Writing a book is something that a lot of people aspire to. It’s a particularly good idea for entrepreneurs as it is a great way to improve your personal credibility, not to mention create an extra income stream.
What you might not have thought about is all of the extra skills that you will need to develop if you are going to not only finish your book but successfully market it to an audience.
Sticking to a habit
The only way that you are going to complete a piece of work as large as a book, is to work at it daily. It’s not the sort of project that you can just smash out in a couple of sittings, it needs consistent work over a period of time.
The three main things you will need to form your daily writer’s habit are:
- A time. Choose a time of day where you are generally sharp and focused, and where you can carve out a chunk of time to dedicate to writing. A lot of people find it helpful to block out this time in their calendar as though it were a meeting so that you aren’t tempted to skip it. It’s important that you stick to the same time each day.
- A place. Choose a place where you won’t be disturbed while you write and, if possible, keep it set up so that you can sit straight down and focus without any fuss. If you live with other people, ensure they know that you aren’t to be disturbed while you are writing.
- A goal. Having a daily goal of a number of words to hit is a great way to keep momentum. It’s a good idea to have a very low goal to start with, otherwise, it can be overwhelming.
Once you have learned how to create and stick to a daily habit, this can be a powerful tool to use when you want to tackle other big projects.
Personal branding
A big part of why people buy books is because they want to hear what the author has to say. This means that you need to create a personal brand as an author or expand on your existing personal brand so that you seem a credible person to write on your topic.
Your personal brand is all about telling your audience why they should listen to you, and it’s a great thing to have in any kind of business, as well as if you’re writing a book.
Writing!
Perhaps the most obvious skill you will learn is book writing. Once you’ve written a book, you will have the ability to communicate large and complex ideas in a concise way that keeps your audience engaged. This is a skill that will serve you well throughout your business life and is easy to gain if you find the right resources online to guide you through the process.
Perseverance
Writing a book is a long slog, and it will teach you to persevere even when you feel as though you want to quit, and even when you’re worrying that you aren’t good enough.
This is a skill that is absolutely essential for any entrepreneur because if you are trying to change the world it’s never going to be easy, but you absolutely should keep going.
Maggie Hammond. Proud mama to two little people and has one too many furry friends. Passionate about alternative medicine, education, the great outdoors and animal welfare.
