This morning another e-mail came in with the subject line, all in caps, “DO I HAVE A STORY?” I get one of these a few times a month so I thought it’s time to share my response more globally:
The question isn’t necessarily, “Do I have a story?” Of course you do. Ask yourself these questions, though, to determine whether it’s worth writing that book:
* What are your goals?
* What’s your vision for what the book would do in your life?
* Would you like to be a speaker?
* Would you like to teach teleseminars or workshops?
If you don’t have a game plan, you don’t know how you’ll reach readers. Now, if your goal is to get your story in writing for your kids and grandkids, that’s great. But if you want your book to change the lives of many people, you need a plan for how you’ll reach those people, so the book makes the kind of impact you dream of making.
In addition, to get a book out there does take some money–often a few thousand dollars for a book writing course or editing, some investment in publishing if you’re self publishing (book cover, proofreading and layout), a website. The biggest chunk can be the publicity.
If you traditionally publish, you’ll most likely want to invest in professional help to make your book proposal as polished as can be–it’s not just likelier to interest agents and publishers but to get a bigger advance. And a bigger advance doesn’t just mean more money, it means the publisher is more invested in your success and will do more to make the book succeed–from putting you on their speakers bureau to getting you on national TV.
I like to see people earn back more than they put in! But to do that you need to have a plan from the get go to make back that investment, in addition to book sales. There are many ways to do that–speaking, consulting, teaching, corporate training, internet products and more. And all those income producing activities will help you reach more readers, sell more books and impact more lives.
Once you decide you do have a book, it’s time to clarify what that book is. Well, that’s another post…but you can join me on April 16 at Newport Interactive Marketers for Build Your Brand with Tips from Award Winning Book Coach Lisa Tener to get a glimpse into your first steps if you’re in New England. It’s free!
Or join me for a workshop to get more clarity about your book concept. I’ll be teaching Write That Book, the first workshop at the International Coaching Federation of New England’s (ICFNE) April 22 event in Westboro MA. Stay for dinner and the second speaker–Bestselling author Tama Kieves.
And if you’re not local to New England, you can start clarifying and writing your book with my online course Quick Start to Kick Start Your Book.
So, what’s your vision? Share it here.
Stacy would drive down to Narragansett for class and stay the weekend to write her book, since her busy weeks in property management did not leave much time for writing during the week. The big blocks of time on the weekend, unencumbered by distractions or work required discipline–and now she has her book–endorsed by several bestselling authors and she’s teaching workshops in the US and internationally–helping women the world over to “Manifest Your Man.”
entire days in her special spot in these venues. She’d head right to her power spot after class and some days wrote a whole chapter, others just a few lines. No matter. She stuck to it and wrote. Now her book, with a foreword by actress Jane Seymour, is inspiring parents, dancers, those facing loss and life-altering challenges, as well as anyone who is looking for a story of hope, on the radio, and in print. Susan has been invited to present her book at the RI Chapter of the American Association of University Women, “DanceLife” Conventions and will be the keynote speaker at the More Than Just Great Dancing Convention in Hawaii in February 2014.
to complete 3,000 Pulses: Surviving Depression with TMS Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. A memoir can often take longer than a how-to book, and this one required her to dig deeper and deeper to add power and realness to her wise and witty voice as a writer. The result is a book that moves me deeply every time I read it–and as her editor, I’ve read it several times! 3,000 Pulses is currently in over 400 TMS centers nationwide, and with an almost immediate order for 10,000 books in Japan, Martha’s book is poised to have an impact globally on people suffering from depression by introducing them to a new, proven and side-effect free method of recovery along with a moving story that is sure to bring hope.