Have you started your book yet? No. Don't think about it any longer. You know the words; now say it with me. Just do it! With the right focus and information, you can successfully begin, complete and even publish YOUR book within a few months this year.
More and more people are successfully completing their books in less time. Even your competitors are getting it done. Why not join them. Here's seven tips to kick start writing your book:
1. Make your mark in the world with a significant book.
Many hopeful authors tremble in their tracks wondering if their book will sell. That's a good question. Who wants to invest time or money into a sinking ship? Don't be afraid; here's how to test your book's significance.
You can know your book is significant if it presents useful information, answers important reader questions, and impacts people for the good. If it's entertaining or funny it could go further than you imagined.
It's significant, if it creates a deeper understanding of animals, humanity or this world. With one to three of these elements your book is worth writing. More than three, it has potential of making great sales and even to best seller status. Now, get started; write your book and make the world a better place.
2. Find out who will buy your book and sell it to them.
When you give your book a specific audience, it will hit the mark of good sales. Best seller books focus on a single topic per book. When you aim at one audience at a time, each tip, each story or how-to will be more effective. Point your message to someone specific and you gain a competitive edge on many book writers. For many authors just shoot their book out to the world without aim.
It would be helpful to create an audience profile. Are your potential readers male or female? How old are they? Are they interested in topic? What problems do they face? Are they business people or professionals? Are they techies or non-techies? Are they willing to spend $15-20 on a book like yours? Do this and you're on your way to selling more books than you dreamed.
3. Write your book's central thought and support it with your book.
Did you cringe at the words (thesis) central thought? For some, it brought back memories of school days and writing essays. No worries, a thesis simply means the main central thought of the book. Make sure your main central thought includes the greatest benefit to your book reader and you're done.
In other words, it should answer your audiences' question, "How will this book help, encourage or solve my problem for me?" Write the thesis before you write the book and stay on the path of focused, powerful yet easy to read content.
All chapters support your book's main concept. For "Win with the Writer Inside," the thesis is "How to write, complete, and publish your best book fast." The top selling titles often include the main thought in some form.
4. Make an inspiration cover early to encourage yourself.
Keep it nearby to inspire you. Remember, book covers are the number one selling point of a book. Of course, in the beginning this is only a working cover. Nevertheless it will help crystallize your thoughts and propel you toward the fulfillment of your dream. You have 10 seconds or less to impress your potential readers to buy.
Look around the bookstores and the internet to get a few ideas. Look for the covers most suited for your audience. Choose colors that attract them. For instance, consider red and blue for business books; aqua, yellow, and shades of red work for personal growth books. Even so, avoid too much red; it makes some feel suspicious.
5. Develop the back cover as a sales message before you write chapter one.
This benefit driven outline helps give your book direction and helps you focus on what's really important to your readers. Most books will only allow for 50-75 words. That gives you less than 20 seconds to impress your prospective reader. Make this message passionate. Focus only what sells: testimonials (reader, expert and famous), a benefit driven headline to hook the reader to open the book and read the table of contents, and bulleted benefits.
6. Compose your book's 60 second "billboard" before you begin writing.
Have you noticed a billboard lately? You only have a few seconds to get it as you drive by. So, the information is distilled into sound bytes to be effective. Make your 2-3 sentence book blurbs into sound bytes. Like a billboard where you only have a few seconds to get your message across, condense your sound byte into a 60 second tell and sell.
Use your mini billboard at networking meetings, in the elevator, in the grocery line, anywhere you only have a few seconds to tell about your book. Composing your ad should include your title and 3 top benefits.
7. Write your publishing goals down for your book.
Will you self-publish or shop for a traditional publish? There are serious pros and cons for either method. Find out the differences so you can make an educated choice that suits you. If you are self-publishing, consider the POD technology for your book. There are lots of good choices that will publish your book for you at an affordable price.
If you are opting for a traditional publisher, get an agent and a contract before writing the book. Then shop agents and publishers with 2 chapters and a knock-out book proposal. Invest in one of the current market guides and research the best fit for your work. It raises your chances considerably if you know what kind of manuscripts a particular company is looking for.
I admit it; getting started writing a book can be challenging to most. Even so, it doesn't have to stay that way. You can do like the author did; use the ten tips above and kick start writing your book. Start today; complete and release your significant message to the world. Then jump around, get excited for it won't be long before we see your name in print!
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