to make sure you reach the finish line.
Want to know the REAL secrets to writing your book?
It isn’t all about the WRITING.
It’s about so much more than that.
Having written all kinds of things over the years (including books), I know what my creation journey used to look like and what it looks like now. These days it involves a lot of planning, scheduling and daily goals, and working in bite-sized chunks so I don’t get overwhelmed.
But it hasn’t always looked like that. These are the things I’ve come up against and by sharing them, I hope they will prepare you and give you a head start on your biz book writing adventure.
Secret #1: You’ll need to overcome your limiting beliefs
Once you’ve decided to write your book, you’ll be faced with an eclectic mix of fears. Your inner chat will fill your head with such nonsense as:
‘I’m not good enough to write a book’
‘I’m not smart enough to write a book’
‘I’m not confident enough to write a book’
‘I’m not articulate enough to write a book’
‘I’m not funny enough to write a book’
‘I’m not knowledgeable enough to write a book’
And so the first thing you need to do is deal with this. Try meditation, EFT, affirmations or read anything by Louise Hay. Or use your own methods but please don’t let this inner chat stop you from progressing.
Secret 2: You’ll need accountability
In the early days you might not want to tell people that you’re writing your biz book but that’s probably the worst thing you can do. You don’t have to tell the whole world but find someone you trust (maybe a mentor, a coach, a friend, or someone you know who already writes) and tell them. This makes it real and you’ll be able to talk about it. Without accountability, your book writing journey is something you can easily put on the backburner.
Secret 3: You’ll need a deadline
Without a deadline, nothing gets done. So look at your schedule, create a realistic deadline and break it down into daily targets. When you meet your targets, have a little celebration, too. Maybe a trip to the coffee shop for a slice of cake and your favourite coffee, or a bar of your favourite chocolate, or a break from the computer to recharge your batteries. My treats usually include going for a nice, long walk (alone, while plugged into my mp3 player), watching something I’ve recorded on TV, or a chai latte from Starbucks. Treats are important.
Secret 4: You’ll need to create your own formula
When you know what your target word count is going to be, you should break this down into chapters and then paragraphs. Here’s an example:
- Say you’re going to write a 30,000 word book.
- You have 10 steps in your journey, so they’re your chapters.
- Each chapter is going to be around 2,500 words.
- Each chapter has 10 different ideas to talk about (say, 10 paragraphs of 200 words each), plus your introduction and conclusion. (There’s your 2,500 words)
- The book’s extra 5,000 words to get you to your 30,000 word target will be spread over your introduction, conclusion, connect with the author, foreword, and about the author pages.
Having a formula makes the process logical, do-able and not half as scary. Do you agree?
Secret 5: You’ll need support
Finding support to help you write or edit your book can make a big impact on your results. You could hire a ghostwriter to transform your ideas into your book, or simply help you to scope out each chapter. If you want to do the writing yourself, it’s still a good idea to have support in place to help you get unstuck, bounce ideas around or lift your vibration when you need it.
Secret 6: You’ll need determination & commitment
Remember, if writing a book was easy, everyone would be an author. But I know that if you have the right mindset, the commitment to write every day and the determination to see this project through to the end, you’ll get there.
Secret 7: You’ll need a concrete plan
A concrete plan is key to any successful project but even more so with your book. Make a plan for the structure of your book – think word count, chapter numbers and headings and any extras (further reading/glossary, for example). And break this structure down into the smallest pieces possible (like the word count example I described earlier). This will stop overwhelm and keep you going when the obstacles try to hold you back.
I hope that’s given you a real insight into what it’s like to write a book.
I know you can do it.
Let me know if you need any help.
Michelle x
