Plan Now to Write a Book in 2021
As business owners think about their “big rocks” for a year or a quarter, writing a book often comes up. This makes sense, as writing a book isn’t a small goal that can be completed as quickly as, say, planning a webinar or crafting a quarterly content plan. If writing a book to serve your business this year is on your radar, here are your first steps:
Prepare well.
Identify your non-negotiables.
Understand that writing is not the end of the process.
Prepare Well
How much time do you really need to write a book? If you enjoy writing and write regularly in your business already, you can likely write a 50,000-word book in two or three months (assuming your schedule is fairly open for those months). If you don’t particularly enjoy writing, it might take longer to reach the point where you’re consistently producing larger word counts. The key to efficient book writing is to have a plan before you start writing and know how quickly you write.
Identify Your Non-Negotiables
Building out a project schedule based on non-negotiables already on your calendar allows you to see how your book will actually get written — and then published. What do I mean by non-negotiables? I mean those things that are already on your calendar, such as another launch in your business, whether a course or a new service offering. Or your family vacation, which is already booked and paid for. Or a conference where you’re speaking. Or a volunteer commitment. Prioritize those activities and events; they’re non-negotiable. Build your writing and marketing schedule around your non-negotiables, not the other way around.
Understand that Writing Is Not the End of the Process
In fact, it’s only the start of the next phase! Unlike a course or other new service/product offering, which can be released once you’re finished, a book is different. Once the writing is done, your work isn’t close to being finished. There are several stages left before your book can be released (revising, beta testing, editing, and formatting, to name a few), and then there’s the actual publishing and marketing of the book. Let’s break this down, because many business owners assume that once their first draft is written, they’ll have a finished book in hand fairly quickly. Spoiler alert: There’s a BIT more to it than that, especially if you’re self-publishing. (If traditional book publishing is your cup of tea, you’ll get more of a break after you turn your book over to an agent or publisher for production.)
Revising/Beta Feedback
In my 20 years in book publishing, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a complete first draft that ends up being a published book. A draft is called a draft for a reason. You need other eyes on the material to make it better, whether that comes in the form of a developmental/structure edit or beta feedback (or both). You need to make sure your book says what you mean it to say, delivers whatever promise you make to readers, and is clear and properly structured.
This can take a few weeks or a few months, depending on how big the changes are and how much of a break you take between writing wrap-up and revising. Any break will serve you well so you can come back to the words on the page with fresh eyes.
Production: Copy Editing and Formatting
Once a book is finished (AKA you are done adding new material and moving sections of text around), you’re ready for production. Here’s where you take a step back and turn the book over to a copy editor and then a designer. A copy editor is more nuts and bolts than a developmental editor, so if your book isn’t structured properly, with material in the right order, money on a copy edit could be wasted. And formatting an incomplete book makes no sense.
Copy editing can take anywhere from a few weeks to a couple months, depending on your book details (word count, how “clean” the manuscript is, etc.) and what the editor’s process looks like. Some editors edit once, whereas others edit multiple times.
Formatting also depends on variables including the book length and makeup (e.g., all text or text with photos/graphics). It might take anywhere from two to six weeks. Each designer has a process unique to them.
Printing and Distributing
Amazon is, of course, the name of the game — but it isn’t the only player. Using Amazon has advantages, among them quick delivery to your customers and you not needing to do a thing once the book file has been uploaded and approved. However, also consider that Amazon doesn’t share purchaser information with you, so you have no way of knowing who bought your book so that you can nurture a relationship with them. For business owners especially, who are less concerned with mass market appeal and more concerned with reaching a specific target audience, often Amazon is a piece of the puzzle and utilized in combination with other ideas. Every book distribution plan looks different.
With a plan in place, writing and publishing a book this year is absolutely possible! If writing a book to help grow your business is part of your 2021 plan, I’d love to talk with you about your project! Schedule your complimentary Book Brainstorm Session today.