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Make 2020 the year you write your book…
Ever thought about writing a book but never quite got started? You’re not alone.
Here are 15 reasons why I think you should write a book in 2020…
- To become a better writer and communicator. If you’re a business owner — in fact, if you’re a human being, which I assume you are — great written communication skills will serve you forever. We all have to write emails and letters and texts and we all want to persuade people of something — whether it’s to buy our products or services or go on a date or clean their room. — or explain ourselves and feel heard. Being able to write well will help you do these things. And you’ll improve your speaking skills, too.
- It’s really hard. I write a lot about how hard it is to write a book, and how crucial it is to try. You’ll discover you’re capable of so much more than you think you are. I learned a new word the other day: misogi. It dates back to 8th Japan and originally described a mythical taboo journey to the underworld. In medieval Japan, it came to mean the ascetics’ painful but purifying deeds. They’d stand under waterfalls and chant for hours. These days, some people do a modern version: once a year, you do something you’re really not sure you can do. Before they start, most people aren’t sure they can write a book — but they can. Whether you will or not is up to you.
- You have a story to tell and it’s worth telling. Most people I listen to think their stories are boring, or that nobody else will be interested. Not true. Just because your story is familiar to you, doesn’t mean it’s familiar to everyone else. You don’t get to decide what value other people get from your tale; they do. What if your story could help someone improve their life? Isn’t it selfish to withhold it from them?
- The kind of people you want to work will gravitate towards you if you can put your book in their hands. Show people you understand where they’re coming from and that you can help, and they’ll love you for it.
- Experts write books. Look at all the most successful people in various industries, and you’ll find most of them have written a book. It’s a fab way to cement your expert status.
- A book can be a short-cut to intimacy: your book is a brilliant way to bring people into your world. Yes, you want to keep building relationships via articles, emails, videos, social media, etc. but when someone sits down to read your whole book in one go, they get to know you really well. Think about how you feel when you read a book — fiction or non-fiction — and you feel like you’re immersed in the author’s world.
- You become more of an expert than you already are. In writing your book, you’ll discover holes in your knowledge and you’ll work to fill them. You’ll become better at what you do.
- It’s a massive confidence boost: holding your book in your hands is like a mark of legitimacy, a big fat endorsement that you are an expert. You know enough to fill a whole book.
- It opens doors you might not otherwise encounter. Event organisers love authors, and you’ll be more likely to be invited to speak or be interviewed in the media if you have a book you can send to people. Plus it gives you something to pitch people with, other than just an email or phone call.
- It makes you memorable. In a roomful of people handing out business cards? Hand out your book instead. They won’t forget you.
- A book makes you immortal. No, really! Books will be around long after you shuffle off this mortal coil. If your book moves people and helps them change their lives for the better, your legacy will be wonderful.
- You’ll discover more about who you are, who you want to be, and what you really want to do in life. Writing things down makes them clear.
- You’ll make more money. Yeah, all those lofty goals are great, but you run a business and ultimately you want and need to be profitable. Writing and publishing a book will give you a boost: not only the confidence to charge more, but the proof behind you to help you reach the kinds of customers who are willing to pay more for what you offer. And they’ll get better results, too.
- It’s the best way to share an idea or story that matters. The internet is wonderful, so is TV and radio and film — but books are still the best way to share ideas that matter and endure. We still think of books as something special — and they are.
- You’ll become a better thinker. Writing things down helps you figure out what you really think of things. To write clearly, you must think clearly — and writing helps you do that.
I could come up with 1,000 good reasons to write a book, but the most important reason is this: because you want to.
Do you want to write a book? If so, don’t let fear or doubt stop you. Get cracking today by grabbing a copy of my book below…
Start Writing Your Book Today
I’m on a mission to create 1,000 business owner-authors and help them transform their lives and businesses. Join us: download the Ultimate Guide to Beating The Blank Page Of Doom.