You Say You Want to Write a Book?
“Times are bad. Children no longer obey their parents, and everyone is writing a book.” ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero
It’s been a while, but in a 2002, the New York Times published a story that said 81% of us want to write a book someday. With the rise of self-publishing options since that story was published, it’s probably higher in 2023.
I’m in a good place to talk about this since I work with nonfiction authors who need a ghostwriter, collaborator, or developmental editor. Today, I’ll cover some things to consider before hitting the keyboard or reaching out to someone like me, and how to get started on the book without bogging down.
Please note, this advice is not for novelists or poets. I work with nonfiction authors writing business, memoir, self-help, health and wellness, how-to books etc.
What are Your Goals for the Book?
Few people write a book just for the joy of holding it. Fame, fortune, or passion for a cause motivates most businesspeople, professionals, and world-changers.
Do you need a book to speak at a certain conference or on certain panels? Has a podcast or other media outlet told you they only interview published authors? These are among the many reasons people write books.
But reasons aren’t goals. Convert each of your reasons to goals, like this:
Goal: I want to raise my speaking fees (to $X) and my overall speaking revenue (to $Z). If I speak at the A, C, F, and M conferences, I can get in front of 10,000 new people. At each of the conferences I want to get three leads to speak at another conference, or get booked on a huge podcast, or be invited to consult with an organization who needs my expertise.
Goal: Within a year of speaking at conferences I want to increase my gross margins on speaking fees by 55%. By bundling my speaking fees with a copy of my book for each audience member, I can improve my net margins by 43% and not have to be on the road as much.
If you don’t have specific goal or two for your book, chances are high that trying to write and publish it will beat the stuffing out of you. With a viable goal in mind, you’re more likely to persevere; to keep your eye on the prize.
Let’s Talk Tradeoffs
Before you start writing or consider hiring professional help with your book project, you need to think about the tradeoffs you’ll make to write your book. Time verses money is the usual tradeoff. Consider these questions:
How will you calculate the return on the investment of your personal effort or your financial investment?
If your message reaches 10,000 readers who couldn’t otherwise have access to your wisdom, is that alone worth the money and time you’ll spent writing the book?
If someone once told you that a book is a type of business card that people pay for, how many new clients does it take to justify the time and expense of writing and promoting the book?
If writing the book means you can’t make as many sales presentations until you’ve finished it, how many books do you need to sell or speaking gigs do you need to make up for the sales calls you didn’t make?
If you must reduce the time you usually spend out in the field helping clients or patients until you’ve finished the book, can you pay someone else to help take your workload? If so, how many books do you need to sell to cover that cost?
Could you meet your goals by giving your book away? Or do you need a financial profit on your book itself? If your goal for the book is getting you on the paid speaking circuit, your calculation will be different than someone who wants to make royalties for the rest of their life as retirement income. A number of decisions hinge on your answer to this question, including whether to pursue self-publishing or go the traditional route.
Do You Really Need a Book?
It might seem to you that I’m trying to talk you out of writing a book. Not at all. I simply know what’s in store as you write, make publishing decisions, promote, and try to keep your day job going.
You need to walk into this project with your eyes open. Therefore, I want you to consider options to a printed book (in addition to, or in place of, a printed book).
Why is a book the only or best way to meet your goals? Let’s not fetishize the printed book—the form of the message—over your goals for the project itself. Content is content, whether it’s written, spoken, or delivered from the stage. Can you reach more people through a series of newsletters or videos? Both options (and many others) are good ways to test the market and refine your message before writing a book proposal, getting an agent, or self-publishing.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of each publishing decision you’re considering? For example:
I have a friend who only reads audio books. Does your message convert to audio? Are you willing to narrate your own audio book? Can you afford audio production? Some topics are easier explained and understood with visual aids like graphics and photographs. Are you prepared to supplement an audio book with something visual to download?
c. Self-publishing isn’t as difficult as it was ten years ago, but if you go that route, how will you promote your book? Who will handle shipping, returns, and other logistics?
d. Are you willing to wait two to five years as you write the book proposal, find an agent, then wait for the publisher to bring your book to market?
It might be worth an hour to talk to someone like me who understands traditional publishing and self-publishing options, as well as what it takes to write and promote a brilliant book. This consultation can save you a lot of wasted time writing something that doesn’t meet your goals.
Answer these Questions Before Writing Anything
Hopefully this newsletter has helped you gain clarity about your book project. Now, let’s talk about the book itself. Readers have goals, just as authors do. Theirs could be anything from acquiring a new skill to entertaining themselves. With that in mind:
What is the single most important point of your book? If you can’t state this in 200 words or fewer, maybe start by answering this question: What are three skills you are best qualified to teach? Maybe you have over three, but hopefully you catch my drift.
Do you have a table of contents or outline? Your outline will change as you write the chapters, but a detailed table of contents (TOC) forces you to think critically about what you really want to convey and in what order. Don’t pour yourself into a book only to realize you have meandered from the main point, don’t have a main point, have belabored all of your points, etc. If the thought of outlining in Roman Numerals gives you flashbacks to middle school, take heart—in the adult world, you can hire people to do the things you hate. Not only that, Roman Numerals are optional.
Are you sure no one has already covered your topic in a similar way? You need to offer something unique, which could be a catchy 1-2-3 method or original research. Think about comp titles to yours (comp could be short for either “competitive” or “comparative”). Don’t start writing without a working familiarity of the books that would sit on the shelves (physical or virtual) beside yours.
Case Studies from Client Books
Last year I helped develop nonfiction books with authors publishing traditionally and independently. Maybe you can find yourself in one of these case studies.
Two Old Broads
Two Old Broads: What You Need to Know that You Didn’t Know You Needed to Know is a self-help book about aging as an essay collection by Dr. Mary Ellen Hecht and Whoopi Goldberg. This hybrid form is not conventional, but admit it, you’d be disappointed if Whoopi bowed to convention.
Writing a book with a collaborator or co-author can relieve the pressure of writing a book alone, but it is not without challenges. Sometimes, an editor like me can help the writers think of creative solutions to areas where they have different visions for the project. That was the case here.
Publisher Harper Horizons hired me to assist the authors in shaping the second and third (final) drafts of the book. We combined some essays, deleted others, and wrote new chapters to round out the book’s six parts: Broad Mentality, Broad Life, Broad Bones, Broad Well-Being, Broad Shoulders, and Broad Insights.
Maximum Trading Gains With Anchored VWAP
Maximum Trading Gains With Anchored VWAP: The Perfect Combination of Price, Time & Volume is a how-to book for traders and investors. Author Brian Shannon, CMT, had written little since his first book in 2008 and wanted me to hold him accountable to his deadlines. This involved several weekly co-working sessions where I functioned as both mentor/coach and editor.
I also managed Brian’s publishing project team of designers, a copy editor, and an indexer. I just checked his Amazon listing and see that 95% of his reviews are FIVE STARS.
Ask Me Anything!
You can ask me here, where everyone else will benefit from our conversation or you can book a no-obligation consultation.