Weekday Wisdom

Season 2, Episode 2

Have you wanted to write a book for years? Does the idea of writing a book sit there on your perpetual to-do list? Have people—friends, family or even coaches—been telling you that you need to get your book out of your head and into print?

Why haven’t you done it already?

In today’s Weekday Wisdom, I’m going to talk about the top three book-writing hurdles that may be lying in your path and share some ideas of how to leap over them and overcome your own objections to writing a book.

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Writing a book. It is on so many people’s wish list. And, if you’re an entrepreneur or speaker, you know that having your own book in print sets you up as an expert and can help you promote your business.

And yet, you still resist. Why?

Here are some reasons that I often hear: I don’t have time. I can’t write or I’m not a good writer. I’m overwhelmed by the idea of organizing a book project.

These sound like very reasonable hurdles, right?

Well, they don’t have to stop you in your tracks. Let me go over each one individually.

1. I don’t have time.

Here’s a biggie. Everyone is busy. Heck, I’m busy! We all get it. But that’s not a good excuse when it comes to growing your business. Or writing a book.

Rather than lamenting your lack of time (and believe me, I do that a lot), you should be prioritizing your day to accommodate the important things, like writing your book. Maybe that means getting up 30 minutes earlier for a focused (if short) writing stint every morning. Maybe that means turning off the television after dinner so you can write. Maybe that means setting aside several hours each weekend to work on your book.

I’ve used each of those strategies to good effect. In fact, for my latest book, Public Speaking Super Powers, I even took a weeks vacation to focus on my book.

The point is, you must make this a priority. Block out the time in your calendar, and treat that time as sacred. Pretend it’s an appointment with your most important client, and do not allow anything to get in the way of keeping that appointment.

2. I can’t write or I’m not a good writer.

Many, many people claim they cannot write; yet when you look at their blogs, there are hundreds of posts. What it really means when someone says they can’t write is that they don’t like or want to.

Luckily, you have plenty of options for overcoming this particular hurdle. You can hire a ghostwriter. You can repurpose your blog posts into a book. I did that with 57 Secrets for Branding Yourself Online. You can interview people for the content. That is how I kick started Public Speaking Super Powers.

And, of course, you don’t necessarily have to write your book, you can speak it. You can use software such as Dragon Naturally Speaking, or simply record using your favorite MP3 app and then have it transcribed. I like using Trint.com for transcriptions. Here’s a link to my review for that software.

And of course, you don’t have to write this book on your own. That’s what editors are for!

And finally, 3. I’m overwhelmed by the idea of organizing a book project.

Ok, so you’re great with blog posts, and you don’t mind writing them, but the thought of writing an entire book makes you stare at your blank computer screen like a zombie wandering around a room.

First, if you can write a blog post, you can write an entire series of books. The process is all the same. After all, it’s just putting words into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, and so forth.

However, if you really feel you can’t manage a long project, then an outline is going to be your best friend. Start with a broad overview of your project, and then break it down by sections, and then chapters. Make notes about what you’ll cover in each, and then it’s just a matter of filling in the blanks. In fact, I’ll be sharing some ideas about this in my free webinar coming up this weekend, Feb. 16. You can register for it at bit.ly/carmabookwebinar. I’ll include a link to the registration page in the show notes.

There are dozens of reasons to write a book. It’s important for establishing your expertise, for growing your audience, and for solidifying your message. But none of that will happen if you don’t actually write it. So it’s time to get beyond your hurdles, leap over them, and get your book done.

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How do you write that book?
And how do you make sure that book supports your business and your interests?

• If you’d like to turn your hobby or passionate interest in a book that people actually want to read…
• If you need help structuring your book so that it is engaging and encourages readers to engage with you…
• If you want to know how to build a business around your book…

You’ll want to attend my free webinar called “Create a Business You Love by Writing a Book Based on Your Interests” on February 16, 2019, at 9 a.m. Register here now.

Don’t think you can make it? Register anyway and watch the replay.