Writing a great business book and making it a success can be daunting. It seems like there are so many moving parts and details to pay attention to. But if you get the following five process things right, your odds of success go way up.
Get it out
First you have to get everything out of your head. If it’s not on a page or in a file, you can’t really do anything with it. This is also where you find out what you don’t know so you can do effective research. Writing a zero draft is a great way to get this right and get a start on the next big thing.
Get it in order
Some writers do this by outlining. Some just start to write. Others are somewhere between those two poles. You have to get the material in the right order, complete with transitions or you will have a collection of stuff, not a book.
Get it written
Write the first draft. Then revise it. Then revise that draft. And the next one. Keep revising until your changes aren’t making the book better. My experience suggests that you will need at least four full revisions.
Get rid of it
When you’ve written the book as well as you can, pass it on. The next stop is usually a professional editor or two. Once you’ve done your best, move on from writing to other things that will make the book successful.
Get the most out of it
Switch your attention to making your book a success. Put your efforts into the book launch, developing products to go with the book, and making changes in your business model or fee structure.