9 out of 10 professionals and small business owners have at least one book or information product inside their head, but lack the time and organizational skills to get it out into digital or print form.
You may cringe when you read this list of ten things keeping you from writing your book, because it rings too close to home for you. You may have already written a book or an e-book, or have come close to starting it. It's hard, we know it, and we've been there too. But go ahead and read this list, see if you can identify, and let's discuss a possible solution to the book writing problem.
1. I can't seem to find the time.
2. Every time I sit down to write I go blank.
3. I need an uninterrupted time period to immerse myself.
4. I need clarity on my message, but there's no one to consult with.
5. I don't know where to start or how to organize all the chapters.
6. I'm afraid of losing clients and having my business suffer if I take time away from it to write my book.
7. I agonize over the writing, the grammar, the sentence structure and punctuation.
8. I know what I have to say, just can't put it into written form without losing clarity and impact.
9. I keep thinking about all the time involved in writing the book, and wonder if it will ever bring me the results I want.
10. Once I get it written, I have no idea how to get it formatted, let alone marketed.
Ok, you know why you haven't started writing your book. Do you know why you need to write a book?
Why You Need to Publish a Book
Here are a few reasons why writing and publishing a book is important to you as an independent professional, small business owner, or solo-preneur:
1. Having a book, whether in digital, soft-cover, or hard-cover establishes you as an expert in your field.
2. People buy from people they know and trust; reading your book is one step in creating client confidence and relationship.
3. Once people buy and read your book, they will want more of what you have to offer in the way of services and knowledge. Your book can attract readers into your sphere of potential clients; once they have bought your book, they are ready to buy other services from you.
4. Having a published book is a great marketing tool, and people will actually pay for your expertise.
5. Books are one of the major sources of passive income for professionals; once it is published it can continue to generate sales for you, over the years and while you sleep.
6. If you don't get a book out soon, your competitors will have the edge, because many of them already have one and even two books out.
7. If you are a speaker, they make great bonus gifts and back-of-the-room sales.
8. They provide a platform for you to expose your readers to your mind and your heart, showing not only what you know, but how much you care. You can reveal your deepest philosophies through your writing, as well as your personal stories.
Three Solutions to the Book-Writing Problem
Of course, there is no problem if you've got a lot of money. You just hire a book writer. There are many of them listed at Elance.com. Some professionals do this, especially when they need to get something published fast and there are not a lot of complex issues to put forth. But is this really what you want to do as a professional who has an important message to convey?
Here is a list of solutions:
1. Hire someone to write your book for you (you can always rewrite it in your own voice and add your own stories). When finished, hire a publisher and then a publicist to market it.
2. Hire a writing coach who will walk you through the steps, chapter by chapter (again, for a substantial fee). Then when finished, hire a publisher and a publicist.
3. Bite the bullet, put your business on hold for a few months, and devote your time to just getting it written. You will have to turn it over to a book designer and get it formatted; search for the right publisher such as self-publishing or print-on-demand services, and then market it yourself.
Expensive? Yes, all three solutions are expensive. They each have their advantages and disadvantages.
The Fourth Solution
There is another solution! What if there was a way to help you get your book down in print and ready for formatting in 90 days?
What if you could do this by following a system that organized you chapter by chapter, included testimonials, input from peers, professional editing resources, design and formatting resources at low costs, and only took a half-hour of time per day?
Could you afford to invest that much time and energy out of your busy day? Would it be worth it to you even if it meant an hour a day for 90 days?
If you already have a blog that you use to communicate with readers online, you can use your blog to write your book.
The blog format is perfect for organizing your ideas, chapters and getting feedback from readers.
If you don't have a blog yet, you may wish to create one. They are simple to set up and use (we recommend Typepad.com). It can be used to stay in touch with clients and to write your thoughts in an informal way. A blog is like having a conversation with people interested in your subject or expertise. Once your book is finished and formatted, you can then use your blog to market it. You already have a built in audience, hungry for your content.
To read more about how this system works and how you can benefit, go to this site: http://www.blogtobook.com ? the way you think about writing your book will shift and you'll see it in a whole new light!
Denise Wakeman of Next Level Partnership, and Patsi Krakoff of Customized Newsletter Services, have teamed up to create blogging and marketing services for independent professionals. Their latest program is the Blog to Book Project: How to Use a Blog to Create a Book in 90 Days or Less at http://www.blogtobook.com. You can read and subscribe to their blogs at http://www.blogtobook.com
housekeepers near Buffalo Grove ..Interested in breaking into writing or breaking into a new... Read More
All your publishing options are as follows:--Conventional publishing--Vanity or subsidy... Read More
In this article you will find tips on: How to... Read More
Connectors -- conjunctions, punctuation, and transitional phrases -- allow readers... Read More
As a freelance writer, it is important to present yourself... Read More
There are many ways you can generate ideas you can... Read More
Technology vendors often contribute bylined articles to trade journals. The... Read More
What Makes a Great Headline?Headlines are far more important than... Read More
Writing is a personal and introspective process. To share with... Read More
When the writing bug hits you, get out your pencil,... Read More
(This excerpt is taken from my new writing workshop Writing... Read More
FIVE MINUTES ... Is All You Need ........to phone a... Read More
It turns out that "tips and templates on how to... Read More
Although he has his own website, John Grisham probably does... Read More
Freewriting is a release from the prison of rules. It... Read More
The urge to write fiction seems God given for some,... Read More
A few months ago, I wrote a guide entitled: 101... Read More
Let's Discuss Publisher Ethics:If you are an ezine publisher or... Read More
Being a great writer is no longer enough if you... Read More
A poet isn't born; you must work at crafting your... Read More
First drafts are for getting down the ideas. Anna Jacobs... Read More
I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of... Read More
The decision to publish a book is very exciting! It... Read More
Authors need to write their book according to their target... Read More
Picture this scene.Your hero is sitting in a bar. He's... Read More
custom home cleaning Mundelein ..When we think of writing it triggers many thoughts and... Read More
Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's... Read More
Have you given up on getting your book out of... Read More
Wired Online has recently announced its plans to drop capitalization... Read More
Connectors -- conjunctions, punctuation, and transitional phrases -- allow readers... Read More
There is a lot of confusion about recommendation letters.Recommendation letters... Read More
Writing papers and book reports has long been the bane... Read More
A poet isn't born; you must work at crafting your... Read More
The Blogfest 2005 Writing Contest has only been running for... Read More
Over the past eight years or so, I have tutored... Read More
Okay. So I'm not David Letterman. But I doubt if... Read More
Writing is a personal and introspective process. To share with... Read More
More and more good authors are turning to the Internet... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?Whichever theme you choose, all the elements,... Read More
Way back in your early school years, you were probably... Read More
Choosing the wrong words can have a poor effect on... Read More
1) Can you summarize the story in about a sentence... Read More
What to do when you get rejected.You've just finished your... Read More
If you're getting rejections from your submissions, please don't quit... Read More
There are various forms of structure, including frameworks, work processes... Read More
Eight or nine times out of ten, picking up and... Read More
The first and final rule of quality writing is this:... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?What a plot is and what a... Read More
Many of us dream of writing a book. Why not.... Read More
11 Secrets from an Experienced InterviewerOne of the unwritten rules... Read More
Writing |