We’ve all heard the phrase “everyone has a book in them”. While the actual truth of this may be debatable, the fact is, many people do believe they have a book in them. However, they’re not prepared to do the work it takes to sit down and write the book. The other problem, they think they’re just not good enough to write a book.
Although writing a book is definitely not the easiest thing in the world, millions of people have done it successfully. Once you have the idea, a process, and the commitment to make it happen it’s not as difficult as you think.
Doubting if you’re good enough for anything will get you nowhere. Since we all only have one life, it’s better to try and fail at something than to never even attempt it. In this post, I want to share with you some of the top strategies for getting your book written and published.
Schedule Time
Like everything else that’s worth doing, writing a book takes time. If you have other things going on in your life like a job, family, or even trying to run a business, it’s understandable you’re not going to be able to sit down for 8 hours per day to work solely on your book. One of the best time management and productivity hacks you can ever use is time-blocking. Let’s say you want to block out one hour each day to write 1,000 words. It may not seem like a lot, but over 5 days, that’s 5,000 words. After 5 weeks of maintaining this habit, you’ll have 25,000 words written down. One hour of your time per day can sure add up, getting you closer to achieving your goal.
Get a coach or mentor
Hiring a coach or mentor to work with you is something you should definitely consider no matter what area of your business you’re trying to grow, but it’s especially good for authors. They are able to assist you in identifying your goals and keeping you accountable and focused. Even if you’re not quite sure about hiring a coach just yet, you should start following successful authors, coaches and people who you may be able to find inspiration from, such as James Ray. Following people who are where you want to be will help you see what’s possible for you.
Stop striving for perfection
Striving for perfection can definitely be a challenge. Now, this isn’t to say that you shouldn’t care about your work or give your best. When you’re so focused on perfection you set the bar impossibly high. You’re never going to be happy with what you write. This can lead to you never even getting your work out into the world.
Self-publish first
Nowadays it’s much easier than it’s ever been to publish a book, thanks to things like Amazon and other self-publishing services. This is a great way to publish your book and get some initial buyers. You’ll really boost your confidence without spending loads of money or time dealing with agents and publishers. If you are working with a coach or mentor, they can help you create a strategy to promote your book.
Collaborate on a joint project
If you are hesitant about writing your own book, consider participating in a collaborative writing project. This is where several authors come together to write around a central theme. Each author contributes a chapter and promotes each other through sales of the book. Many authors have found when writing the chapter, they are able to stimulate ideas. They then go on to write books of their own. I myself have participated in three projects like this and enjoyed all of the experiences.
Writing a book is hard work, but the reward is great. I believe deep down I always knew my path would lead to writing. It took a while, but I moved past what was blocking me and started writing professionally. In doing so, I was able to become a two time Amazon best selling author and I’m just getting started. If you desire to be a published author, come on and join me on the journey. Here’s to YOUR success!
Carolyn R. Owens has over 25 years of proven experience and serves as a Career Strategist, Executive and Leadership Coach. She is the President of Infinity Coaching, Inc. where she can help you up-level your skills, so you can up-level your income, career, business or life. Infinity Coaching, Inc. provides one-on-one and group coaching, organizational training, personality assessments, and a signature program, the Infinity Coaching Inner Circle. Carolyn is certified to give both The Energy Leadership Index Assessment and Myers Briggs Type Indicator Assessment. You can find out more he about both assessments and other products and services at https://infinitycoaching.net.
