7 Major Obstacles to Writing a Book (It's Possible!)
In the process of writing my 3rd book, I recall the experiences that I had when writing the first book. I made so many excuses. None of them were legitimate.
How would I create the book cover? Who will edit the book? How will I get it copyrighted? Who will read it? How will I sell it? Why would people want to read my book? All these questions made it seem impossible.
These are the same things that come to mind to many aspiring authors. I've decided to outline 7 reasons that stop MOST people from writing their first book. Here they are:
1. They Don't Think Others Care About Their Book: If you didn't think others cared about your book, why would you care about writing one? This mindset automatically eliminates your from writing a book. Most people think this because they don't see themselves as creative.
The truth is that people do care if you write a book, even if the topic is repeated. People want to know what you think. You'll help more people by writing it than you will by thinking about writing it. Every story is different--including yours. Write your book.
2. It Costs Too Much: I used to think that publishing a book cost a fortune. The publisher that I use offered me a price that was astonishingly low. I thought that it would be $10,000---straight cash. Most people eliminate themselves from writing a book because they think it costs a fortune.
My publisher also worked out a payment plan, which was paid off in several months after I sold a few hundred books. By the way, it doesn't take money to write a book. All you need is a good idea and a belief that you can do it. I'll connect you with my publisher if you need. She does everything!
3. It Takes Too Much Time: It's not that they don't have time, they just don't want to do the work. All you have to do is create 12-15 chapters in your book, then type 1,000 words per day for 30 days. That will give you a 150-180 page book. When you break it down this way, it becomes more possible.
Everyone has discretionary time. Most of us have about 10-20 hours of free time every week. There's always time to do it. Your first book usually won't require much research. If you did, you can do most of it at your computer, which was impossible over a decade ago. If you received a college degree, you've already written more words than most books contain--and you didn't even know it!
4. They Only Want Best-Selling Status: This excuse is such a killer since it's subtle. I have heard dozens of aspiring authors tell me that they will only publish a book with a big-house publisher. This mindset makes them complacent, which prevents them from ever writing a book.
Big-time publishers are great, but the industry isn't exactly what most people think. People hold the opinion that they will be an overnight success and become a millionaire because they hold this status. While it has happens to hundreds of authors, it's still less than 1% of all the writers. It's a delusion for most people.
5. They Don't Want To "Sell": Many people think that 'selling' is an ugly word. The truth about sales is that everything in your home was sold, including the books in your bookshelves, whether it be directly or indirectly. Selling is also the highest paying profession for the common person with no experience.
What these people are really saying is that they don't believe in their work. It doesn't mean that their work is bad, it just means that they haven't built up the self-esteem to sell their book. I've found that selling my book has been biggest confidence boosters in my life. It also helps me know who my real friends are.
6. They Don't Know How To Do It: This was my main excuse. I prevented myself about 'Googling' the process of writing a book because it seemed so overbearing. This kept me up at night assuming that the process was done one way, when in fact it as done another. False assumptions hold most people back.
Thankfully, my publisher had it all figured out. Even if she didn't, it wasn't even hard to do. I like to think of it this way: Did you remember your first day of work? Did you know what you know now? No way! You had to learn from other people and discover the truth about you job. After a while, you became good at what you did. Every master was once a disaster!
7. They Don't See Themselves As A Writer: I've heard a lot of people say this over the years. They mention how badly they did in school and how they've had little success in writing. All of these are legitimate excuses---if you believe them.
I failed English twice in high school and was put in the slowest class. For a long time, I believed that I wasn't a good writer, even though I innately knew that I was going to have a career in writing. I had to learn that peoples' opinions of me could not determine my future.
Guess how I discovered my writing ability?
By writing.
Conclusion:
Writing is a skill that must be developed with practice. No one is ever going to write professionally overnight. Putting a book together is an art. If you look in your book shelf, you'll find that most authors have one main message in their book. What is your message to the world? When are you going to write a book about it?
You can do it!
What are you waiting for?
Be sure to comment and share this with your friends!
Daniel Ally
www.danielally.com