You’ve been thinking of writing a book for years. You’ve heard writing a book is a must-do for experts; especially in crowded markets.
Yet, every attempt to write, let alone get a book done, has ended up in writer’s block and frustration. Each time you sit down to write, staring at a blank screen or piece of paper, but can’t seem to get anything more than a few disjointed thoughts out, you feel more and more frustrated resulting in beating yourself up for not accomplishing what some experts claim is so simple.
The fact is, writing a book IS simple. Not necessarily easy, but simple nonetheless… when you have the formula.
The good news is, there’s more than one formula. The key is to know which is for you.
There are countless strategies such as writer’s groups, writer’s retreats, hiring a coach, finding an accountability partner, or simply sitting down to write. Yet, the majority of people who claim to want to write a book, never do.
In the past, writing a book meant creating something that was at least 50,000 to 60,000 words in length. Today, short books are very popular. Books that cover one specific problem in 8,000 – 12,000 words. My latest book, Power Up Your Sales, is just over 12,000 words. It has done quite well on Amazon, hitting #1 in two main categories and receiving excellent reviews.
Recently, I created an eReport, Hit #1 On Amazon, that is just under 8,000 words. It could easily be turned into a short book, loaded up on Amazon and with the strategies outlined in the report, Hit #1 on Amazon.
I was able to get both of these done in a short period of time. 
Best part of all, you can access both at no cost by clicking the images.
There are a few reasons for this. One, I’ve been writing for years which has turned what used to be a challenge for me into a “this is part of my business practice” muscle. Yes, writing is a muscle to be developed.
Secondly, I know how beneficial creating value-added content is to continually increase the trust and relationship with my market.
Third, writing makes me money both directly and indirectly. I’m in business to make money, thus the need to be disciplined and focused on content creation that results in books.
1. Avoid setting yourself up for failure
Many would-be authors set themselves up for failure by thinking they have to write thousands of words in one sitting. They start with the best intentions, but quickly give up due to overwhelm. Avoid setting yourself up for failure by setting realistic goals, pacing yourself and managing your energy and time.
2. Make a believable commitment
If you commit to writing a 50,000-word book and have yet to write a 300-word article, you are setting yourself up for frustration and failure. Rather than thinking you have to write the next New York Times bestselling self help, business, or health and nutrition book, start with the commitment to write your first short book. Doing so will make it much more likely you will stick with your commitment and see your book through to completion.
3. Create a list of ideas you can write about
Start a running list of ideas tied into the main theme of your book. If your book is about time management, what are all the possible ways one can develop good time management skills? Write down as many ideas as you can think of. If you’re stuck for ideas, do a Google search, have a conversation with a trusted colleague or coach or visit Amazon and read book descriptions of books in the same genre as you are writing to get ideas.
4. Start with 250 – 500 words per sitting
It’s likely you write a heck of a lot more than 500 words a day already what with posts to social media and emails to friends and colleagues. For most people writing 250 – 500 words is something they do without much thought. Yet, when they consciously think they are writing a book, they get stuck.
Truth be told, you can most likely write 250 – 500 words in less than 30 minutes. The more practice you have, the less time it will take. In 30 days you could feasibly have between 10,000 – 15,000 words written by putting 30 minutes a day aside dedicated to your book.
5. Schedule your writing time
Years ago I learned one of the best productivity tips ever. “Use the first hour of your day to monetize your business,” from recommended business expert, Brendon Burchard.
You can take that same idea and use it for your book writing. Use the first hour of your day to write your book. Again, if you commit to a specific time of day for a minimum amount of time, your book will get done faster than you can imagine.
6. Make writing a part of your daily routine
This ties into scheduling writing time. When you make writing part of your daily routine, it becomes a habit. Contrary to what many people believe about habits, some are actually very good for us to have.
7. Make a public announcement
If you’re the type of person who values your word, making a public announcement can make all the difference in the world as far as how quickly you get your book done. Actually, with both Power Up Your Sales and Hit #1 on Amazon, I had publically committed to a group of people that I would complete these projects.
Since keeping my word is important, I stayed the course until each was done. While other people are still thinking of getting their first book done, I finished both the book and the report within a couple of months. Both generate leads AND revenue. Imagine how much money you are leaving on the table by not making a commitment to getting your book done.
8. Blog your book
By far, daily blogging is one of the simplest ways to get a book done. Commit to a 30-day blog challenge that forces your hand at writing. Not only will you get your book done, you’ll also have some excellent Google juice that raises your visibility with your market.
9. Set weekly goals
In addition to your daily goal of 250 – 500 words, set weekly goals designed to keep you on target. Having daily and weekly goals is simply one more way to get you closer to being a published author.
10. Get the cover designed as soon as possible
Visualizing an outcome is very powerful in moving us closer to the end result. For $5 you can go on a site like Fiverr to have a mock up of your book cover done. This doesn’t mean you have to use a design from someone on Fiverr for your final cover, but it is a way to keep yourself motivated. I’ve had some outstanding work done with graphics, info-graphics, eBook covers and the like from a few vendors on Fiverr. Granted, there have been some vendors whose work I won’t use, but for $5 it’s worth getting a mock up of the cover to keep you focused.
Reasons versus excuses
The bottom line is this; books increase your credibility, can be used as lead generators, are a great way to generate revenue and give you the edge over your competition. The bottom line also is that you have to want to be published more than you want to hold on to excuses. Rather than excuses as to why you’ve yet to get your book done, look for every reason you must get it done.
Once you do, then you’re ready to Hit #1 On Amazon!
