You have a book idea, and you think it would resonate with enough people to justify putting the work into writing it. But you still have doubts.
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So, you’re asking yourself, “Should I write a book? Or should I just write a blog post about this idea?”
Sure, you have good ideas, but ultimately, you need to separate the true diamonds from the less durable look-alikes. So, at some point, you’ll have to ask, “If I do write a book, what should I write about?”
And “How do I know if this is going to be a good use of my time and energy?”
Because this is a serious commitment, and it will change you — most likely for the better, as you’ll see further on in this article.
So, how do you decide whether you should write a book?
Why you should write a book?
Before you begin a book project, you need to be able to answer the question, “Why do you write?”
While you’re at it, answer the question, “Why does the idea of writing a book interest you enough to make you want to read this article?”
Your answers are important. So, for starters, be completely honest about them. Don’t try to guess as to which answer is the best one.
There is no “best answer,” here. It’s your answer that matters.
Your answer to the question, “Why do I write?” tells you what you ultimately hope to gain by writing, whether that’s one or a combination of the following:
Your answer to the question, “Why do I really want to write a book?” is probably some variation on your reason (or reasons) for writing anything.
But in case you needed another reason (or nine) to finally write a book with your author name on it, read on.
- Why you should write a book?
- Should I Write a Book? 9 Reasons for Writing Your Book Now
- 1. You’ll learn more about yourself.
- 2. You’ll learn how to write and self-publish a book.
- 3. You’ll create a stream of passive income.
- 4. You won’t have to regret not trying.
- 5. You’ll come up with more ideas.
- 6. You’ll stoke the fires of your creative genius.
- 7. You’ll become a published author.
- 8. You’ll become more confident.
- 9. You’ll accomplish more than you thought possible.
Should I Write a Book? 9 Reasons for Writing Your Book Now
1. You’ll learn more about yourself.
Writing books is an exploratory process, and it involves at least some degree of introspection (depending on the type of book you’re writing). You’ll get to know things about yourself that you haven’t yet fully processed.
Writing your book might remind you of something else you once intended to do but put on the back burner.
It might steer your life in a completely different direction (possibly one you intended to take years ago).
It’s difficult to express yourself in writing without noticing things you failed to notice (or think about) before.
Suppressed thoughts have a way of coming out during the writing process.
Things you told yourself like, “That doesn’t bother me,” might come to the surface as significant stressors or roadblocks in your life.
Writing your book may be the catalyst for a change you’ve needed to make but haven’t yet dared to.
2. You’ll learn how to write and self-publish a book.
Not only will you learn more about yourself, but you’ll also learn all about what it takes to write your book and get it ready for publication, so you can duplicate the process for your next books. You’ll also learn as you go, discovering how to successfully launch your book and market it to increase sales.
And the more you learn, the better author you’ll become and the more you can help new authors to do what you’ve done.
You might decide to help them as an author coach or as a virtual author assistant – performing necessary services (for a reasonable fee) to help them write books and prepare them for publication and launch day.
3. You’ll create a stream of passive income.
Maybe you won’t become the next Tony Robbins or J.K. Rowling, but you don’t have to sell as many copies as they do to bring in a nice supplemental income with your book royalties.
And the more books you write that your readers love, the more you stand to earn.
It’s not purely passive income since plenty of work goes into not only writing the book but keeping it visible on Amazon.
But even a few hours each week spent on effective marketing strategies can be enough to maintain a steady sales stream.
4. You won’t have to regret not trying.
You don’t want to get to the end of your life and think, “I wanted to write a book, but I was too scared to try.”
It’s too easy to talk yourself out of trying something when, in the moment, you’re more afraid of failure than of the possibility you’ll experience regret in the future for not trying. Fear is often louder than the prospect of future angst.
But, honestly, which sounds less depressing?
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If you want to write a book and you have a book idea you want to explore, the value of writing that book goes beyond how many copies you’ll sell or whether or not someone in Hollywood buys the movie rights to your story.
It’s about your doing something you want to do and not letting your fears hold you back. That alone can change your life for the better.
5. You’ll come up with more ideas.
When you write a book, you become a fountain of new ideas — not only for future books but for book-related courses, websites, and other creative projects.
You might decide to go on a speaking tour or make it your goal to give a TED talk on a topic related to your book.
Who knows what writing one book could lead to — let alone more than one. You’ll have so many ideas, the real trick will be narrowing them down.
6. You’ll stoke the fires of your creative genius.
Those creative ideas don’t come out of nowhere, after all. In writing a book, you have to dig deep to bring your authentic self to the page. You don’t want to just regurgitate what others have said; you want to leave your unique stamp.
You have your own experiences and perspective to share, but if you feel nothing about what you’re writing, neither will your readers.
The fire behind your creative genius is your passion. Think of the things that bring out your strongest emotions; chances are that if you’ve come up with a book idea that excites you, it involves those emotions.
And this is good. If it evokes emotions in you, it likely will for your readers, too.
And once you’ve written this book and aroused the same emotions in your readers, you’ll probably want to write another book on an idea that excites you.
Or maybe your book will be the launchpad to other ideas that feed your passion and resonate with your fans.
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7. You’ll become a published author.
There’s just something about seeing a published book with your name on it — either in digital or printed format.
If you’ve always wanted to hold in your hands a printed copy of a book you wrote, you can make that happen.
Other writers out there – some with less talent or with less time — have written and published books that are currently selling on Amazon and other online retailers, as well as brick-and-mortar bookstores. Why not you?
8. You’ll become more confident.
Once you’ve written a book and published it — without needing anyone else’s permission or approval — you’ll know you can do this.
You can write a book on your own, get it ready for publication, and get it out there as a brand new published book with your name on it.
You won’t be one of the many who say, “I’d like to write a book someday,” but who never do. Because you did it. And you did it well.
And you can do it again.
9. You’ll accomplish more than you thought possible.
Who knows what else you’ll accomplish once you’ve climbed Mount Write-a-Book. The view is different from the top. You might decide on a different direction for your life, or you might see other mountains you want to climb.
And, well, you climbed this mountain, so how hard can the next one be?
Talk about becoming unstoppable. If any excuses come to mind, they won’t be nearly as loud as the voice telling you, “Of course, you can do this. And you know you want to. It’s just a matter of when.”
And, just like writing a book, you’ll push through the fear and get it done.
The one making the decision is you.
Ultimately, you’re the one who will be spending the time and money writing and revising your book, so this is a decision you have to make yourself.
Once you do make the decision, though, nothing says you can’t enlist the help of others whose knowledge can help you write a book you’ll be proud of.
Don’t think you have to do this alone; the best books are made with more than one brain involved, even if only one person does most or all of the writing.
Supportive fellow writers and readers can be a tremendous help with the following:
However many (or few) people you involve in your book project, though, your author name will be on the cover.
This will be your labor of love. So, don’t let the fear of rejection or of ridicule hold you back from creating something you’ll be proud to publish and to share with others.
Every new author is writing scared. Even experienced authors feel that trepidation when they undertake a new book project.
The ones who finish and publish their books are the ones who decide to use that fear rather than be ruled by it.
So, let your fear and your passion both propel you to write a book. And may your courage and creative energy influence everything you do today.
