Before You Write Your Book: Ask Yourself These 8 Important Questions

By Bobbi Linkemer

If you are about to write your first book, you may not know what you don't know. To find out, begin by asking questions—the right questions. In this little e-book, you will find 8 important questions you should ask yourself Before You Write Your Book:  

1.  Where can I find help?  (Besides my friends and family?) If you are starting from scratch, there are five places to turn for assistance—an online course, a ghostwriter, a book coach, a good editor, or books on how to write a book.

2. What resources are available? (And where can I find them?) There are hundreds of resources online—authors' websites and blogs; professional associations; print, digital, and audiobooks; online or face-to-face courses; writers' magazines; and social media groups.

3. What should I know before I begin? (And how do I find the answers?) You should know why you want to write your book, what's holding you back, and what you need to make it happen.

4. What is my central idea? (And how do I know if it's a good one?) If someone asks you what your book is about, can you tell him in a single sentence? That is your central idea.

5. Who is my ideal reader? (And where do I find this person?) Your book is not for everyone; it is for a particular kind of reader you can describe and visualize it as you write.

6. What are the competitive titles? (How is my book different or better?) You may think your book is the best one out there on your subject, but you can't be sure if you haven't checked out the competition.

7. What are my publishing options? (Which one should I choose?) Between the big five publishing houses and a quick-copy shop, there is a range of publishing options to choose from.

8. How do I market my book? (Where should I start?) Marketing is knowing what you are trying to achieve, three ways to do it, and the concrete actions you are going to take.

• Language: English
• Publisher: LinkUp Publishing
• Release date: Jan 5, 2019
• ISBN: 9780997453737

Book preview

1. Where can I find help?

Besides my friends and family? 

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YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY insist you have the greatest story ever, and you absolutely must write a book about your life. It is sure to be (fill in the blank) inspirational, motivational, educational, insightful, entertaining, funny, yet poignant, not to mention a New York Times bestseller.

Your story has universal appeal. It will speak to everyone. So, what could possibly be holding you back? What part of this effusive encouragement are you questioning?

Is it really the greatest story ever? Can it possibly inspire, motivate, educate, entertain, influence, share your deepest insights, and soar to the top of the bestseller list? Even if the answer to all of these questions is an unqualified yes, why are you plagued with doubts? What is getting in your way?

Could it be this simple? You have never written a book, and you don’t have the slightest idea where to begin. But what if your story is all the things others say it is? Maybe your vast audience is out there just waiting for this book to hit Amazon and bookstores across the country.

So, you have a story worth telling. There are people in the world who would pay money to read it. The only thing missing is to put that story between the covers of a book, which brings you back to where you started. You have never written a book, and you don’t have the slightest idea where to begin.

As you may have already surmised, I am going to help you remove that last obstacle from your path. I am going to help you not only write your book but also publish and promote it. (If you already know me, you can skip the next paragraph.)

My name is Bobbi Linkemer, and I make my living writing books and teaching aspiring authors just like you how to write, publish, and promote their books. In the fifty years I have been writing professionally,