It’s estimated that close to 75% of the population has had the desire to write a book. Of the 75%, an incredibly small number ever get started – some because they don’t ever discover that ‘perfect’ topic to get started while others just don’t have the confidence or understanding of how to get things rolling.
While I don’t have any official statistics, there are a fair number of those who dream about writing a book that get started in some fashion, they may…
- Choose a topic
- Start their first chapter
- Create a manuscript
- Finish half the book
- Complete an outline
- Put the finishing touches on the first chapter
An extremely small number ever get to the point of actually writing their book…and that’s too bad.
Are you one of them?
Have you wished you could write your own non-fiction book, or even started but can’t seem to get it finished?
Here are 10 ways for writing a book and getting it done:
- Pick your topic carefully – it should be something you are interested in, something you are good at with an angle you have researched will sell within your market
- Be 110% convinced that your topic is worthwhile – most people we coach give up on their book writing because they really don’t believe enough in their topic
- Try writing about your topic outside of your book or ebook first – say through a blog, special report, articles, a column in your local newspaper. Not only will this give you a sense for your topic, but will begin to give you a ‘platform’ in your industry more receptive to your book when it’s done
- Begin with the end in mind. In "How Anyone Can Make Money Writing eBooks Part-Time" we talk about starting with your eventual sales letter or marketing campaign first so that you know what benefits you will need to include in the book.
- Secret outlining techniques. If you outline your book in the form of questions you will answer, your writing process will become so much easier and faster
- Prioritize writing. Organize your day to fit your writing in as early as possible so it is not impacted by unplanned events throughout the day. If you can wake up 30-minutes earlier and get your 30-minutes of writing in before work or before the kids wake up, you will be amazed at the progress you can make toward writing a book
- Write each day. This will take some discipline, but even if you have to cut one day back to 15-minutes, at least take that time to write. By breaking the pattern you will find suddenly that one day extends to two and then to three and before you know it, you have lost momentum and won’t complete your book writing
- Avoid distractions. Writing in front of the TV or while the kids are chasing each other around the room or while you are trying to cook supper just doesn’t work. 15-minutes of silent time for writing beats 1-hour of chaotic time
- Patience. Understand that your book won’t write itself and it won’t be done in 1-day. Some people take 2-weeks to write a book, others take months. You can cut your time significantly by starting with a great outline and a topic that you now something about (thereby lessening the amount of research).
- Take a break. Writing a book is a funny thing, if you try and force it sometimes, you will get nowhere. So, if you find things are not going well, the thoughts are not flowing – either move to another section of your book or take a break and pick it up later that day
Too many people assume that all aspects of writing a book is fun, stress-free and easy.
Sorry, that is not the case. But let me assure you, as your book begins to take shape, you see the final draft and begin to share it with your market and get some good reviews there is nothing like the feeling of writing a book that gets done!
Jeff
