5 Must-Knows Before Writing a Book

Many aspiring authors have wasted valuable time only to find they’re writing the wrong book or the audience isn’t right or the structure doesn’t work. Don’t let that be you. These five must-knows can save you precious time by providing clarity before you start writing.

Why are you writing your book? Seems obvious but dig a little deeper. Jot down all the reasons you’re writing. Answering this question will help you in two crucial areas.

First, it will help you make sure your vision and goals line up with the story you’re writing. Sometimes, aspiring authors come to me with three different book ideas. Ironically, the one they originally though they’d right, isn’t one that supports the vision for their life or business. So, think this through before you start writing.

Second, answering this question in detail and with passion will help when you veer off track or get jammed. Re-reading the reasons for writing your book can inspire you. You don’t have to wait until you’re stuck. You can review your reasons every day and stay inspired.

Who’s your audience? If you think you’re writing for everyone, think again. Publishers and agents roll their eyes when they see a book proposal that lists the target audience as “everyone.” How do you write a book for everyone?

When you’re clear on your core readers, you’re writing will resonate for those specific people your book is for. You’ll speak their language. Your examples and anecdotes will be relatable for your particular group of readers. And it will be easier to reach them and sell them books when you narrow down who they are. If you skip this step, your book is liable to have resonating with your core readers and more likely to sound generic—less inspiring, less compelling.

What are you giving up? Better yet, when will you find the time? Your schedule is probably already full. It typically takes giving up some activities—or at least limiting them to “after writing”—to get your book written. Here are some ideas.

•  Limit phone calls to five minutes. Let the person know at the beginning of the call. You can even set a timer.
• Make your book a priority. When you work on your book for an hour first thing in the morning, you’ll naturally find ways to decrease other activities that are less productive.
•  Go to bed an hour early and get up an hour early.

What’s it about? Sounds simple. When you can answer this question clearly, you’ll know what to put into your book and what to leave out. You may have more than one book in you and you don’t want to try to squeeze everything into your first book. Save some information for a course, a service or book #2.

How do I organize it? I know it’s tempting to start writing right out of the gate but structure will free you. It will save you hours and hours of writing copy that will never make it into your book. Without structure, you’ll inevitably find that you won’t use much of what you write. That’s okay. Writing a book is an organic process that varies for each writer. However, if you start with structure, you’ll also save time. It also makes it easier to sit down and write. Simply look at the overall structure, pick a place that feels comfortable and start writing. You don’t need to write sequentially, even with a book that needs to be read that way.

I’m excited for you. These five tips will make it easier to write your book.

If you’d like more guidance and support, email me at [email protected].