No Time to Finish your Book?
Judy Cullins ©2004 All Rights Reserved.
This number one complaint keeps many a professional from expanding their business through a book. As a book-writing coach, the Number One Question I get is, "How can I find time to write?" Here's encouragement and how to's to get your book finished.
1. Write a short book for your first effort.
Expand an article, talk, or report by adding a few stories, anecdotes, quotes, tips, or how-to's. This book may even be just one chapter idea you have for your longer book. Focused writing sells well too. People Online and off want easy-to-read short information because they are so busy. They don't want to spend a lot of time reading. Make your first book 10-50 pages.
2. Write your print book and eBook at the same time. It's like cooking--you create a dish that you can serve twice for a one-time effort.
Make two word files, one for each format.
As you lay out your chapter titles and their theses, decide what components to leave out in your eBook version. You don't need long stories or a lot of quotes. Give your potential buyers the meat they want. Short, but useful information!
In your print version that you may want to publish via Print on Demand for much less cash outlay, offer more client examples or other stories to illustrate your point. Add extra, useful information in tips, sidebars, charts or graphs. Make your perfect bound print book from 100-120 pages. That's substantial enough for traditional minds, yet financially fruitful and time saving for the busy entrepreneur. Now, you have two products for the time price of one.
3. Check your daily calendar. What do you spend the most time on? How is that working for you?
What's happening in your daily life that stops your book?
Do you have too much to do on your daily list? Do you feel guilty you aren't doing enough? Do your present efforts pay off in new clients or other sales? Perhaps you focus on putting out the fires, email checking time, and other barely important things to help you succeed. If so, look to what to move to the top of your list--your book. Work on it and finish it before you slide away to other interests.
Notice where you spin wheels that don't bring you new clients, a balanced life or sales. Always focus on what you do and enjoy best and for business, what makes you the most money for the smallest effort.
4. Write down in your daily to do pages of your organizer 2-3 High Level Activities (HLA's) you need to do to move your book to the finish line.
Include a whole week of HLA's at a time
Example: Monday.
-List topics and questions to answer for the whole book 2. --Categorize just one chapter's questions and topics-ie. ch. 2.
Example: Tuesday.
-Write a rough draft of the middle of ch. 2--what questions you will answer
-Answer those questions (now headings)
- Note: If you answer 5 questions, you will have about a 5-page middle of the chapter.
5. Finish the high priority activity before you move on to a lower priority. That means phone calls, emails, and requests from others. Give yourself a definite time each day that is sacred to the cause. Your finished book.
6. Remember the payoffs.
Put less important things on the back burner. Know why your book will payoff. It brings you new clients, it illustrates your savvy expertise, it connects you to others to make their lives better.
Writing a short book can be the most powerful marketing activity. If you don't work well alone, join a phone coaching session with other book writers. When you get feedback on what you write from a professional group, your writing improves and moves faster to the finish line. Your book coach will gently nudge you to do each assignment before you move on.
7. Don't buy into the myth, "Writing a book takes too much time"
Actually, the best chapter writing happens fast! With the "Fast-Forward Writing Technique," the template to write a chapter helps you write it right the first time. Then your book is easy-to-read, compelling, and well organized. Another great benefit is that you only need to edit 3-4 times. Writers without his help spend more time revising than writing the first draft. Get help from people who have been there before. Check out book writing teleclasses and small group "book achievers" coaching groups.
Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," and "How to Market your Business on the Internet," she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says...and Business Tip of the Month at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 140 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com.
