4 Keys to Getting that Book Written

As I begin the journey into my sixth book,?The Wealthy Speaker 3.0?(a complete re-write), I’ve been thinking about how beneficial writing a book is.

Some of you already have books under your belt and may be thinking, “Should I? Shouldn’t I?” for the next one. (Spoiler alert: I’d say, “Go for it!”)?

Some of you haven’t written a book yet.

The truth is that when you engage deeply in your material, it puts new energy into your business. It attracts more people to you because you are excited—you’re vibrating with new ideas.??

Writing a book is inspirational.

And after reading this article, I hope I will inspire you all to consider it.??

4 Keys for Writing a Book

Here are 4 ideas to ponder when mapping out your first (or next) book.

Upping Your Authority

Books are game-changers. You might be surprised at why I think that, though. Not only do books put you in a different light with clients, but they also solidify your ideas and raise your confidence level by doing so.

Saying, “I’m an author,” is pretty freaking cool.

And years after writing a book, if you ever need to give yourself a pep talk because you are facing something hard, you can remember, “I can do hard things; I wrote a book!”

Becoming an author raises your authority from within. You’ll stand a little taller at networking events, and you’ll speak with more clarity and confidence to clients and prospects.

Writing a book is a game-changer.

Shifting Your Expertise

So, you’ve written one book, and now you are wondering, “How long until I need to reinvent?”?Well, it’s going to be an individual timeline, but I’d say that you want to be writing and speaking on new material every three years. Why? Because this will keep it fresh for you and your audiences.

Am I suggesting you change lanes? Not at all. Let’s say you are a leadership expert. There are many different aspects of leadership that you can drill down on. Choose something that makes your heart sing. Something that you will love sharing with your audiences.??

Writing a book on a subject “just because you can” may be a mistake. I found that out firsthand when I wrote?The Frog Whisperer?– a book about finding love. It felt like it was something that needed to come out of me, but when I started promoting the book, I realized I had made a big mistake in stepping outside my lane. I didn’t want to be known for that topic.

Keep It Simple

I remember seeing Mel Robbins speak many years ago and thought, “She’s impressive!” But I couldn’t remember what she had talked about. A few years later, Mel wrote her book?5 Second Rule,?which was a book about taking action. It was sticky; it was memorable.

Story after story in?5 Second Rule?was about people who didn’t allow fear to get between them and a dream or goal. A very simple idea that was a massive game-changer for Mel.

Your book doesn’t have to be?War and Peace,?and it doesn’t have to be complicated. Set out a framework and keep it simple for your readers. Spice it up with stories, and now you’ve got something that people can grab onto.

I think when writing a book, many people put pressure on themselves for their book to be uber-great. And the truth of the matter is, the more you write, the better you will be.

My friend Dan Miller says, “If you’re not embarrassed by your earliest work, then you didn’t start soon enough.” Ha!??

As I go through the original version of?The Wealthy Speaker, I am having some cringeworthy moments. Times have changed. I have changed as a writer, and my ideas have changed. My biggest concern for?The Wealthy Speaker 3.0?is to streamline and make it easier to follow the recipe for success. NOT to make it more complicated.

When we overcomplicate things, we act from a place of fear that says, “If I don’t give them enough, they won’t like me.”?Don’t fall into that trap when writing a book. Keep it simple.

Your Story Is Good Enough

It’s not uncommon to read books filled with quotes by people other than the author. And if you have done this, please don’t think I’m dissing you. What I’d like is for you to consider that your next book could be?filled with quotes and stories of you and your clients.?If I wanted to learn from Winston Churchill, I’d read his book. You don’t need to quote him. Quote yourself.

Stories are (as Mark Sanborn put it) the “mental coat pegs” that allow us to hang our ideas on. Sharing stories from your life and your clients is the way to go.

When writing a book, steer clear of stories that people may have used already or things people have heard before. Try to “mine” your life and current culture for timely items.

I’ll be going through?The Wealthy Speaker 3.0?and updating all the?Flashpoints?(moments in a speaker’s life when they turned a corner) to current stories that are relevant for today. And, of course, one of the main changes for?3.0?is doing business post-Covid. But I am aware that there may be a lot of stories out there that begin with, “My speaking calendar was wiped out in the 2nd week of March 2020…” so I’ll be aware of that and consciously strive to make the book refreshing and not redundant.

When you finish writing a book, you will be very happy that you did. It’s a huge feat. Those who have already done it, pat yourself on the back! And if you’re considering writing a book right now, I hope that this article has motivated you to make it happen. By using these four nuggets, you’ll be able to move into that first (or next) book with a deeper level of clarity. Best of luck to you!

See you soon, Wealthy Speakers!

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