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Writing a Book |

April 23, 2019

| by Chiwah Slater

The Secret to Writing a Life-Changing Book

So you’re writing a book, or getting ready to. Just any book? Or do you want to write a book with the power to change lives?

Make Your Book Count! (orange letters on yellow background)A homeless single woman experienced such deep shame and desperation over being pregnant that she fell into depression. She decided the only solution was to end her life once the baby was born. Her friends, also homeless and having no better solutions to offer her, agreed they would take the baby to the authorities to find a home for it.

One cold winder day, the woman and her friends took refuge in the local library, their only refuge from the weather. Knowing she would be allowed to stay there only if she were reading, she picked up a book off a table.

She opened the book to a story about a boy who saw a sign advertising puppies for sale. When he asked how much they cost, the man told him they were selling for fifteen to twenty dollars, depending on which one. The boy said he had just a few dollars, but he’d make weekly payments. The man asked which one he wanted, and he pointed to one with a limp.

The man did his best to discourage him, telling him the pup wouldn’t be much fun, that he wouldn’t be able to run and play like the other pups. But the boy was adamant. He wanted that particular pup! Finally, he bent down and rolled up his pants, revealing a leg brace. “I have to have that pup,” he said, “because with him I’m always gonna know I have a friend who understands how I feel.”

 

A boy and a dog standing by a pond with words that say “We can't run but we win all limping contests.

Hearing this story, the woman was so touched that tears ran down her face. If a boy could love an imperfect puppy, she realized, then there might be someone out there who could love an imperfect woman, even a homeless woman about to have a baby out of wedlock. She walked to the mental health center, went back onto her meds, and turned her life around. Within a short time she had found a job, and before the year was out she had bought a home and started a foundation to feed the homeless and help them become self-sufficient.

Author Jack Canfield had no way of knowing any of that would happen. And it wouldn’t have, had he and his partners not written the book she picked up that cold, wintry day in the library.

5 Chicken Soup book covers and words that say “This 250-book series sold 5 million books.”

What If You Could Have That Kind of Impact?

Maybe you think you’ll never write a book as popular as Chicken Soup for the Soul.

But how can you know?

You’re reading this post now because you know there’s a book in you. Whether that book will be born of your own personal experience or someone else’s, whether it’s a memoir or a novel or a how-to book or a book to boost your business success, that book is a yet unborn expression of your mind and heart that may make a big difference for someone.

Consider this: Even if no one ever reads it, writing it will change your life by the very fact that you will have given expression to something about which you care deeply.

What Motivates Authors to Write?

Ultimately, every authentic author writes to self-express. And well they should. Sure, you could live your whole life hiding your wisdom, your stories, your spirit. But who would that benefit?

There are more reasons for deciding to write a book than I can enumerate. Maybe you’ve always known you’d end up being a writer. Or maybe others keep saying you should write a book. Perhaps you want to leave a legacy, something for others to remember you by. Your wisdom may be just what others need to move them forward.

Note that in the first paragraph of this section, I said, “every authentic author writes to self-express.” My prejudice is showing! Books are published every day by people I don’t consider authentic authors.

Wheel showing 5 writing motivations: “Educate, Inspire, Entertain, Boos Biz, Express. What’s Yours?”

Why? Let me answer that with a (highly abridged) story: My sister and brother-in-law adopted a baby boy. The kid put them through all kinds of moves in his teenage and early adult years, including the time he was arrested for drug use. But they loved him and committed to giving him a chance to fulfill his potential. So they hung in there, took care of him, disciplined him when he needed it, and raised him to be the exceptional man he is today.

Steve’s biological parents, whoever they may be, are his real parents in that sense only. My sister is his real mom and her husband, his real dad. End of story. And what makes that so? Heart. It goes beyond love. Heart also means inspiration, dedication, the courage and determination to get it right.

If you have the inspiration, the dedication, the courage, and the determination to get a book out there that was birthed in your heart, to my mind that makes you authentic, no matter whether you pen the final draft or hire a ghostwriter. If you throw your book together to get a product out, you’re just a hack.

Can you be an authentic author and still write your book to get a product out? Sure. There’s nothing wrong with writing a book with marketing in mind. The question is, how much of yourself are you willing to invest in the writing?

My team and I have helped hundreds of authentic authors get their books out. Each had their own reasons for writing, and sometimes reasons they weren’t even aware of until the process was well on its way. I’ve chosen a few of them to illustrate the wide range of motivations for writing a book:

To Educate or Offer a Different Viewpoint

Betty Brink grew up thinking of herself as fat. She tried every diet she could find, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t slim down. Dieting just made her hungry! Eventually, she found the emotional strength to accept and even celebrate herself as she is and abandoned the struggle.

She wrote her book, The Main Meal: The New Perspective on Weight Loss, to empower others—especially women—who were not born to be reedy-thin to discover their own perfection. The title of her first chapter says it all: “If you think it’s about the food, you’ve missed the main meal.”

Two women of color at a restaurant table, nearly doubled over in laughter, with words saying, “It takes heart to write a good book.”

Rod Bearcloud Berry, a Native American visual artist of the Osage (Woo-sha-shee) Nation, sees the world from his own unique perspective. Steeped in Native American symbolism and fascinated with the geometry of pyramids and crop circles, he wrote his beautiful book, 7 Fires, to introduce readers to their shared geometric features and to the possibility that these shared features are not mere coincidence.

Robert Raming wrote War and Death of the American Dream to educate readers about the largely concealed history underlying the current state of affairs in the American political and socioeconomic arenas.

Pat Holly, a retired Registered Nurse, penned A Nurse’s Journey to the Fountain of Youth to educate women about the importance of hormone therapy as an anti-aging tool.

To Inspire

The life of an immigrant is often fraught with difficulties never faced by those who stay put where they were born. On the other hand, immigrants may enjoy opportunities unavailable to others. Ruth Douglass wrote Triumph of Dreams (also published in Spanish, as Triunfo de los Sueños) to tell her own story as an immigrant with the goal of inspiring others to immigrate legally and to seek out the hidden opportunities that can make their lives exemplary.

Lily Birmingham wrote her children’s book, The Adventures of Fearless Girls, using the story of her own childhood to inspire young girls to step forward into the realm of adventure.

Linda Savolainen LeVier (Laughing Hearts: My Joy-Filled Heart Transplant Journey) and Donaldo Kochackis (Prostate Cancer and Me) wrote the stories of their medical journeys to inspire others to heal with humor and laughter and to take positive steps toward making this a better world.

Cute white dog on desk with woman’s hand holding a pen in front of him and text that says “Outside of my dog, writing is my greatest joy. Inside of my dog, it’s way too dark to write.”

To Entertain

No Nude Swimming, Robert Gottlieb’s novel about breaking out of the legal profession, was written to entertain. The book was one of three finalists in the Humorous Fiction category of the Global eBook Awards and has been rewritten as a television series. Robert’s other books (in progress) draw on his Jewish family history to entertain and inspire readers.

Jay Britto wrote The World’s Richest Busboy, chronicling his own experiences surfing around the world, to entertain.

Doug Drago wrote two books to entertain children of all ages: The Adventures of Neanderthal Ned and Megan’s Big Birthday.

Against All Odds is Doris Hayes’s highly engaging biographical novel, in which she recounts the story of her friend who married a priest and of their trials in gaining absolution from the Catholic Church.

To Boost Business Success

One of my clients wrote a revealing book on the use of art therapy in a senior residence that she then used to motivate other senior homes to include this therapeutic approach in their patient care programs.

Michael Wolf wrote The First Time Home Buyer Book to help those new to the home buying game, but in the process he created a book that has served him well as a lead generator and trust builder. He has since written at least one other business-boosting book, The First Time Home Investor Book.

Simply to Self-Express

TC Townsend’s Imagine … The Rock ‘N’ Roll Party In Coalition with The Worldwide Fair Play for Frogs Committee is a delightful memoir of the ‘80s, packed with thought-provoking material that is still pertinent today. But knowing TC, I believe he wrote it primarily to celebrate himself and some people he loved. And he paid quite a price for the celebration—the book needed a lot of editing, and it cost him dearly. (I hadn’t yet discovered a tool I recommend these days to all my students, Pro Writing Aid Writing Software. It’s the best self-editing tool I’ve seen, and can save you a lot on editing. They offer a free trial.)

Janet Eileene wrote Whisper of the Universe to tell stories that grew out of her own experiences of an alternate reality.

Pink flowers and a Virginia Woolf quote that says “A writer’s every secret is in his work” data-pin-description=”Why you should write a book” #writeabook #writing #writingabook #author #ilovebooks #amwriting #writersofig #story #stories

So there you have it—plenty of reasons for writing and publishing the book in your heart. What’s your reason? It may be one or more of those listed above, or it may be something entirely unique to you. (Don’t be surprised if as you write you come to realize there were reasons you weren’t even aware of when you started out.)

One last word on this: If you’re thinking of writing a book to finance your retirement or bring in the money you need to make some other dream come true, think again. Yes, you may make money with your book. If you’re industrious and lucky and your timing is right, you may even make enough to turn a profit after covering the expenses involved. But the likelihood your book will make you big dollars is slim to none.

Sure, some authors manage it. A single book isn’t likely to do it for you. But if you write several books a year, it’s not at all farfetched to imagine that in just a few years you’ll build the momentum to pay for your life. If you’re willing to put in the energy required to promote your books well, there’s no reason you can’t sell multiple thousands of copies. 

That said, unless you’re planning a writing career, the truest wealth that will accrue to you from your book will be the joy of knowing it made a positive difference for your readers. Let enrichment of the heart be your highest expectation. Then, if your book becomes wildly popular and you make a mint from it, consider that gravy.

The one exception would be if you’re writing a book to boost your business. It may not be the book itself that makes you money, however. Many a business-boosting book has turned out to be a net financial loss and still contributed as nothing else could to the success of the business. 

Writing Improvement Software

Your Book Will Change You—For the Better

There are so many ways to get your book written that you really have no excuse for cheating yourself out of the authoring experience. At the start of this chapter, I shared some of our clients’ reasons for writing.

Now, let me share with you some benefits you’ll enjoy as a published author. No matter what kind of book you author or how you get it written, or how many people end up reading it, writing your book will:

Give you the satisfaction of knowing you’ve done something likely to benefit others.

Build your self-confidence and self-respect. Even today, with technology making it easier than ever to write and publish, becoming a published author is something only a very small percentage of humans will ever achieve.

Move you to develop better work habits, including the self-discipline to prioritize and make efficient use of your time and energy.

Diminish any fear you may have of taking on large projects. Having learned the skill of breaking large projects into bite-sized tasks, you’ll find it easier to maintain a can-do attitude when faced with other large projects.

Authorship = Authority. Once you become a published author, people will look at you differently. It sets you up as an instant indisputable authority, the go-to person in your area of expertise.

Woman reflecting as she holds a book, with text that says “A Book is a Dream You Hold in Your Hand” data-pin-description=”Write your passion into your book” #writeabook #writing #writingabook #author #ilovebooks #amwriting #writersofig #story #stories Stick to Your Passion

No matter what kind of book you’re writing, I suspect you’d like for it to make a difference in readers’ lives. Am I right? The key to achieving that is to have meaningful content you really care about.

Passion isn’t everything, but it’s the energy behind everything. In the words of Steve Jobs, “You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong you want to right. If you’re not passionate enough from the start, you’ll never stick it out.”

Nowhere is that more true than in writing a book. If you’ve heard that it’s best to write what you know, consider this: What if you’re bored with what you know? Who will want to listen to what you have to say about it? Yet if you hold what you know close to your heart, the stories you tell may inspire the next new thought wave.

 

Ruby heart and spiral that says “Write the book in your heart, the one you want to be remembered for

 It might be that you’re really excited about some new topic on which you’re not an expert. Could you write a worthy nonfiction book about it? Sure. There’s no rule that says you have to be the expert. You just have to provide expertise. You could interview several experts and use those interviews as the basis for the book.

One last word (for now) about writing the book in your heart: It takes passion to stay the course. If your heart’s not in it, how long are you going to stick with the project? People who start projects because they think they should, rather than out of passion, tend to accumulate a backlog of unfinished works. How many uncompleted projects are sitting in your metaphorical attic gathering dust? Let’s not add one more.

But—Shouldn’t You Write for the Market?

Sure, you’re probably thinking, it’s good to write a book from your heart, but what if no one wants to read about the topic you’re passionate about? Wouldn’t it make sense to research what’s selling and write that? As an author, you often walk a fine line between what the market wants and what your heart wants. If the market truly has no interest in your topic, your book won’t find a readership and won’t do anyone any good.

A young woman sits at her computer, writing. In the background you see a blue ribbon. The words say, “Write like the wind. Make your book count.”

I too have grappled with this issue. Having studied online business under two powerful mentors, I’d make more money if I could focus on teaching Internet marketing. But I can’t. I tried—for five years! I finally realized I’d never be able to stick with it because my primary passion is language and helping people use it effectively. That’s what I’m hard-wired to do. Yes, I know marketing, and I’ll be happy to guide you as you build your authoring business. But not at the expense of sacrificing my main love.

If you start from what the market wants, you’ may never get to what’s in your heart. So start with what’s important to you, and find the fit with the market. That’s the secret to maximizing the number of lives your book (or books) can change.

Toasting Your Writing Magic,
Chiwah Slater, Best-Selling Author
Founder, AWritetoKnow.com, GreenSongPress.com, EcoActive101.com, PetWrites.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/chiwah.slater, https://facebook.com/thepluckyducky, https://facebook.com/ecoactive101
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PS — Having been a writer all my life, I’ve published several books, including a best seller. I’ve published and edited two magazines, edited scores of books, and mentored more new authors than I can recall. Even so, I appreciate a good writer’s aid. Thanks to Pro Writing Aid Editing Tool, I made at least ten improvements to this article as I wrote it. I heartily recommend you take advantage of their two-week free trial—before you write another paragraph!

And yes, I may make a small commission (at no cost to you) if you upgrade to one of their (very affordable) paid programs. (I just now wrote that sentence, and the tool prompted me to make another beneficial change. I love the Pro Writing Aid.) The same is true for Lisa Tener’s excellent book coaching programs.

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A Book for Your Biz |

March 16, 2019

| by Chiwah Slater

What 10 Ways is Writing and Publishing a Book Vital to Your Business?

A road with a tunnel, and a large, shining white book showing the words “What If?” leading the way into the green valley beyond, with overlying text saying, “10 Ways Writing a Book Shines a Light on Your Business.”

Why would writing and publishing a book be one of the best things you could do for your business? 

It is nothing short of tragic that most business owners today are in the dark as to the value of a book for building their business. Here are three typical situations that illustrate my point:

Situation #1: You meet a provider, strike up a conversation, and hit it off.  At some point, you let her know you’re considering investing in the service she provides. She takes out her business card, circles her number on it, and writes a special message on the back just for you. Good use of a business card! She made it memorable for you and gave you a reason to call her.
 
Later that week, however, you meet another provider of similar services, and you like her, too. When you tell her you’ve been considering investing in such a service, she smiles, reaches into her bag, pulls out her book and places it in your hand. “I think this will answer most of your questions,” she says.
 
Which one are you more likely to hire the service from? All other things being equal, I’m betting you’ll call the one who handed you her book—even if you don’t get around to reading it.
 
Situation #2: A massage therapist I met on a Marketers’ Cruise chuckled derisively when I suggested she write a book. “I don’t need a book,” she said. “I’m doing just fine. I couldn’t handle a heavier client load.”
 
By the time we separated to go network with other business owners, though, I could see her wheels turning. “Yeah,” she conceded, “I could probably hand the extra business over to other massage therapists and collect referral fees.”
 
Probably?  With a book to establish her authority, she could be raking in referral fees all over town.

A testimonial from author Shannon McLay saying, "Even my clients are excited about the book. Now they have an easy way to tell their friends and family about me. Then can just send them a book!"

Situation #3: A CEO confides that she’s having difficulty keeping her team members focused on the direction she has set for her company. That’s a weight a book could take off her shoulders. “Check out chapter three in my book,” she could say, instead of having to repeat herself at every turn. Headache dissolved!

10 ways a book boosts your business, including clarifying your vision, attracting new and repeat customers, earning referrals, luring the media, facilitating speaking engagements, simplifying team training, saving your voice, attracting JV partners, and making the business more saleable.

No matter what business you’re in, here are a few advantages a well-written book offers you and your business:

  1. Clarifies Your Vision for Your Company: Putting your vision down in writing is a great way to identify and resolve contradictions in your own mind and assure singularity of purpose in your business. Once it’s all clear in your mind and down on paper, the world will have a much better understanding of what your business is all about.
  2. Maximizes New Client/Customer Attraction: Writing a book tips the scales strongly in your favor over the business cards or brochures your prospects receive from your competitors. Plus, you’ll find clients sharing your book with friends and colleagues, online and off, building the buzz around your business.
  3. Earns Referrals from Competitors: This may sound crazy, but it’s not. Your book sets you up as an authority in your competitors’ eyes, making you the one they’re comfortable referring people to when they don’t have what it takes to solve their problems.
  4. Garners Media Attention and Speaking Engagements: Being a published author makes you irresistible to the media. TV and radio shows, online and off, can draw in huge audiences.
  5. Facilitates Speaking Engagements: Your book lets meeting planners know you’re an authority who can provide the high-quality content their audiences will appreciate. And back-of-the-room book sales provide you an additional revenue stream over and above your speaker fee.
  6. Brings You New and Repeat Customers: An authoritative book adds actual and perceived value by educating your prospects and clients just enough to help them take better advantage of your products and services. It can also reduce the number of complaints and provide the answers to those you do receive.

    A pastel yellow and green garden behind a table with stacks of gold coins on it, all sprouting a green plant, leading to a sprouting jar of coins. The words say, “Write your book, and it will add value to everything you do.”
  7. Builds Enormous Value for Your Mid-Range and High-End Products: A properly crafted book will make the benefit of all the products in your line crystal clear. This is the supreme benefit of a book; all the others are just steps to making this one happen in a big way.
  8. Makes Teambuilding Easier—Qualify & Train Staff and Outsourcers: Your book becomes an indispensable tool for qualifying and training team members to operate in alignment with your vision. Save time and your vocal cords: Just hand them your book and say, “Take a look at chapter seven. It says it better than I can.”
  9. Attracts and Engages the Right Joint Venture Partners: An authoritative book gives prospective joint venture and strategic alliance partners a quick way to get a handle on what your business is all about. It also lets them know you’re serious and worth their investment of time and energy.
  10. Makes Your Business Easier to Sell When It’s Time to Move On: Are you so caught up in the operation of your business that you’ve never given thought to creating an exit strategy? Big mistake! When the time comes, your book gives you an easy way to draw prospective buyers in, highlights the foundation you’ve built, and sweetens the deal by offering them a “track to run on” should they so choose.

You may resist taking the time to write and publish a book, but the sooner you get one in place, the sooner all the areas of your business will come together to create the life you dream of. The good news is, there are relatively easy way to create the unique, top quality book that will earn you all the benefits outlined above … and more. Explore 7 great ideas to make writing your book easier.

A picture of a happy businesswoman smiling as she talks on the phone to her ghostwriter, with text saying, “Call a ghostwriter, and smile while your book gets written, no sweat.”

Have you thought about hiring a ghostwriter? One with the expertise to tell your story in your voice, and in so doing make you and your products and services irresistible to your target audience? And more! Freeing you up to keep your focus on running your business.

To explore the possibility of having a ghost writer create your book, send us an email or pick up your phone and call me at 1-442-615-0399. I’ll listen attentively while you tell me about your business and your vision, and make recommendations based on the information you provide. If we agree that a book is the answer, we do what we can to create a custom package that fits your goals and budget.

Call now and begin your journey to a book that repays many times your investment!

To your business success and life fulfillment,

Chiwah Slater signature

Founder, AWritetoKnow.com, GreenSongPress.com, EcoActive101.com, PetWrites.com
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PS—I only promote others’ products I believe in. I use the Pro Writing Aid daily and love it; no matter how good or bad a writer you are, it will improve your writing by alerting you to important details you’ve missed. I also recommend Lisa Tener’s courses, not because I’ve taken them but because I have followed her career since 2012 and I recommend her with confidence. I will make a small profit when you purchase Pro Writing Aid Editing Tool or any of Lisa’s programs or products, at no additional cost to you.

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