In a world desperately in need of change, you have an opportunity now to write a book that inspires personal, organizational, or global transformation. However, a well-crafted manuscript may not be enough to motivate your readers toward internal or external change.
To author the change you want to see in the world, you can write a novel, a memoir, a parable, a biography, or a prescriptive nonfiction book. Historically, though, nonfiction has offered a powerful vehicle for change.
With that in mind, consider the types of books that motivated you to change, started movements, or reached millions of readers. You may be experienced in one genre, like fiction, and feel inclined to write a change-inspiring novel. Before you begin writing, consider stretching your writing skills by switching genres so your message is shared more broadly and has the most impact.
Of course, you need writing skills to become an author. However, to be an “author of change,” you also need a cause—a type of change to advocate. Additionally, to successfully write for change, it’s imperative to understand how people change. After all, it’s your goal to get readers to do something differently. Thus, you must know:
1. How people change;
2. How to motivate change;
3. How to write for change.
With an understanding of these three elements, you are prepared to write a nonfiction book that makes a positive and meaningful difference.
THE AUTHOR AS CHANGE AGENT
Books can have a powerful transformational effect on readers. That makes authors change agents. Consider such books as She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg, by Malcolm Gladwell, by Tara Westover, by Don Miguel Ruiz, and by Naomi Klein.
