Is This the Year You Write Your Book?

There is a saying that everyone has a book in them. I think this is true. We are all experts at something and there is a sense that when you write a book you are expressing that knowledge in a written format that is accessible and valuable to others.

You know you have a book in you when you start to look at all the work you have done and realize it could be organized together between pages. Books can be a teaching tool, an entertainment tool, or a place to share information. When you write a book, it usually begins with one small idea that explodes into other ideas. That first idea could be as simple as taking one thing you have written (even just a sentence) and building it just like you would build rooms in a house.

There is the foundation that goes into writing a book—that is, the articles, seminars, speeches, and research work you have done up to this point. There are the walls, which are the outline that will make up your book. And of course a house wouldn’t be complete without furniture and accessories, which you can think of as the pieces of the puzzle (chapters, sentences, paragraphs) that make your book complete.

While it can be overwhelming to write those first words, realize that you probably already have them in your mind or that you have something similar you have written already. They certainly won’t come out just by thinking about your book idea, so get writing and see what happens. Remember, even though it takes weeks, months, or years to build an entire home (or write your book), that first idea for the foundation can come at any moment. So maybe it’s time to ask yourself: Is this your year?

For more publishing tips on writing and publishing your book this year, read my article: What You Need to Know About Publishing Your Book