7 Myths that Stop Authors Writing a Book

You want to write a book, but something’s holding you back. Could be one of seven things actually. Thing is, they’re myths. A figment of your imagination. Let me explain.

7 Myths that Stop Authors Writing a Book

You want to write a book, but there are 7 challenges facing you. Which is the one that hurts you most? And how can you fix it?

1. Are you concerned you don’t have enough time?

‘I know I should write a book, but I don’t have the time.’ We hear this constantly.

The good news is: you do. You do have the time.

First, because if you follow our guidelines and advice, it will take less time than you could possibly imagine.

And second, because you’ll only be doing things you would have done anyway.

What do we mean?

Well, to write your book:

1. You’ll be reviewing your marketing campaign.
2. You’ll be creating content you can use in many ways.
3. You’ll be reaching out to customers, colleagues, your network, your peers, experts.

You would have done all that anyway. But when you’re writing a book, there’s a bonus.

At the end of doing what you would have done anyway, you’ll have a book.

2. Are you worried you don’t have a good idea?

The best way to reassure yourself that you’ve got a good is to get feedback from someone whose opinion you trust.

The quickest and easiest way to do that is to do a small survey with potential readers.

Avoid surveying family and friends. They will only humour you. (With the best intentions.)

3. Are you unsure how to write or publish or market your book?

There’s a great deal of free information available on the internet.

Take care, though. You need to find a credible guide. Many so-called coaches have actually only created ebooks or published just one title. This may not give you the extensive experience you need in a coach.

Find someone who’s published 5, 10, 15 books. Different kinds of books. And ideally someone who’s done it on behalf of other people, too.

4. Are you concerned you don’t have enough experience of writing or editing?

If you don’t have very much writing and editing experience, this isn’t necessarily a drawback.

You can dictate your book, which will actually make it very readable.

And you can hire editors very reasonably today with a little effort.

5. Are you concerned that you don’t have contacts with designers, editors, printers or publishers?

They are out there and are surprisingly easy to find. Try Upwork.com first.

6. Are you concerned you don’t have the ability to see this through?

Do you have no real deadline? Is there no one holding you accountable to finish this?

Your motivation for the project itself is partly what will drive you to complete this. But an accountability partner watching over your shoulder is very helpful.

Make no mistake, writing a book is hard work, but making a sustained, intensive effort is usually better than tackling the project in fits and starts over a lengthy period. Don’t let this drift.

7. Do you wonder if your book will actually be any good?

Some authors report they have a strong ‘fear of failure’. How about you?

What we’ve found is the more you know about the writing and publishing process, the easier it gets to embark on the next one.

So find out all you can about the writing and publishing process. Or work with someone who knows the process inside out.

Again, talking to potential customers can do wonders for your self-confidence. What do they want? It’s only market research, after all.

Which of these issues seems the most significant for you?

And if you need help along the way, get in touch. We can point you in the right direction.