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Have you always wanted to write your own book?
Surveys say that almost everyone dreams of writing a book.
What’s keeping you from writing your first book?
Maybe, you may have any or all of these excuses;
“I’m not a writer.”
“I don’t know how to write a book.”
“I’m too young (or too old) to write a book.”
“I don’t know anyone (from the publishing world).”
“No one knows me.”
I’m too busy to write.”
I know where you’re coming from. I was never a writer. And I had all the excuses I mentioned above.
Words? They didn’t have much appeal to me then.
Writing? Oh...taxing and boring! Today, I’ve written and published over five books (mostly eBooks) and I intend to keep on writing. In the process of writing my first book, I fell in love with writing. I love writing! But that’s getting ahead of the story.
You Can Write a Book
My message to you is simple.
You can write a book.
Writing a book doesn’t require a writer.
It requires a messenger.
If you want to be an author, be the messenger and be the message at the same time.
Writing is just a medium to communicate your message. In the process of writing, you become a writer. And you write not because you want to impress people with your words or your good command of the English language.
You write to inspire. You write to touch people’s hearts. You write to move them to action. You write because you have a message to share.
Ultimately, you write because that’s your way of making a dent in the universe, loving people, and becoming a better you.
Two Things That Every Aspiring Author Must Have
I’ve learned from experience that if you want to become an author, there are two absolutely necessary things that you must have: Message and Passion.
One, you’ve got to have a compelling message which you believe would be useful to a lot of people. You believe so much in this message that you feel like you’ll commit the sin of omission if you keep the information to yourself.
When I started working in the corporate world, I got addicted to credit cards. At that time, I also got so bored at work that I wanted to resign.
The sad part was my messy finances. I committed to improving my finances. I read books, attended seminars, sought mentors, and listened to audio books. I applied what I was learning and I was able to turn around my finances and zero out my credit card debts.
I realized that a lot of yuppies and employees like me were in the same boat—overspending using credit cards and loans—and this somehow became a norm. It looked so cool to buy gadgets using credit cards, but not everyone realized that it’s not in any way cool to pay huge credit card interests.
I knew I had a message to share, especially among fellow employees. I wanted to share how important it is to manage one’s finances, to be free from bad debts, and to invest in financial literacy. Two, you’ve got to have the passion to share the message.
When I learned the importance of financial literacy, I was so passionate about spreading the message. I would often bring the topic on money and managing credit card debts among my friends.
However, I realized that this was such a sensitive topic and my friends were uncomfortable discussing it. I thought of a medium where I could still communicate the message and at the same time respect my friends’ preference. So I started to write.
The best thing about writing is that you don’t force anyone to listen to you. You write and publish. And people will choose whether to read it or not.
At first, I just wrote for myself. I just wanted to release the message. Then I started blogging. Finally, in one of the seminars I attended, an idea of writing a book came to mind and that propelled me to start my journey as an author.
Your passion to share the message will fuel you to keep writing. Keep writing to bless and love people. There’s a big difference between wanting to write and committing to write. When you are committed, you allow your passion to take over your fears and excuses.
Five Steps to Writing a Book
First, pick a topic.
The topic should be something that you are passionate about, that would give value to your readers and that you are knowledgeable of or you’d like to know more about.
A great topic is something that could be derived from your actual experiences or the experiences of the people around you.
For example, if you are a mother, you could write about how to keep the house in order. Tell stories. Stories sell.
Second, define your thesis statement.
I remember when I wrote my first book.
The first thing my editor friend asked was, “what’s your thesis statement?” When I heard the word “thesis,” I thought of my college thesis which I found taxing and boring. And so she clarified, “In one sentence, what is this book all about?” I couldn’t answer her right away. Though my book was about managing one’s personal finances, it branched out to many other topics.
My manuscript was so thick it had 32 chapters! My editor did the most unthinkable thing. She deleted several chapters. Whoa! How painful could that be! And it’s all because I didn’t define my thesis statement in the first place. Simply ask yourself this question: “What is my book all about?” Third, make a Mind Map. Don’t be intimidated by the term.
Mind map is like an outline. If an outline is linear, a mind map is a graphical way of representing your ideas and concepts. (You may Google it.)
Okay, for simplicity, we can use an outline.
My short eBooks were formatted this way:
Copyright Page
Foreword (Optional)
Introduction/Preface
Chapter1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Conclusion
About the Author
Introduction discusses what the book is all about, why it was written, what the readers can expect to learn, etc.
The chapters make up the body of your book.
Conclusion is the message that you want to reiterate or leave to your readers. It could be a call to action.
The conclusion should beautifully tie up your Introduction and the chapters of your book.
Writing a book is just like writing a speech.
When you write your speech, you have the introduction, body, and conclusion. Same is true when you write a book.
Fourth, start writing.
Starting a book is usually the hardest part. It’s okay. Just start writing. Let your ideas flow freely.
Write with gusto. Feel your creative juices flow through your finger tips.
Write every day. Keep writing until your words become sentences, your sentences become paragraphs, your paragraphs become chapters, and your chapters become a book! Remember this important thing: No editing in the mean time…at least for now.
Fifth, edit without mercy. As the classic saying goes, “Write in white heat, edit in cold blood.” You can hire an editor to edit your book.
My editor friend gave a perfect example of editing without mercy. She would cross out paragraphs and chapters that are not in line with the thesis statement. She also asked me to rewrite the whole manuscript twice!
You can also choose to edit your own book. I learned from Brian Tracy’s course “How to Write a Book and Become a Published Author” that he edits his own books! After listening to his audio seminars, I decided to edit my own eBooks.
Final Word
I made writing a book look so simple. Obviously, there’s a learning curve involved. I wish I could share more but it would take me one whole book to share everything. (I did write a book called How to Write a Book Even if You’re Not a Writer.)
Being an author is not just about writing books. It’s also about touching lives, meeting people you admire, and speaking before an audience. If done correctly, writing a book will put money into your pocket.
The ride is not smooth-sailing, but it’s definitely fulfilling.
I hope this article would somehow inspire you and help you get started. Keep learning and growing. Read best-selling books. Attend seminars. Seek mentors. Keep writing! Remember, it’s possible to write a book.
Yes! Even if you’re not a writer.
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