Overcoming Objections: Defeating Your Top Book-Writing Hurdles
You know you need to do it. Youāve had it on your to-do list for years. Your own coach has told you time and again that this is the year you must get your book in print.
And yetā¦nothing.
Itās not that you donāt recognize the benefits, or that you donāt want to have a published book on your resume. You just struggle with it, and probably for the same reasons many other coaches resist publication.
You donāt have time. Hereās a biggie. Everyone is busy. We all get that. But thatās not a good excuse when it comes to growing your business.
Rather than lamenting your lack of time, you should be prioritizing your day to accommodate the important things, like writing your book. Maybe that means getting up 30 minutes earlier for a focused (if short) writing stint every morning, or turning off the television after dinner so you can write, or even setting aside several hours each Sunday morning until your book is done.
The point is, you must make this a priority. Block out the time in your calendar, and treat that time as sacred. Pretend itās an appointment with your most important client, and do not allow anything to get in the way of keeping it.
You canāt write. Many, many people claim they cannot write; yet when you look at their blogs, there are hundreds of posts. What it really means when someone says they canāt write is that they donāt like to.
Luckily, you have plenty of options for overcoming this particular hurdle. Hire a ghostwriter. Start with PLR. Repurpose your blog posts into a book (Darren Rowse of Problogger.net did this with great success).
And if all else fails, speak. Use software such as Dragon Naturally Speaking, or simply record using your favorite MP3 app and then have it transcribed.
You canāt organize a long project like a book. Ok, so youāre great with blog posts, and you donāt mind writing them, but the thought of writing an entire book makes you stare at your blank screen like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.
First, if you can write a blog post, you can write an entire series of books. The process is all the same, after all. Itās just putting words into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, and so on.
But if you really feel you canāt manage a long project, then an outline is going to be your best friend. Start with a broad overview of your project, and then break it down by sections, then chapters. Make notes about what youāll cover in each, and then itās just a matter of filling in the blanks.
There are dozens of reasons to write a book. Itās important for establishing your expertise, for growing your audience, and for solidifying your message. But none of that will happen if you donāt actually write it. So itās time to get beyond your hurdles and get your book done.