn’t be left behind.
Writing is one of the most rewarding hobbies for someone of any age. It would be a shame for someone to miss out just because they’re afraid.
Just as with anything in life you can’t let your fears hold you back. You have to face them!
Tell yourself that you can be a writer and believe it! Because it may be the truest thing you have ever told yourself.
