Your Book on Your Terms

By John Feldman

A book is the new business card.

Looking for a book on how to scale your business? Becoming a published author is the way business owners and industry experts have been growing their brand, their revenue, and breaking into new and unique opportunities.

Want to break into p

• Language: English
• Publisher: Springboard Publishing
• Release date: Dec 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9798985519075

Book preview

PART ONE

PLANNING

CHAPTER 1

KNOW YOUR WHY

When you know your why, you’ll know your way.

— Michael Hyatt

The next few months are going to be exhausting. They’ll be exciting, for sure, and I’ll show you the most efficient ways to complete your tasks, but the process will still take some energy. It will take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to complete, depending on your schedule and commitment. Writing a book is a project that requires a lot of patience and a lot of resistance to bumps in the road.

But you’re used to that, aren’t you? You’ve created something from nothing in the past. If you’re reading this book, you have something important to share which means you have already dealt with adversity and come out victorious. My guess is you were able to do this because there was a purpose behind what you were doing. A passion. Your Why.

What is the Why for your book?

Knowing the reason behind writing this book will help you to face the adversity that is bound to come. It will allow you to overcome obstacles on your path that would normally cause disruption.

If you don’t know your Why as an author, you will find it far too easy to cave at the first sign of distress. You will close the word processor on your computer or shove your notebook in a drawer and say, I’ll get to it later. Or, worse, you will try to power through the immediate hurdle only to find it leads to a more excruciating editing process down the line. More importantly, an undefined why will end up consuming more of your time.

If there’s one thing you take from this book—and I know we’re early in our journey here—it’s that time is precious. Time is our most valuable resource and as a creator and a visionary, you know this. You’ve put in the long hours to build your brand or your business and you have seen how quickly time can fly by, seemingly wasted, if you let it.

The process I will be walking you through in this book is going to be one that saves time, not wastes it. I know you have businesses to run, families to be around, and a life to manage. Writing a book doesn’t have to mean locking yourself in an office for nine months or escaping to some cabin for an entire winter. Those days are gone. We have too many technological features that can help us now. There are too many tools in our toolbox. So many, in fact, that the thing is bursting at its seams.

You can write and publish a book without taking a year off work. You can complete it on your terms and with the professional quality one would expect from a book lining the shelves of any retail store. The only thing you need is the desire to build this puzzle and to be patient when things don’t line up right away. Because there will be many times when they won’t.

Hence, the reason you must know your Why.

WHY WRITE THIS BOOK?

What was the moment that drew you in and made you realize this book needs to be written? Not the moment you decided the book was a good idea, but the one that made you realize it had to be written. That it had to get out to the world. What caused you to take action and to start looking into ways to write and publish your book?

Remember this reason. Remember where you were, what you were watching, or listening to, or who you were talking to. Think about the emotion you felt in that very moment. Write it down and put it on your vision board. Tape it to your wall. Etch it into your desk. Do whatever you need to do to always have it visible because the going will get tough. There will be points in this process that cause you to hate what you’re doing. You will have read over the material so many times and have gone through so many edits that everything will seem utterly boring to you. It will feel as if it’s the most jumbled, repetitive piece of jargon you’ve ever laid your eyes upon, and you’ll consider trashing it and scrapping the entire idea of writing a book.

It’s true. I have seen it with so many clients. I’ve had clients with amazing concepts walk away after months of working on something. They needed to be reeled back into their project. They had forgotten about their why. Once they remembered their reason for writing their book, they moved on and were able to finish their respective project.

You will struggle at points, but guess what? Even the best writers struggle with this. World-famous fiction writer, Stephen King, once threw his manuscript for Carrie in the trash. His wife saw it, took it out, and told him not to give up on it. What happened later? Carrie was purchased by a publisher, sold millions of copies, and eventually made into a Hollywood movie.

That book launched Stephen King’s career. Imagine where he would be now, had he given up on that manuscript.

Remember your Why so you don’t end up trashing this project when times get tough. I promise the result will be worth it.

WHY NOW?

Knowing your Why Now? will help to support your Why.

Timing is important. Are you writing a book on something topical? Did you have the blueprint for a flawless virtual co-working system that kept you afloat during COVID and want to share with others? Are you ahead of the next working trend? Do you have marketing tactics that will help businesses transition into the next five, ten, twenty years?

Why is now the right time to write your book? When you question your Why and want to convince yourself to take a break from the book or to cancel its plans completely, you can fall back on the Why Now.

WHY YOU?

Why are you the right person to write this book? Why are you so passionate about getting this information to the world? Has the information gotten you through tough times you know your reader will go through, or already has gone through? What’s your unique selling proposition?

This part of the brainstorming process is typically the toughest for aspiring authors. Imposter syndrome kicks in and fear of feeling like you might not have enough impactful information to fill a book makes you reconsider the entire project.

Imposter syndrome affects people in every industry. We all feel as though there are plenty of people smarter than we are, better equipped to relay the message we’re working on. It’s normal.

Push through it. Remember your Why. Know why this book needs to be written.

One way to get over imposter syndrome is to think on a micro level. Don’t think about selling millions of copies of your book and hogging the spotlight. Instead, think about the small group of people your book will help. Focus on your niche.

There’s a reason you should be the one to share this message. Deep down, you know there is, regardless of any feelings of doubt. You know you have some sort of value to provide to your reader. You know your book can help. Focus on that and don’t let it fade.

THESE ARE JUST SAFETY NETS

Alright, let’s take a step back here. We have focused on a lot of the potential bumps in the road so far but this is just as a precaution. This is your safety briefing before the roller coaster starts its ascent. It’s simply a