7 Ways to Get Started Writing a Book of Authority
1. Research
Before you get started, think about your target audience for your book and what problem are you going to solve for them. One of the best things to do is to go on Amazon and look at the book categories. Find the closest category that you want to write about and read a few of these books. Once you have read a couple, think of ways that you could talk about a similar topic but hone in on something unique or a unique slant on something that has already been written. You can always test what you are thinking by reaching out to a supportive facebook group in your area of interest and asking that group what they think about your topic. Use Google keyword planner to find whether your book keyword has google search hits of at least 10,000 per month.
2. Write Blogs
If you get in the habit of writing blogs, you will improve your writing. Don’t forget, you just have to write. Each writer has a different writing style. Don’t worry about your style, it is unique, it is YOU! When I wrote Fabulous Fempreneurship, I worried about my writing style because I’m such a ‘business person’, but I was told not to worry about that and I didn’t. Since less than 2% of people that want to write a book, actually write one, I’m sure that the other 98% worry too much and therefore don’t get writing! Your blog topics might become chapters in your new book or inspire you to expand a blog topic into a book.
The most important thing to do is write. Write every day. Write a lot. Don’t worry about grammar and spelling. All that can be checked later and you will need an editor and that’s what they will do for you.
3. Tell Your Friends and Business Associates You Are Writing A Book
Now, that’s pretty scary to start talking about writing a book before you even get started, but that creates the challenge for you and creates interest in your community. Put it out there on Facebook. Nothing like being public about it and creating a conversation. It makes you accountable to you and accountable to your friends. It’s a huge self motivator.
4. What To Do If You Have the Book Idea But Don’t Know How to Get It Organized?
This is where a book coach might come in. The role of the book coach is to show you how to approach your book and get it into the right format for the reading audience and give you the homework and coaching to get you started and keep you on track.
4. How To Get Your Book Written If You Have No Time To Write?
There are different types of ghostwriters. You might hire your own ghostwriter and they work with you to craft your story. You can either acknowledge them as the ghostwriter or not, depending on your contract with them. Another way is for journalists to interview you over a period of days and record what you have to say and then they go away and write the book for you. For more on this method, click here.
5. Work On Developing Relationships With People Who You Can Ask To Review Your Book.
This is something that is important to do, right when you are in the early stages of writing your book. It will take you at least six months of writing to get enough on paper for a book, so work on your relationships early.
You may already have people in your business network who would be more than happy to review your book, just ASK. Put it out there you are writing a book and would they be interesting in reviewing it. Don’t ask people you hardly know to do you this favour, because you this is quite a big ask. It will take them a few days out of their busy schedule to read your book, therefore you don’t want to impose on their time, at the last minute, because you forgot all about the importance of a reviewer.
You need a reviewer for your back cover, so once your book is in the finished draft form, send it off to your reviewers, explaining you want them to read it for content. Pick a group of reviewers (at least 4) because some people may not have the time to do this for you. Give them at least 4 weeks to complete the review.
6, Editors
There are different types of editors that you need. First you need a content editor. If possible, this person should be someone who knows your subject matter. Perhaps it is your business mentor? They will check your flow and coverage of the topic. Does your book have a logical sequence. Do you cover the topic in an easy and understandable way?
After you have the subject matter down, you will also need a grammar, spelling and sentence structure expert. This editor knows absolutely nothing about your content, but knows a lot about English grammar!
7. Don’t Forget The Little Details!
- Author Bio
- Disclaimer Page
- Copyright Page
- Contact the Author Page via website
Now it’s your turn, to buy a couple of books, do some research and just write. The finished book will be completed before you know it! If you need an accountability partner, just reach out to this community.
Elaine Slatter is author of Fabulous Fempreneurship and founder of XL Consulting Group, a boutique small business consulting company helping clients with strategy, branding, web design and social media.