Should You Write That Nonfiction Book? Are You Ready?

Should You Write That Nonfiction Book? Are You Ready?

It takes courage to be vulnerable and authentic to the whole world.

That’s pretty much what writing a book is about. That vulnerability. That courage.

When I meet people who say to me, “Everyone says I should write a book,” I nod and ask, “What’s holding you back?”

Usually, they are overwhelmed by the concept. And, of course, all that writing. 

Some of those people just aren’t ready to write a book. Some of them are.

After a few minutes of conversation, I can tell which ones are and which ones aren’t.

Are you ready to be vulnerable? Do you have the courage to be an author this year? See how many of these you can check off and you’ll have your answer. Then, we’ll touch upon the 5 Secrets to Writing a Bestseller.

You’re ready to write that nonfiction book if:

1. Your idea – the purpose of the book – the story you will tell – is compelling. Not merely to you, but to many other people.
    
2. You have an audience for your book. People who will want to read it. Not just family and friends. But a true group of people who need to hear the story you will tell. 
   
3. You are ready to write the book. This means you will block out time to write, every day, if necessary. 
   
4. You know working with a team to write, publish, and market the book is necessary.
   
5.  You are ready to invest $$$ as well as time. Writing and publishing, though they seem free, like everything on the internet (not), come with a cost. And it’s not pennies. Or nickels. Or dimes. Think bigger.
   
6. You understand your book is a product. As such, it exists to help you build business. By itself, it will not increase your bank account by much. It’s a platform to create more attention to your work or coaching or whatever it is you do. 
   
7. You want your book to help get you speaking gigs. Event planners love authors because they have a strong message and can deliver it well. 
   
8. You’ve thought through the throughline of your book. This means you can speak it, in under 30 seconds, to anyone who asks and they will understand immediately what your book is about. “The HOW TO WRITE A BOOK Book – Your Step-by-step Plans for Bringing BIG IDEAS to Life One Page at a Time – demonstrating how writing a book is like building a house.” 
   
9. You have been working on your mailing list. This is very important. These are the people who will buy your book, but also, who will help market it for you. You need to be engaging with them on a regular basis to make this book ‘thing’ a success.
    
10. You’re active on at least one, preferably, two social media channels. Where do the people who need your book hang out? That’s where you should be also.
     
11. You are passionate about your story and want this book to be part of your legacy. 
    
12. You understand that just because your mom or sister or best friend said you have a great story, doesn’t mean you do have a great story. You’ve asked other people what they think. And you’ve identified a group of people who want this information. People who would appreciate having it in book format, whether that’s digital, print, or audio. 
    
13. You’re aware that people read differently. This means your book needs to be in print, digital, and audio. 
    
14. You know the value of a book cover. Let’s just say, it’s huge. HUGE. ????. 
    
15. And lastly, you didn’t need me to tell you all of this.

Now, that’s someone who’s ready to write, publish, and market her book. 

For those who can check off more than 6 of these, you’re getting there. You might need a little coaching to bring you the rest of the way. That’s one of the things we’re good at. Tell us more about your project here.

For those who are intimidated by all of this, have heart. It’s not as difficult as it seems. If you bring on the right team. 

Today’s marketplace for books is booming. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

• According to Statista, book sales are holding steady at 650 million units per year. 

And, since I promised to talk about the 5 Secrets to Writing a Bestseller, here you go:

• Tell a good backstory.
• Be a good writer.
• Hire the right people.
• Market your book as your legacy.
• Finish your book on time.

For more detailed info on those, visit the complete blog post here.

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