According to a New York Times article, four out of every five Americans feel the urge to write a book, yet very few of us (less than 1%) actually go through with it. That is from “Authorpreneur”. It’s time to write your book.
Writing a book makes a lot of sense
- Being a published author is the bargaining chip your college education failed to deliver.
- The act of writing, publishing, and marketing your book is arguably the best training program for excelling in the entrepreneurial economy.
- A book makes you credible.
- A good writer is an expert.
- A book will make you immortal.
Start-up
Writing and publishing a book is exactly like running a start-up. Publishing a book requires almost no capital. You don’t need any skills except the knowledge you already possess. Earning a six-figure income from self-publishing books is a reasonable expectation for anyone willing to put in the time
Grind
Like in a start-up, you need to resist the hack and embrace the daily grind of doing meaningful, purposeful work. Read “Perennial seller“. Work on things you’re innately passionate about. Let go of the “quick-win” strategy. If you embrace the grind, you’ll have a richer life, and therefore have better material for your book.
Who, what, why
And as with a start-up, the questions are straightforward. Who, what, why. Who is the audience? (It should be a specific person.) What does the book teach the reader? Why is the book useful and relevant? (Why does it need to be written?).
Some tips:
- Spend 50% of your time on product and 50% on traction,
- You don’t need to be an expert.
- Value sells.
- Knowledge is always valuable.
- Search Twitter to find top influencers related to your topic.
- Create a comprehensive outline of the book
- Dictate the outline and record it
- Mention all the experts, thought-leaders, and mentors who are already established in your field within your book
- Proofread aloud
- It’s the steadiness of it that counts. Getting to the typewriter every day is what makes productivity.
- There’s no correct length for a book, but most non-fiction books fall into the 30–60K word range.
- The importance of design and marketing can’t be understated,
- Use a short, catchy title followed by a longer subtitle that plainly states the book’s value proposition.
- Your title (along with the descriptive subtitle) should be crystal clear.
- Get an editor.
- Reach out to podcasters.
- Contact super reviewers.
- Remember, 50% (or more) of your time needs to be spent on gaining traction, and design and marketing are the two most significant factors in that equation.
The steps
Step 1: Brain dump or mind map. Take 30-60 minutes to write down ideas related to your book.
Step 2: Now organize the content into clusters. Use sticky notes or index cards.
Step 3: Refine, and convert to an outline.
Step 4: Start writing.
Step 5. Start selling.
I can’t guarantee you’ll change the world or make a million bucks, but I can promise you this: Writing a book will enrich your life.
