In today’s world, information is abundant – you can look up practically anything, find step-by-step guides, processes, insights, and more. Yet, amidst this sea of data, one thing remains elusive: someone you trust to guide you through a process. This is where a book steps in. Providing information is only one facet of the book-reading experience. Equally crucial is how you communicate that information and the journey you take the reader on. It’s about what you lead them toward, the style you employ, and the overall experience you craft. It goes beyond mere facts or information; it’s abo ..read more

What is self-authorship? It is the crucial internal process of developing and refining your own foundational beliefs, identity, and social relations based on your own choices, rather than simply imitating the beliefs and values of those around you. It’s a lifelong process – or it should be. Authoring a book can be a deeply introspective and transformative process that allows you to learn more about yourself in several ways: Self-reflection: Writing a book often involves exploring personal experiences, beliefs, and emotions. Through this process, you may find yourself reflecting on your own val ..read more

Your art is the act of taking personal responsibility, challenging the status quo, and changing people. I call the process of doing your art ‘the work’. Seth Godin, in Linchpin: Are you Indispensable?   Your book is a low-cost gateway for readers to get a glimpse of you and your expanded business model. As you bring your book into being, you will begin to see the potential laid out before you. As a business owner or self-employed professional who has been learning and improving as you trade your expertise for money, you are probably sitting on a mountain of value. Use your book content as ..read more

If something inside of you is real, we will probably find it interesting, and it will probably be universal. So you must risk placing real emotion at the centre of your work. Anne Lamott, in Bird by Bird: Some instructions on Writing and Life The success of your book is up to you. As well as getting it into the hands of readers through personal contact, sales, events, gifting, and more, it’s the ideal time to step into the spotlight yourself, through speaking gigs, media interviews, podcast guest spots, and more. Thousands of books are published every week, so your new book is probably not a n ..read more

You have to believe, in the deepest part of your soul, that it is a good thing for readers to buy and read your book. –Tim Grahl, author of ‘Book Launch Blueprint’   You will hear much about author platforms: this is simply a marketing term that means all of the ways you are going to connect with people and sell your book. Yours will be a growing mix of the following: your existing and new business clients increasing opportunities to speak at small and large events followers of your blog and/or newsletter subscribers Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Instagram followers, etc. on ..read more

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. –Thomas Edison   I advocate self-publishing as the perfect path when becoming a business owner/author, because you are already a decision maker; you understand product and service development; you get the importance of sales and marketing; you have valuable intellectual property (probably more than you realise); and you know how to make things happen. Pitching a book idea to an agent and then to a publishing company seems to me like standing in a queue with your hands out, begging for a crumb that ..read more

The best writing comes to life, and then is refined just enough to make it crystal clear. First, give it life. — Audrey Owen, author of ‘Writer’s Helper’   If you show passion for your subject matter, show real interest in your readers, draw them into your book, and show them how to achieve something important to them, you are off to a great start. However, if you appear detached and write academically and dispassionately, you run a very real risk of losing your readers. You want to write books that people interact with, write notes in, get a buzz from, recommend on social media, and pass ..read more

‘Isolation is the dream killer.’ –Barbara Sher   Writing a book is a solitary activity and requires vision, determination and resilience. Think about how you have achieved major goals in the past: if you are the type of person who needs support and interaction to re-energise yourself when you are flagging, you will need to find ways to create a support team to see you through the book writing stage. If, however, you love to hide away and work with ideas and words, you will find the writing stage a pleasure, but may struggle with the creative aspects of bringing those words into a tangible ..read more

‘Every great building once began as a building plan. That means, sitting in that building plan is a mighty structure not yet seen. It is the same with dreams.’ ~ Israelmore Ayivor, in ‘Shaping The Dream’   Once you’ve formed a clear picture of the reader of your non-fiction book, it is also important to have a clear understanding of their ambitions, highest hopes, and aspirations. You must then offer what they really need from you, so they go through a change as they absorb your book. The promise of your book should be any combination of information, solutions, fresh insights, inspiration ..read more

‘A quantum leap, by definition, means moving into unchartered territory with no guide to follow. You personally draw the map as you go.’ ~ Price Pritchett, in you2   Let’s face it—you can start a business without a 50-page micro-detailed business plan. But you would not even step onto that path without desire, vision and enthusiasm – and at least a basic breakdown of the key elements involved: product/service; consumer trends; target market; competition; skills analysis; financials; marketing methods, and more. You can also write a book without a 50-page detailed book business plan, but y ..read more