It’s a common problem: you’ve got a great idea for a book but, at the same time, you’re struggling with your writer’s block. You’re not sure how to begin and you feel anxious about committing to paper what might seem unoriginal to you. Naturally, you’re also wondering if this is something that could actually be profitable. After all, there’s a lot of competition out there and to stand out, you need to come up with something new and exciting. Is this really possible if you’re feeling frustrated at the thought of starting a brand-new project?
It’s natural for you to feel this way. We’ve all been there. We’ve all been stuck on a book, wondering how far we should push our creative boundaries and if anyone will ever want to read what we’ve written. Believe it or not, the solution is actually quite simple and it hinges on one crucial decision: what kind of book should you write?
This is the question that plagues beginners and experienced authors alike. You can’t go wrong with either option but it’s essential that you choose wisely.
The good news is you’ve already made the right decision. What you need is content. Content that’ll make your readers interested in what you have to say and curious enough to want to read more. So, if you want to cut through the clutter and confusion, begin by focusing on what your book is going to be about and how you plan to go about conveying your message. This, in turn, will give you a clear idea of what you need to include in your writing to make it effective. From there, you can develop your outline and write your first draft with confidence.
Choosing The Right Purse Strings
What if I told you there was a way to write a bestselling book without having had a previous publication to your name? What if I also added that this method doesn’t require you to have an MA in Creative Writing or an MBA?
These, my friend, are the kind of things that could make you extremely happy. Are you interested in knowing how to write a bestselling book?
Let’s assume for a moment that you’ve decided to write a book about personal finance. Now, what you need to do is find the right kind of publishers for your book. After all, not every publisher is created equal and you don’t want to end up with a mishmash of a product that doesn’t represent your voice, vision and style. So, you Google around and, lo and behold, you find a variety of options, from large multinationals to small, independent presses. Now, which one should you choose?
This is where it gets a little bit tricky. You don’t want to choose a publisher simply based on who you think could potentially be the most receptive to your message. Instead, you need to find a way to balance your need for a viable partner with the desire to ensure that your book represents your style, vision and voice as accurately as possible.
For example, if your voice is humorous and you enjoy a light tone, you might want to consider selecting a small publisher who appreciates the funny side of life. On the other hand, if you want your book to focus on giving readers actionable advice, you might want to consider pitching your book idea to a large, traditional publisher. Naturally, this is just an example. It depends on your personal preferences, your objectives and, most importantly, how you plan to market your book once it’s published. So, when you’re searching for a publisher, don’t just look at the size of their company. Instead, examine their track record, the strength of their commitment to your project and the diversity of their authors. Ultimately, you’ll want to find a partner who shares your vision, understands your style and is capable of taking on a project that might be a little outside of their comfort zone. When you’ve found that perfect match, it’s time to move on to the next step.
Building A Solid Foundation
Once you’ve found a publisher who you think could be a good fit, it’s time to move on to the next step. This is when you need to decide what kind of book you’re going to write. Are you going to write a traditional, literary analysis of finance? Or are you going to give practical advice on how to save and spend money?
The answer to this question will determine not only what you should include in your book but also how you should approach writing it. If you’re looking for a quick, easy guide to popular finance topics like saving, investing and spending, you could opt for a quick-reference guide that covers the most relevant information. Alternatively, you could write a narrative about your journey from a basic to a more sophisticated understanding of personal finance. The choice is yours. Just remember that the more you include, the more you’ll have to include in your book. This can definitely end badly if you’re not careful. Make sure that you’ve thought of all the possible plot twists and turns before you start writing so that you don’t end up with an essay that’s not quite up to the standards of a short story or novel. Are you ready to build a solid foundation for your book?
The first step is to decide what you’ll include in your book. This is a good place to start. Start by brainstorming a list of everything you know about personal finance. From there, you can decide which topics you’ll cover and in what order. Once you have an idea of what’s going to be in your book, you’ll be able to develop your outline. This will help you figure out the structure of your book, as well as the order in which you’ll cover the various topics. Naturally, you won’t want to rush this step. Take your time and be as creative as possible.
Getting Inspired
Now, you need to find the source of your inspiration. What gets you excited about personal finance? Do you have a specific topic you want to write about? Or are you just looking for a new challenge?
Maybe you’ve always dreamed about writing a book but never had the courage to actually do it. This is your chance to put those dreams into reality. From the very beginning, you need to admit that this is a creative endeavor. This is not a task that you’re simply following along to fulfill a commitment. It’s something you’ve thought about and decided to do, independently.
So, find your inspiration and hold on to it. As you work on cutting out the fat, you’ll find that your energy and enthusiasm levels are bound to rise and fall. What you need is something to keep you motivated, whatever that might be. For now, just write every day and don’t worry about what you’re writing, whether it’s good or bad. The better you get, the more you’ll enjoy it. Believe in yourself and your ability to write a book.
Outlining The Book
Once you’ve found your inspiration for the book, it’s time to move into the next stage and develop your outline. An outline is a rough draft of your book, broken down into numbered paragraphs, each with a title.
An outline will not only help you flesh out the structure of your book, but it’ll also serve as a guide for the writing process. In developing your outline, you need to take into consideration the kind of book you plan to write, the type of audience you’re aiming for and your objective, which might be different from others. For example, if your objective is to educate readers about personal finance, you might want to write an outline that’s heavily skewed toward that topic, incorporating terminology, examples and data that others might find informative. Or, if you’re writing for a more general audience, you might want to include less detail, making more broad, sweeping generalizations.
When you’ve developed your outline, it’s time to move into the next stage and write your first draft. Just remember that your outline is just that: it’s an outline. It’s not meant to be sacrosanct or set in stone. You’re definitely allowed to bounce ideas, concepts and even entire paragraphs around, until you find the one that fits best. The more you write, the more you’ll find that some content, while initially appealing, doesn’t hold up as well as you’d expect in the final product. This is why early drafts are called drafts: they’re for adjustments, edits and polishing. When you’re done with this stage, you’ll have a completed book, ready to be published or self-published. How’s that for a quick and easy recipe for a bestselling book?