Should you write a book?

I’m delighted that today writer’s coach Leda Sammarco is back, this time with a thought-provoking guest post on the pressure for business owners and experts to write a book:

Whenever I hear someone say, ‘I really should write a book’, it makes me uneasy. Inherent in the word ‘should’ is a sense of obligation. We may use it when referring to things that are ‘good for us’, as opposed to things we really want to do.

I should read that business book I just bought, but I’d rather catch up with the latest episode of [my favourite TV programme].

I should go and visit my great-aunt, but I’d rather go and see my old school friend.

I should eat some salad for lunch, but I hear a chocolate cup cake calling my name.

However, you may have been working too hard and really need to relax or you may not have seen your school friend in a long time. Or perhaps you eat healthily most days and just feel like a treat! Rather than feeling guilty, you can use it as an opportunity to recognise your true motivation for doing something.

Here are some of the most common reasons why people think they should write a book.

• Your competitors/peers have written a book

You may feel that without a book you lack credibility or will be left behind. However, first you need to have clarity around your business message, services and tribe. Then you can identify the message you want to share in your book. If you write it in a hurry it could be badly structured or poorly written and you may even up writing the wrong book that doesn’t reflect you and your business or make a difference in the world.

• You are afraid that someone else will write ‘your book’

Most things have been said before, but they have yet to be said by you. Remember that no one responds to the world in precisely the way you do. If you allow your authentic voice and style to shine through on the page, when you share your experiences and knowledge, it engages your true readers. There are many different voices out there, but people will gravitate to the ones who resonate with them the most.

• Someone has told you that you should write a book

I once met someone who told me she felt she should write a book as she’d had some amazing life experiences and people kept saying she had a great story to tell and should share what she had learnt with others. When I asked her if she actually wanted to write a book, she went silent.
You may well have a great story to tell, but you need to feel absolutely passionate about writing a book and know exactly why you want to write it and what it will do for your readers. If you write a book because you feel you should, it shows!

• You are presenting at a conference or leading a course or workshop

There is nothing wrong with giving yourself a deadline when writing a book, but in my experience the creative process can’t be rushed. There is an ebb and flow of activity such as planning, research, mind-mapping, thinking, redrafting and a-ha moments. I know when I wrote my book that riding this creative wave and taking my time ultimately produced a far richer, deeper book.

If you are wondering if you should write a book, I invite you to tune in to your intuition and ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I have a message to share with the world?
• Is there a book that wants to come through me?
• Am I ‘on fire’ to write it?

If now isn’t the right time, I suggest you go and buy a special notebook and write down every idea that comes up (along with the date and time). Then when you are ready you’ll know you are writing a book because you really want to, not because you should.

Leda Sammarco empowers spiritual entrepreneurs to get started on their first book through her Book Detective package. She has a background in market research, PR and publishing and is the author of Finding the Gold – an inspirational memoir with self-help elements.

Enjoyed this? Click here for all Leda’s helpful posts for aspiring authors.