A Few Things to Consider Before You Write Your First Book
By Dr. Tyra Seldon
There is a trend emerging where many people are entering into the realm of book writing. Ranging from entrepreneurs and social media influencers to sports enthusiasts and educators, writing has become a way for people to share their ideas, enhance their brands, and yes, generate passive income.
Of course, these are all interesting reasons to write, but there are a few things to consider before you invest the time and resources that are required to develop a well-written and marketable book. With the amount of stamina, time, creative energy, and financial resources that go into writing a book, it is important that you don’t enter into the space without having a clear sense of what you are getting into.
As such, as I meet with potential clients who are considering writing, I often ask them to honestly answer the following questions:
Do you have the stamina to complete a full-length book?
Unless you plan to hire a ghost writer, stamina is by far one of the most important factors in determining whether or not you complete your manuscript. Your average 200-page book is 50,000 words. If you factor in other life responsibilities, you want to be realistic about how much time you can consistently dedicate to the writing process.
Unfortunately, I have met too many brilliant writers, who are 2 to 3 chapters away from finishing, but then life happens. The antidote to this is being proactive. Realistically, sketch out a writing schedule and give it the same importance and consideration that you would an important business or personnel endeavor. It is also helpful if you have an accountability partner who can check in to make sure that you are actually writing and staying on task.
Is there an audience for your work?
It is not narcissistic to think that you have something of value to say and the world needs to hear it. I firmly believe that most of us are gifted with stories. The key component that you want to consider is your audience. As micro-blogging on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms has become a popular means of expression, many of us may sincerely consider the next step of actually developing a full-length book.
As you think about your book idea and concept, you want to realistically carve out: Who am I writing this text for? Beyond your immediate circle of family members, friends, and peers, are you writing about a topic that potential strangers want to read?
I have found that the difference between my clients who sell hundreds of books and those who sell thousands is that they gave great consideration and thought to their potential readers before they started the writing process.
Do you plan to self-publish or to pitch your manuscript to a publishing company?
Self-publishing is quite trendy right now. Many authors crave the creative freedom and autonomy that comes along with self-publishing. What aspiring self-published writers may not realize is the amount of marketing that is needed in order to effectively distribute and monetize one’s book(s). A great book can be thwarted if it is not marketing and distributed through as many channels as possible.
Now, if being the head of your own pseudo-marketing firm sounds daunting, you can always pitch your idea or manuscript to publishing companies. Thankfully, there are many publishing companies—of various sizes—that will consider a manuscript without the assistance of a literary agent, which can get to be quite costly.
The key thing is to make sure that you are working with reputable presses. As with the previous two pointers, I strongly recommend that you think about this before you begin.
Because writing is deeply personal, only you can decide if you are ready, but before you make that commitment, make sure you honestly answer these questions.
Happy Writing!!!
Dr. Tyra Seldon is a former English Professor and K-12 educator. She is a professional writer, ghost writer and the owner of Seldon Writing Group, LLC. She is a weekly writer for Freelancer’s Union and a guest contributor for other outlets. When she’s not writing, Dr. Seldon enjoys traveling and mentoring young writers.
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