I’ve been a ghostwriter and book writing coach for over twenty years. During that time, I talked to dozens of people about the book they wanted to write and noticed a common pattern. They seem to take similar roads to writing their books.
If you think you might want to write a book someday, maybe the following will help you understand where you are and what’s ahead.
In the Beginning
There is a saying that everyone has a book in them. That may or may not be true, but what’s undoubtedly true is that some people think about it. They may think, “I’d like to write a book someday.” They may have special knowledge or experience and think, “Maybe I can write a book about that.”
Most people who have those thoughts never get started on a book. For them, writing a book is a kind of daydream. The folks who go on to write a book usually have an insightful moment that propels them forward.
From General To Specific
Some people who become authors read another book and think, “I can do that,” or, sometimes, “I can do better than that!” Some others stumble on a topic or an event that fascinates them and think, “I’d love to write a book about that.”
Taking Action
That’s about as far as it goes for most people. Some few, though, take action.
Some of them sit down and start to write the darn book. That usually doesn’t end well. Some discover that what looks easy from the outside is much harder in real life. Some start writing, only to have their initial motivation drain away in the face of months of work.
Some of them crank out the work and publish it themselves. It’s easy to do that nowadays. Their books are almost always dreadful and unsuccessful.
Then there are the investigators. They put time and effort into figuring out what they must do to write a book. They do some research. Some call people like me. Not all of them will decide to proceed with the project, but those who do are most likely to write a book they can be proud of.
What About You?
If you want to write a book, make it one you can be proud of. It will take you some time and effort to do the research necessary to decide if the juice is worth the squeeze.