If you have not read Part 1, please do so by clicking here because then you'd have a better understanding and a foundation as to why you want to write in the first place.
My goal in doing this series is because I see so many authors (and good ones , too) somehow not being able to make a living from their writing. Even when they do have a blog.
So I ask myself why... and I believe I have part of the answer. The key to success as an author is in choosing the right niche, the most lucrative sub topic. Meaning you have to narrow down rather than to go broad.
But I'm getting a head of myself. I'm going to assume you have never written a book, even if you have toyed with the idea and may have even have skeletons of unfinished "books" you have written tucked under your bed or hidden in a drawer.
So the first step to being a successful author is to tie your book idea with a business. Especially if you're hoping for financial success. (It's okay if this is not your main aim but still if you want people to read your book then you need to get the niche correct.)
First let’s talk about your existing business. Or the profession you are in, or something you excel in, something you so obsess over that you are really the expert in it. Your friends may even have said, you really should write a book about this...you know so much.
And you should!
With a book you can not only showcase your talent, expertise and authority in a field, but a book is also a calling card for your existing business.
A book with your name can position you as not only the expert but the celebrity in that field. There is a multitude of dentists, but if that dentist has a book to his name he will be elevated to celebrity status. And the way most people are we are drawn to celebrities.
People toss out calling (name) cards all the time but do you realize how hard it is to throw away a book?
Think of yourself. Do you just throw away a book in the trash can? (I'm sure there are some who do, but for most of us that's a painful act.)
Long after I am done reading a book, or even if I'd made a mistake and purchased it, I can’t bear to throw it away. I’ll take it to Salvation Army or give it away to a friend.
So it will be for your book.
With a book , you can leave it at your customer’s or client’s hands and they will, at worse not read it, but they will at least find a place in their bookshelf or coffee table, or they will it pass it on to a friend--someone.
A book is a powerful badge that represents you, your calling. It showcases your convictions and mastery. It shows you have expertise over a given topic, or niche. And you don’t even have to win an award for people to appreciate your contribution.
Of course, if you did win a literary award all the better, but that is icing on the cake. Just having book to your name shows you have mastery over the subject matter.
And talking about mastery, if you have a business, and you wrote a book, you probably know more than the average Jo on the topic. If you have such a passion about it, if you can wag eloquent for hours on it, if you have invested in yourself to learn more about it than anyone you know, perhaps your book s just the start of a new venture--the stepping stone to a business you can be passionate about. It might even bring you a steady income.
To help you locate and boost your motivations for why you write, do this simple exercise:
Exercise 1
These questions will help you hone in on your main motivation for writing.
A. .Do you find sharing your thoughts an important part of your life?
B. Do you enjoy discussing with others your ideas, beliefs or solutions to life or business issues? (It could be personal convictions or life lessons, that could help others in, say, parenting, or it could be some deep knowledge you acquired through your professional experiences.)
C. Who are you writing for?
This may seem like an odd question. But let me tell you a quick touching story. There was a successful business man (I will keep his real name private)—Jim.
This happened just a few years back. Jim ran a thriving business and had a beautiful wife. Within a couple of years, he had a son, then another two years another son came along.
But when the oldest was five, his wife was diagnosed with cancer. To top that he lost his business through malpractice through his partner’s fault. Within the year his wife passed on.
Devastated, Jim sat on the edge of his bed one morning, buried his head in his hands and sobbed. How could he go on?
He didn’t realize this but his sobbing brought his five-year-old son into the room. His son, wrapped his bony arms around Jim’s shoulder, and his son said, “Dad! Please we need you.” And Jim realized he had to go on living, go on trying, for his children’s sakes.
How is this relevant to your book?
You may not write for yourself, your business or even for your own significance. Maybe you are writing for the person you love. After all, most of us do things not for ourselves. We do it for those we care about.
So who are you writing for?
Have you ever read a book/s on the subject matter you are wanting to write on, and felt that the author could have done a better job, could have added information that could have proven the point better? Points you already know?
Do you have people coming to you for advice? Or have people saying that you are really good at handling particular issues? So, what are your super powers?
Have you had special training that most people in your field do not have, and therefore you have intellectual property people are willing to pay for?
"Why is it so important to determine your motives for writing a book?" You may
ask.
Because when you are convinced of the right thing to do-- the best thing to do for you, your loved ones, your career, and even your future--you will not let anything get in the way. Think of all the martyrs of various causes—whether you agree with the cause is immaterial. It’s only important to see that strong motivations move mountains, so to speak.
So, what mountain do you want to move?
Steve Jobs said, "The people crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do."
Once you know why you want to write, the next thing is to hone in and...
Carve out a niche for yourself.
But first answer these simple questions—don’t take long—write from the top of your head:
List out 20-30 passions, skills, special expertise or schooling you have undergone that will make you an expert.
Go over things that are categorized below:
Passion
Knowledge/know how
Formal higher education
Work experience
Life expertise
What do your friends compliment you on most? Seek your advice most? It could be a character trait they admire even.
Under which category does your passion, skill, and expertise lie? (You could have a multiplicity of these that fall under all four categories. It’s okay that your answers are vague for now.
Action step:
If the 4 categories below are represented as a circle, write down your answers from the above exercise in the circle that’s applicable. For example, if you like to talk to people about the stock market and have much knowledge about investing in stocks, then write down “stocks” inside the “Wealth” circle or bubble. Or cryptos for that matter. )
Health
Wealth
Relationship
Hobby
Setting the stage
We will look at two free multi-million dollar tools for your research in another article. First, if you are going to write a book in seven days you want to be sure you have:
- Enough know-how on the topic
- Enough passion for the topic—meaning you never get enough of watching webinars, listening to podcast, reading, watching YouTube channels on the topic of interest.
- People thronging the niche –because you need to know what the market wants first, what they need to hear and want to hear first, before you create your book, your product, or even your course. (In this day and age you want to present your audience with different modalities, because people have different preferences for learning about a topic. Just like some prefer to listen to podcast when driving, or watch a lesson with slides, instead of reading the words on a book. More on this later.)
- A way you can actually reach these people
- A niche you carve out whereby people are not only seeking for answers but one they perceive to have little or have no viable solution.
- They are the avatar you want to work with.
What you want to create at this point is a Minimum Viable Product –your book idea and outline.
I realize point six (6) may seem strange, but let’s say you find out that your avatar turned out to be a terrorist, I mean, do you really want to seek them out and work with them? Really?
Anyway, once you have determined your motivation, and also the correct "niche" that only you can write effectively in--because you can give it that special twist,-- the next thing is to take the "Niche Test" which I will talk more about in Part 3.
So until next time--probably in a day or two, I will write more!
Emma
PS: I hope my articles aren't too long. I'm going to have to practice writing shorter posts!