Write Your Book in Under 30 Days: You Will be Wrong

It is Difficult to Predict

The most important thing you should know when writing about the future is that you will be wrong. I don’t mean to say that you’ll be entirely wrong or completely wrong.

But you are wildly unlikely to be entirely correct.

As the famous Danish physicist Neils Bohr once remarked, “It is difficult to predict, especially about the future.” And so it will be when you share your vision of the future in your book.

As long as you expect it, you’ll be prepared, and it might not smart as much when it is revealed that some of your forecasts and predictions do not completely come to fruition.

Almost every forecaster who’s ever made a prediction has had to learn this lesson. And it is sometimes quite painful. The best thing you can do to reduce the negative impacts on your career of getting your forecasts and predictions wrong is to be cautious about being too definitive and authoritative.

Of course, you may also get some facts, sources, or grammar in your book wrong. But that’s a different thing. In the off chance that happens, you should most certainly make corrections.

Still, you shouldn’t even take that too personally either.

Write the Future Course is Online Now

If you should feel you need more information and guidance on writing your book, I am excited to announce that The Futurist Institute has released a course titled Write the Future to help leaders write their books about the future to share their vision and build their brand.

Grammar Issues

Almost every nonfiction work I’ve read in recent years has numerous grammar issues. Most recently, I read one of the definitive biographies on Leon Trotsky, published by Harvard University Press.

After I read the book, I felt a lot better because I had honestly lost count of the number of grammatical errors in it.

I’m not trying to slam the publishing house — or the book.

It was great.

But it had a bunch of errors in it. And today, that is normal.

So, if you miss a couple grammar errors, don’t be too overly concerned. Apparently it even happens to the biggest, most reputable, and arguably “best” publishers. 

Still, an inaccurate forecast is different than an error.

Inaccurate Forecasts

There are some ways to prevent your visions of the future from coming back to bite you.

If your forecasts are too certain, there are much greater chances that your hubris could come back to bit you. This is why some forecasters frequently invoke terms of less-than-absolute certainty including likely, could, potential, might, may.

And it’s why some forecasters discuss scenarios.

Essentially, these writers are trying to hedge their bets — at least a little bit.

And it’s not a bad idea — especially if you don’t overdo it.

But not overdoing it is key.

After all, some people might be less impressed by a book that equivocates too much.

Hedging your bets — and precluding the risks of overconfidence — may be as simple as reflecting some level of uncertainty or at least acknowledging some potential for an outcome other than the one that seems to be the most likely at the time you write your book.

Forecasting is a risky business.

But as long as you convey just a little less than absolute certainty, you could be doing yourself a world of good.

Write the Future — Previous Articles

In case you are writing along this month with me, here are the articles I've shared so far to help you write your book in under 30 days:

• Writing Schedule on Day 1 — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/how-write-your-book-under-30-days-writing-schedule-day-jason-schenker/
• Publication Schedule on Days 2 to 5 — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-publication-schedule-2-5-jason-schenker/
• Identifying Your Audience — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-identifying-audience-jason-schenker/
• The Audience of One — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-audience-one-jason-schenker/
• The Secret Formula — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/how-write-your-book-under-30-days-secret-formula-jason-schenker/
• Picking a Book Cover and Title — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-picking-cover-title-jason-schenker/
• How Can a 30 Day Book Not be Junk? — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-how-can-day-junk-jason-schenker/
• Building a Team with a Hype Man — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-building-team-hype-man-jason-schenker/
• Outlining Your Book — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-outlining-jason-schenker/
• A Sample Book Outline — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-sample-outline-jason-schenker/
• Publication Schedule on Days 6 to 10 — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-publication-schedule-6-10-schenker/

This article draws on content from Jason Schenker's book Write the Future, which was released on 24 June 2020.

Write the Future is online here: www.WriteTheFutureBook.com

Jason Schenker is one of the world's leading futurists. He is the Chairman of The Futurist Institute and the President of Prestige Economics.

He is also an instructor for LinkedIn Learning.

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