When Bill and I lived in the same city, we spent a lot of time together, mostly exploring local brew pubs. When we moved to different cities, we stayed in touch. When I gave a speech in his town, I stayed an extra night so we could get together and catch up.
Bill picked me up at my hotel, and we stopped at a local brew pub for old time’s sake and some good beer. Next, we went to his house, and he showed me around. It was a beautiful home.
The bookcase was in Bill’s office. It was lopsided and not very well finished, totally different from all the other furniture in the house.
Bill saw me looking at the bookcase. He chuckled. “Let’s go in the kitchen and grab a beer, and I’ll tell you about it,” he said.
Bill always wanted to try his hand at carpentry, and it seemed like a bookshelf would be the perfect project. It was pretty simple, and he needed a bookshelf in his office. But things didn’t go exactly as he envisioned them.
Bill read some books and watched several YouTube videos before he started working on the bookshelf. The folks at a local big-box store helped him select the tools he needed for his workshop.
“It wasn’t as easy as I thought,” Bill said. He kept running into things he hadn’t anticipated. He chose the wrong lumber because nothing he looked at told him what he needed, and he didn’t realize it would make a difference. He discovered that having the right tool isn’t enough. You must know how to use it
“I keep that bookcase as a reminder that things aren’t as easy as they look.” That was Bill’s way of getting a benefit from the project. It reminded me of the first-time authors who come my way.
There are two kinds. Some think they need help, and others don’t. Things generally don’t end well for those who don’t.
You can learn how to write a great book. It’s not rocket science. But there is a lot to learn.
Writing a book is different from any kind of writing you’ve ever done. It’s not only longer; it takes a long time. There will be multiple revisions. And the book is a complex system. Change one part of it, and you’ll have to change other parts too.
If you’re writing your first book, you don’t know what you don’t know. I can help you get on the right track and make progress without making rookie mistakes and wasting time.
I’m Wally Bock. I’m the author’s player-coach. I use a mix of coaching, developmental editing, and writing to help you create a book you’re proud of that accomplishes your goals. Please contact me if you want to craft a great business book or if you have a burning question that you think I might be able to answer.