You decided to write a book. Great! That’s exciting.
Writing a book can make a difference in your life and your business. It can make a difference in the lives of people who read it. The process of writing can be a journey of discovery. All of that is true, but none of it is automatic.
It’s tempting to assume that all you need to do is slap together an outline and start writing. That’s a little like deciding to go on vacation without doing any planning. Your experience and where you’ll wind up may not be what you hope for.
Take the time to plan your book project and your book well. Planning your book is not separate from the project. It’s part of the project. Good planning is an iterative process that takes time and reflection.
Plan slow, write fast.
Take Time To Review the Project Thoroughly.
Start by working backward from your finished book to today. Imagine you’ve written a great book that solves important problems for people and sells well. Work backward by identifying the people and resources you’ll need for a successful project.
Identify the people you’ll need to make your project a success. You’ll need editors and proofreaders, as well as a printer. How about a publicist? Will a writing coach or ghostwriter help you produce the book you want? What are all these likely to cost?
Consider things that aren’t writing. Do you have a platform with raving fans ready to buy your book as soon as it’s written? If you don’t, then building a platform should be part of your project.
Imagine something you’d like to do. Maybe there’s a feature you’d like to have on the book website, or you’ve got a great idea for a launch party. You may not want to make them part of your plan, but you want to keep them top of mind so that you can do them if possible.
Take Time To Learn About the Market.
There are a gazillion titles out there, and more are added to the pile every day. You’ve got to figure out how you will stand out in that competitive environment. Simply writing a great book will not be enough. Your marketing needs to be as good as your book.
Spend some time on Amazon checking out what’s already there. Some books will be your direct competition. There may be books you want to emulate. Books that have already been published should give you some good ideas about what you want to do with yours.
This is also an excellent time to identify sources. Who are the experts in your field? You may want to interview them. Identify other experts from your search for data to use in the book. The authors of studies or articles may be great people to interview.
Take Time To Clarify Your Content.
You may have a clear idea of your book knocking around in your head, but I can tell you from decades of writing, coaching, and developmental editing that unless you’ve got it written down, what you’ve got is a tangled mess. Take the time to sharpen your ideas so you can write a great book.
Clarify who will read your book and why. Identify real individuals, then expand your definition to demographics. How big is your market, really?
Identify your key points and link them to stories and data. Once you’ve got those big ideas, determine what order you need to present them. Play with the order. Move things around.
Once you think you’ve got an order that works, prepare a preliminary outline. This should include your key points and the transitions between them. Tinker with the order until you get it right. Then, write a detailed outline.
You’re more likely to have a successful book project and a successful book if you take the time to plan it well. Let your brain do its creative thing. Consider your plan thoroughly and dispassionately. Plan slow, write fast.
