I was at an event a few years ago and somebody on stage said, everybody needs to write a book. At that time, I was in a place where my response was, “Ridiculous. Absolutely not. I do not need a book.” And now years later I think, you know what? Maybe I do want to write a book. I actually do have a lot to say and I think most people have a lot to say, but they have a hard time wrapping their head around whether or not they should actually write a book. And so, that's why I wanted to chat with Sarah Fox, writer, Book Coach and CEO of The Bookish Fox, an editorial agency.
What you have to say matters
Sarah knows that many people don’t believe they can write a book. Whether they have PhDs or didn’t complete their high school educations, everyone has that feeling of, “Who me?” It's the classic imposter syndrome where people think, “why is my book any different? It’s already been done. I'm not qualified for this. What do I have to say that will contribute?”
And while things might have been said before, different people resonate with different things. For example, Sarah’s husband gets so frustrated with her because he'll tell her something and it won't click. But then if a friend says it or a doctor says it, suddenly it makes sense. Same exact content delivered differently. Her husband is very factual and scientific, and her friends are more touchy-feely. So, it was all in the delivery. So, even though what you may have to say has been said before, it will be said differently.
Why you should write a book
According to Sarah, people should write because self-expression is important. It's important that people's voices be heard. There is such peace when you have expressed yourself on a personal development level. Writing a book is a great growth opportunity. You get to know yourself better and you get your ideas out and into the world. It’s the greatest way to connect with people. You can read a book by Charles Dickens that was hundreds of years ago and imagine roughly what he was writing about. You can also read a book by a writer in Japan through translation and get to know them halfway across the world.
Books are a connecting force through space and time. It’s also a point of connection for people and from a business perspective, it's the know, like, and trust factor that is important. People really get to know you and live in your world and really connect with you in a way that other sources can't because of the length of time and the depth you can go into in a book versus other forms.
Books are also more accessible. People can get your book from the library or usually it doesn't cost more than $20 to buy and you can get your message to people who couldn't afford your services otherwise. And even though they might not be able to afford you, their friend might or you could just change someone's life – and that is meaningful.
The marketing value of books
Books are not a good sales funnel and probably won’t make you thousands of dollars. Sarah does have a friend who's a fiction writer who makes $20,000 a month off sales, which is awesome. She has also known nonfiction writers who can make thousands, but as a whole, don’t expect to make lots of money off of a book. However, books are a great way for clients to get to know you. They will get a sense of how you work, and you have established authority and expertise. Books can also help you get speaking opportunities, again because you are establishing credibility.
Where to start
Start with your why. Ask yourself, why do you want to write this book? What are your goals? Do you have a message you want to spread to people? Do you want to get more people into your sales funnel? Do you have this burning desire to tell people something? Are you writing it for a specific person?
You have to be fired up about writing the book and you have to think, am I willing to work on this for months? Is this something I like enough that I want to put in the time and effort to do this? Because there's going to be days where the writing flows and the birds are singing and the sun is shining. But there will also be days where you will be going through hell and it's going to be slow and painful.
Many people think because it's hard to write that they should quit. No. You need something that you could put on a post-it note on your computer screen to keep you going because writing is like a marriage, there will be good days and there will be bad days. You just have to have a why. The why will keep pushing you through. And if you don't have something strong enough, don't write it yet cause you're not ready.
One thing I have done is gone through old blog posts to look for common themes and the things I really love to write about. They’re not a book, and they need a lot of revision, but it showed me what I like to write about. Getting all the ideas out of your head, realizing what you're really passionate about and what you want people to know, and then deciding if that's the sort of thing you want to create is really helpful in figuring out your why.
Why are you writing a book?
You can decide to write a book just to improve your sales funnel, however, Sarah believes there has to be a greater purpose beyond just your calling card because it won't be a quality book if that's the only reason you're writing it. It will show that you're just writing it for the speaking opportunities or to win more clients or just to say you did it. If there's no deeper purpose you won't get the results you want because people see right through that. You have to have the commitment and the passion or it's not going to happen.
When you sit down to write, get the ideas out and write around that. Sarah is a very chronological writer. She loves writing in order, but some people can't do that. Some people write the last chapter first! There are no roles, especially in the drafting stage. Get it out and then worry about rearranging things or editing it because those are two different parts of your brain.
Common writing struggles
A common struggle for writers is finding time. But think about it. How much time do you spend on Instagram? How much time do you spend on Netflix? Sarah encourages people to set a timer for 15 minutes and see how much they can get done in that time. They are often surprised. People can write approximately 250 words, which is a page, in 15 minutes. If they do this all year then they have a full book or more than a full book at the end of that year.
More than not finding the time is often about fear. Many writers don’t feel they are good enough. Their inner editor tells them they are not good enough. They believe it has to be perfect the first time, but no one's perfect the first time.
Every writer Sarah knows, from the famous ones to her friends, say there are days when they think writing is the worst thing on the planet and that they should quit. But then you'll read it two weeks later and it's not that bad. It’s the inner voice that you have to silence. Keep working through it because the process is not always going to be sunshine and rainbows.
There are many people who fantasize about writing and think it's just sitting at a coffee shop in Paris and letting the words flow easily. And if that's not you then that means you can't be a writer. That’s not true at all. That means you're probably a really good writer.
No writer is perfect
There’s a lot of pressure on writing that aren't in other activities. For example, you wouldn't expect yourself to play basketball right the first time you do it. But with writing, there's this magic belief that you have to get it perfect right out the gate.
Every writer will have an idea in their head about what the book looks like and it will not match it on the pages and they will be frustrated because they think it's going to be a magic when they write it down. And then it’s not. We all suffer from this and you just have to learn to live with it because the stories in our heads will never match the ideal form of what you want it to be because you're human. The ideal form is not achievable.
You’re always going to have this disconnect of what the work is and what you want it to be. You just have to realize this and do the best you can.
Make writing a habit
It's hard to give a formula about writing a book since it's so customized, but it’s important to stay on track with your goals and make writing a habit. Put it in your calendar. It sounds so basic, but the time that you write every day, make it nonnegotiable because something else is always going to come up. For example, Netflix is going to call your name. But if you write it down and hold yourself accountable you will write. If you don't want to hire a coach, you can also ask a friend to hold you accountable.
You can even try punishing yourself. For example, tell yourself, “I'll get a coffee if I do this or I will not go to the movies if I don't.” There are ways to hold yourself accountable, but it depends on your personality and what works best for you. It’s also about making sure you stick with it. That's really key. Writing is a choice you make every day.
Should you share content as you write?
If you want to share, share. Sarah believes you need to firstly tell people this is your draft. Let them know it is not the finished product. But, it’s never too early to start marketing your book! Even if it's just an idea. People love the behind the scenes. So, feel free to share. Let them know, “Here's the chapter of my book I'm currently writing.” People eat-up the behind the scenes stuff and it can help to get people to buy the book. It’s also a great way to see if the content resonates with people.
If you want to find out how you can be held accountable to writing your book or need help to figure out how to get started or with editing your book or anything bookish, contact Sarah at https://thebookishfox.com/ or follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
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Podcast editing done by Eric Wellman