If you have always wanted to write a book, you are in luck. Thanks to the internet, it’s easier to publish your book than ever before. Also, the rising demand for e-books means you can self-publish and market your book with the help of online publishing platforms such as Kindle and Smashwords.
If you still haven’t started writing your first book, here are five possible reasons:
1. Lack of clarity
Before you start writing your book, you need to figure out why you want to write a book and define the purpose of your book. Instead of selling it, you may want to give it away to your blog readers as a gift. Once you decide why you want to write a book, it will help to keep you motivated until you complete it.
2. Fear of failure
The biggest reason stopping you from writing your first book is self-doubt. You may feel you won’t be able to write a book because you are not talented enough or don’t have a college education. However, all these fears are baseless. Anyone can write a book. All you require is enthusiasm and persistence.
3. No time to write
Lack of time is another common excuse. Once you make up your mind to write a book, you will automatically find the time to write it. Many successful writers write books in spite of having a full-time job, family, and children. You can, too.
Some simple ways to make the time to write:
- Wake an hour early or write one hour before sleeping
- Write while commuting, during your lunch break and while waiting for appointments
- Watch less TV and use that time to write
4. Lack of good ideas for a book
Brainstorm and make a list of topics that interest you and are likely to interest others. Once you decide on the subject of your book, you can easily research all the information you need online and in your local library. You no longer need to be an expert to write a book.
5. No idea how to start
Before you start to write your book, create a rough outline. You can do this by brainstorming and rapidly noting all ideas about your book without stopping to edit or correct them. Once you have sufficient ideas, you can organize them into chapter headings and sub-headings.
Continue this process until you have converted the outline into a blueprint. Then use the blueprint as a template to write the first draft of the book by filling in the details. One advantage of creating a blueprint first is that you can write your book in any order. For example, if you wish, you can write the final chapter first.
Writing a book has many benefits. Once you write a book, people regard you as an expert in your field. Publishing a book boosts your credibility and helps you to market your services and products to your prospects more effectively. You may get assignments from magazine and newspaper editors and even appearances on radio and TV stations. More importantly, it will give you a high degree of satisfaction and the confidence to write more books.
21 September 2011
Rohi Shetty is a medical doctor, Vipassana meditator, writer, editor, translator and blogger. His short stories and articles have been published online and in print.
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