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
limo prices to midway Harrods Creek .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareDo you suffer from writer's block? Is there a pending... Read More
When attempting to understand Creativity and Innovation, it pays to... Read More
So you're one of 20 million Americans who want to... Read More
Writers often get stuck because they make assumptions about writing,... Read More
Almost everyone could profit from enhancing their writing skills. From... Read More
Persisting With Bulldog Determination [Book excerpt from Successercising} by Rick... Read More
I call it cheap therapy. That gushing, near-religious, poured-from-the-body stress... Read More
You send me an e-mail. You tell me you've written... Read More
About two weeks ago I received an article submissionthat immediately... Read More
So you want to be a successful author? You want... Read More
Have you been guilty of procrastinating on your book project,... Read More
Freelance editing opportunities are out there, you just need to... Read More
The following answer sounds simplistic?but think about it. The single... Read More
One of the biggest problems that inexperienced writers have is... Read More
It never ceases to amaze me when a prospective writer... Read More
Have you ever read someone else's writing and thought one... Read More
In the ten years that I've taught people how to... Read More
Paulo Coelho was born on August 24th 1947 in Rio... Read More
"Do I send samples, a media kit, or just the... Read More
Whether you are working for a small business, large corporation,... Read More
1. Set aside a time to write and keep it... Read More
The tiniest things can be so useful when you come... Read More
If your dream is to get published, the chance is... Read More
Maybe you should write a book! This is not as... Read More
Is it possible to improve your writing instantly? The answer,... Read More
Plainfield limousine service ..Complaint letters aren't always fun, but sometimes they need to... Read More
According to one of my previous articles, whenever a Southerner... Read More
Chances are, you'll be busy over the next several weeks.... Read More
The writing community is a strong one, with many new... Read More
Whenever you sit down to plot a story (or even... Read More
[When I was a nineteen-year-old high school student and budding... Read More
In reviewing and browsing web sites over the years, I... Read More
Freewriting is a release from the prison of rules. It... Read More
You have a great idea for a poem, a story,... Read More
1. Turning your idea into a bookWith non-fiction books the... Read More
Chaos and confusion come when established rules and procedures are... Read More
There is no doubt that a staff writer enjoys advantages... Read More
Dream that your book can be a number one best... Read More
Remember the days when we wrote with pen and paper?... Read More
If a writer considers writing to be a task, he/she... Read More
So you want to be a writer, except you don't... Read More
It's important to have a space set aside in your... Read More
Regardless of what sort of writer you are and how... Read More
Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's... Read More
Verb and SubjectIncorrect:"I bet you two had a fine time,"... Read More
You've finished your story, and you're pretty happy with it.... Read More
My Dad has this old joke that goes, "What's the... Read More
Not long ago, I went to an Internet Marketing Seminar.... Read More
Last week I was having a quick browse on eBay... Read More
Many experts recommend reading as a way to get ideas,... Read More
Writing |