All about books; Transform your knowledge and influence

If you are an advocate, speaker, business owner, expert, or educator, much of your work goes far beyond making to-do lists and checking off boxes. You aren’t simply going from point A to point B to get the job done, but instead, you are actually inventing point B.

How can we carve out the time in a busy work schedule to protect our space to explore? How can we create space to go from an inkling of an idea to successfully build a company? Launch a new project? Write and publish a book? How do you get from where you are now to where you want to be?

You’ve got to at least set aside a patch of time if you want to do creative work.

One trend that has emerged from various corporations is the idea of “studio time”— company policies that give employees a fraction of their working time to investigate projects of their own choosing. One way for us to get started on studio time is to choose an area of creative activity to focus on. It will most likely be something that you’re deeply interested in, or that you are already doing.

For new authors, developing your book is absolutely possible, but whether you are just beginning or adding to your current business, there are important factors that all new authors need to know.

Abilities Can Be Developed

Any new business venture begins with mindset. But, it’s not what you might think. Stanford University psychologist and author Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., discovered how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor can be dramatically influenced simply by how we think about our talents and abilities. People with a fixed mindset—those who believe that abilities are fixed—are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset—those who believe that abilities can be developed.

Innovation and creativity are widely accepted today as the driving forces behind business success and are highly regarded qualities in business leaders. But what really matters is your belief in your ability to create positive change and the courage to take action. Creativity, far from requiring rare gifts and skills, depends on what you believe you can do with the talents and skills you already have. Innovating, experimenting, and following gut instincts come in handy when you begin developing these new abilities. The creative process is not linear, but associative. Keep an open mind and believe in your own professional development.

You Need A Plan

I’ve helped dozens of authors plan and publish their books and the #1 thing that separates those who finish their books from those who do not, is having the proper expectations and the right plan going in.

There are dozens of books and online courses on the market today that contain overwhelming amounts of information on self-publishing. Just sorting through these materials can be discouraging to a first-time publisher...where do you begin? Knowing you’ve minimized risks and surprises through diligently working with a Book Plan will give you the confidence to complete your book.

When You Make a Plan:

• You SAVE TIME because you will not be overwhelmed by information that does not apply to your book project.
• You SAVE MONEY because you avoid costly mistakes by working with proven methods and real cost estimates.
• You FEEL CONFIDENT because there’s no second-guessing and no confusion when you take action.

In short, your plan will help keep you on track and keep you from wasting time, energy, and resources.

Take Small Steps

If you divide your book project into manageable steps of action, it will help ease the feelings of anxiety and overwhelm that many authors feel when faced with the audacious goal of writing and publishing their own book.

Because Self-Publisher’s Book Plan is defined by four distinct stages with simple step-by-step action plans, every author can measure progress each time they work their plan. You can move forward confidently— without having to worry about what steps to take, without having to consume hours of videos and pdfs, and without unnecessary expense.

But how do you know if the work is good or bad when you’re knee-deep in process, when you’re so close to it that it looks like a big blur?

Give yourself time, time when you don’t need to judge, or to know the outcome. Instead, ask yourself what it is that you need to know to make a decision, and go about getting more information. There’s no need to jump immediately to the end. It’s more important to go through the process of dialogue and discovery. Most people who think they need to figure it out all at once, don’t. 

Find Collaborators

The basic definition of self-publishing is the publication of a book by the author of the work without involving an established commercial publisher, and where the author pays all expenses. Yet, no one writes and publishes a book on his or her own—every book is a collaborative effort.

All publishers rely on a stable of freelancers who help them accomplish most of the steps in the publishing process. Editors, designers, printers—and sometimes marketing professionals and consulting specialists—all play a role in producing books and getting them to market. Locating outstanding professionals—through referrals or research—is an important part of the job. Learning to work with freelancers using clear communication and signed agreements is critical to the success of your book.

Writing and publishing your book can be one of the most rewarding assets for any entrepreneur or business. BUT, it’s so important to plan, write, and launch your book with a proven strategy.

Launching your book is just the beginning of your new identity as authorpreneur. Hopefully, the publishing process will bring you into a satisfying dialogue with readers who want what you have to offer. Presenting your work will enlarge your world and can be a stepping-stone to new opportunities in your career.

Plan for success,

Lindsay

P.S. If you have questions about your book idea, or want to see how I might help you make a plan, schedule a discovery call with me HERE.