Everyone who dreams of writing a book knows what that genuine
burst of inspiration, enthusiasm, and energy feels like when a really great book
idea pops into their mind. They just know, without a doubt, that there are
people everywhere who will absolutely benefit from all the great content they’re
going to share. And the benefits! There are so many external benefits to
writing a book:
- Establishing yourself as a thought leader in your field
- Recognition as an expert in your field
- Increase in visibility
- Increase in income
- Increase in clients/customers/market share
The biggest internal benefits?
- The feeling of accomplishment that goes along with successfully completing something most of your peers will never even attempt.
- Knowing you have contributed a valuable “conversation” in a format that will be around long after you’re gone.
The biggest hurdle?
- Getting started.
It’s really easy to push the idea of writing your book off to
one side. You have every intention of getting to it at some point, but right
now, it’s “just not the right time.” Sadly this is the whole “I’ll get to it
tomorrow” paradox because tomorrow never comes.
If you truly don’t have the time to write your book, there
are still things you can do to keep the inspiration and ideas for your book
alive.
Acknowledge the value
of questions:
- Start keeping track of the questions your clients and customers are asking. You already know most of the answers by heart, and once combined, they will provide a great source of content for your book.
- Ask your clients and customers questions too. Not yes or no questions that will make them feel dumb if they don’t know the answers. Come up with open-ended questions that give them the opportunity to expand on their thoughts, experiences, and opinions. Be open to the truth that even though you’re good at what you do, you can still learn from other people.
Pay attention to what
others are writing. Some people think it’s too late to write their own book when they come
across a book that’s been written and published on the same topic, by someone
else. But there are very few cases when this is true. Instead, think of these
people as your peers rather than your competition. Think of those books as opportunities
to riff off their work. (That’s riff not rip!) If fact, it’s when
we contemplate the work of others that our minds are stimulated to agree,
disagree, add to what they came up with, alter it so it’s more accurate, fill
in the missing pieces, etc.
Embrace the reality
that only you can share your thoughts and ideas. In books, just as it is with people
and in business, you aren’t going to establish a connection with every person
you meet. But that’s all the more reason why you need to write your book. There
are people waiting for the solutions you have to offer. And yes, solutions
might already exist, but people don’t listen to voices that rub them the wrong
way. They want to hear from people they feel a connection to. That’s where your
unique voice comes in. The only way you can fail at connecting with your
audience is if you never write your book!
It’s never too late to write your book. Never. But if you’re
struggling with getting started, let’s have a conversation.
