Tips for writing a book – how long will it take to write it?
On a recent radio interview, I was talking about my tips for writing a book. I was asked the question:
How long does it take to write a book?
Well, of course it does depend on what else you have going on. So I thought you'd be interested in the answer and my tips for writing a book quickly and easily.
Writing a book can feel overwhelming. That thought of potentially writing 50,000+ words can be daunting, can't it?
I believe that the easiest way to write a book is by breaking it into bite-sized chunks. So I'd like to put this into perspective.
A typical blog post like this is around 1,000 words.
A typical business book is around 50,000 words.
So a typical business book is equivalent to around 50 blog posts.
If you could dedicate just half a day a week to write your book, then you could probably write 2,000 words plus in that half day (equivalent to writing 500 words per hour and 2 blog posts).
Then if you could dedicate half a day a week for 6 months (26 weeks), you could easily have the first draft of your book by the end of this period.
And if you can dedicate more time than this to your writing, then you'll get your book written faster. How does that sound?
But it's not about just sitting down at your desk every week hoping that the words will come out. They may do so, but not necessarily in the right order. It's also easy to get into the trap of facing writer's block, where you struggle to focus on your book and you're not sure what to write next.
There are some things that you can do to make it easy for you, and that's where I can help. Here are my top 7 tips for writing a book quickly and easily - and for hitting or exceeding that 6 month goal!
1. Dig out your existing material
If you're writing a how to guide or self-help book on the topic you focus on in your existing business, then you've probably got lots of material that you can use in your book. Dig out your training notes, webinar content, and client notes, and start to jot down your ideas and knowledge onto paper.
If you're writing a memoir, it's slightly different. So take your time to work on the turning points in your story and what you wish to illustrate with each point, and how your story will become an inspiring and relevant book.
2. Get clear on what you're writing
It's not enough to put all of your knowledge on paper and hope that this will turn into a book. When I work with clients, there are a few questions I generally ask before we start.
In this context, the most important are:
Who is your book for?
What problem or new information are you providing?
What is your hook?
By mapping out your reader's journey, you can work out where they are now and what they'll get from reading your book. You can also start to think about how you can help your reader after they've read your book, through your other products and services.
3. Make time to plan
When I work with clients on a one-to-one basis, we start by spending a day together to structure their book. We get out the post-it notes and map out their process. When you do this first, this means that you can get the structure right before you start to write it.
You will probably start to realise just how much you know - and you probably know more than you think! You may also realise that you have more than one book to write, which means that you can scope out the first book with this in mind and work out which one is the most important to write first.
The more you plan and prepare before you start writing, the easier and quicker it will be to write and edit it. You can start to plan exercises, activities and case studies that you may wish to add to the different sections. You can also look at the overall structure for your book and how you'd like it to look and feel once you've finished it.
4. Do your research
I often suggest my clients do research as part of the planning for their book. This may be in the form of a survey or interviews with their ideal readers, so that they can find out what they want from their book. You don't want to write your book to find out that no one wants to read it, do you?
The planning that you do in point 3 will also reveal if there are any gaps in your knowledge and whether you need to do further research. You may wish to find other contributors who can support your book in terms of their expertise. By the way, these experts will probably also become great contacts who will help you to promote your book when it's launched.
5. Put your business hat on first
It's important to mention that when I work with clients, we don't just focus on the book, we also focus on how the book fits into their business. I've been known to help clients with their elevator pitch, their website copy, and packages and programmes.
If you think strategically, parts of your book may feed into your blog and vice versa, so that you don't have to duplicate your work. Developing your business and your book are things that work well hand in hand with each other. And if you use the content from your book for ongoing products and services, you can recoup your investment before you've even been published.
6. Get regular support and accountability
Dreaming about writing a book is one thing but actually getting on and doing it is another. Many would-be authors lose momentum and motivation and never get their book finished.
Working with a book mentor or coach will help you to get your book written quicker and easier than you can do alone. Even if you have the best of intentions and follow the first five steps, there will probably be moments when you doubt yourself, your critic gets in the way, or you simply get stuck. And a coach can help you with this.
Getting support will give you the impetus to write it, keep you going when the going gets tough, and ultimately help you to move from that dreaming phase to becoming a fully fledged published author!
7. Don't forget about publishing it
One thing that stops some authors from writing their book is not being sure how to publish it.
Did you know that we can help you in this area? Earlier this year, I partnered with an editor and a designer to provide a one-stop shop for clients, so that we can help you to go from your idea to getting your book written and published, and also support you with marketing it.
There are many options available these days when it comes to publishing your book, so don't let this stop you from getting it finished.
How to get our help to write your book
If you'd like support to write and publish your book, then drop me a line to arrange a complimentary consultation.
Writing a book is an incredibly rewarding experience. Turning your ideas into a book that you feel proud of, and can use as a brilliant business building tool is something that I'd love to support you to achieve.
The Librotas team can help you at all stages, from planning and writing, editing and proofreading, design and publishing, to PR and marketing.
Please go here to get in touch: www.librotas.com/contact and I look forward to hearing from you.
Feel free to share this blog post with your friends and colleagues who are thinking about writing a book, and if you've already started, leave your comments below!