Ready to write your book?

3 tips to move forward.

In a previous article: Do you have a book in you? 3 tips to get started, I provided tips to assess if you really want to write a book and have what it takes to actually do it.

So, you’re motivated, you got over the imposter syndrome, you clarified the purpose of your book and you cleared time in your calendar for the coming months.

Now what? You still have no clue what do do next, what it really takes to publish a book. Well, it takes a lot, so you’d better get organized.

This quote is an apt description of my own experience:

“Books aren’t written — they’re rewritten. Including your own”.
Michael Crichton

Even if you have a natural talent, there will be numerous edits and revisions, get ready for it!

Let’s discover 3 more tips.

4. Get the appropriate logistical support

There are a lot of moving parts in writing a book and different competences are required. The support you need will differ widely depending on your own skills, your current resources and your network.

I was fortunate enough to be connected to a program that ‘took me by the hand’ from beginning to end: The Creators Institute. I guess there are other similar platforms and programs out there. Personally, I didn’t research further, as the Creators Institute was exactly what I felt I needed as an absolute beginner: templates and tools, editors, logistical support, online platform, support network and publisher.
This option is not for everyone. You need to accept the structure, the deadlines (it’s a 20-week program) and the community. If you prefer to work alone, I would suggest to investigate other resources that meet your specific needs.

These are the critical resources you will need:

• Somebody to write: you may write yourself or hire a professional ghostwriter, it is a very personal choice. I opted to write myself to be in line with one of the key messages in my book: you need to create from your own emotions if you want the final product to emotionally resonate with your consumers or audience. In addition, given my cultural background, my writing has a “French flair” as one of my editors outlined: “I corrected the English but loved that French ”smell’ in your sentences!“. I know the way I write or speak is not perfect English, however this turned out to be a plus: my readers love that, when they read, they can just imagine me talking to them! This said, there are a lot of ghostwriters who will do a wonderful job at translating your message into a book.
• Editor(s): I was amazed at the variety of talents needed for editors: editing your chapter as you write, having a high level look at your first manuscript draft, proof reading, prepping for publishing and more. But I think my most amazing discovery was that, besides professional editors, asking for beta readers in my network was of great added value. I had 18 beta readers, friends as well as people who did not know me — okay, a little too many when you have to consolidate feedback — but they had a tremendous impact between my first draft and the revised version.
• A publisher: today, we are lucky to have flexibility in business models: self-publish, work with a traditional publisher, or do hybrid publishing. I did the latter as it was part of the program. I am not an expert in publishing, you can find a lot of information online.

5. Decide how to finance the publishing

You will need to be proactive as it is a significant expense of thousands of dollars. You may get a return on investment on your book if your book is a best seller — which is totally possible — however future sales are far from being guaranteed and it takes time and money to promote a book.

You may of course self-fund if you can afford the financial investment.
Via the Creators Institute, I discovered crowdfunding, which ended up being a beautiful way to fund the publishing.
When I was first exposed to the concept, having never used it before, I freaked out: “What? Asking my family and friends for money? You’re kidding?”
I realize it was also a cultural reaction as Europeans do not have the same relationship to money as Americans.

Engaging in the process of funding via a platform taught me that it is not about asking people for money, but rather, as one of my co-authors so nicely put it:

Crowdfunding is about helping people discover the pleasure of giving.

Indeed, it is not strictly about money, you are in fact offering your backers an opportunity to be part of an adventure, to have a peek behind the scenes.
I thought I would never be able to raise the funds, but I succeeded, as I did with a lot of others things I tackled for the first time during my book writing venture!

6. Create an emotional support network

This is also linked to the previous topic of crowdfunding.
Writing a book is tough and you cannot do it alone. You need logistical support, and equally important is emotional support.
It’s a long road and there will be numerous times when you will just want to give up, delay the project or forget about it entirely.

This is when your supportive network comes into the picture.

Emotional support can come from:

• Family: family members are usually people you respect and don’t want to disappoint. They are also very often the closest to you emotionally.
• Friends: I have a very small family, so as I always say: my friends are my adopted family. They were instrumental in encouraging me along the way and helping me get over the imposter syndrome.
• Fellow authors: this was one of my most preferred perks of the program! The online author community became a safe haven where advice was shared, encouragement exchanged, and also… commiseration. It was especially precious as I wrote the book during the pandemic and confinement.
• Colleagues: as mine was a business book, it made sense for my colleagues to support me as they could relate to the content. What was magical though was that the book became a tool to reconnect me with colleagues I had lost contact with, an unexpected side benefit.
• Strangers: this came as a total surprise to me. I learned that becoming an author was a big enterprise that commanded respect: total strangers who loved my message provided encouragement and advice.

Stay tuned for the upcoming article with the last 3 tips for a successful writing experience as a first-time author!

In this article series, I share my experience in writing my first book, Venus Genius. I hope you enjoyed this post — if you enjoyed it and want to connect you can reach me here via my website: www.innoveve.com or connect with me on social: www.linkedin.com/in/fabienne-jacquet. You can also find my book on Amazon — here is the link: https://lnkd.in/dXbs_WK.