Write

How to write a non-fiction book to raise your profile and grow your business

Cathryn Mora

• Publisher: Change Empire Books
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9780645021769
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Publishing
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

Do you want to write a book?

Do you feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start? Or have fears which are holding you back from putting yourself out there?

You're not alone.

Writing a book can be an exciting but scary goal - and at the same time, one which can raise your profile to expert status and explode your business. A well-written book can open doors of opportunity, including speaking gigs, podcast and media interviews, new and higher paying clients, and much more.

In this book, CEO of Change Empire Books, Cathryn Mora, reveals all the steps you need to plan and write your non-fiction book. Detailing every stage from overcoming your fears, to planning effectively, and forming good writing habits, to the different stages of editing, and how to create a best seller from day one.

WRITE is your best friend and companion if you want to write a book and you're ready to take action.

CHAPTER 1

What are you worried about?

“I want to write a book but I’m worried what people will think.”

“I want to write a book but I’m worried it won’t be any good.”

“I want to write a book but I’m worried nobody will read it.”

“I want to write a book but I’m worried … [insert your fear here].”

When people find out I’m a book coach and publisher, they always tell me about their book-writing dreams but immediately follow with the reason they can’t do it.

Sometimes they are legitimate reasons, but often, they’re just procrastination, and fear. They don’t want to start something they know they won’t finish, or commit to something they don’t believe they’ll be good at.

But here’s the thing – avoiding something because of fear and uncertainty means missing out on doing so many great things in your life. How many times have you been a bit nervous about something, but done it anyway, and later been so glad you did?

Writing a book is like that. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it.

You will always be glad you wrote a book. You will always be recognised as a published author, and you will be proud for the rest of your days! You will become the person who starts sentences with, “When I wrote my book …”

It can also be amazing for your business. Once you are a published author – with a quality book – multiple doors of opportunity will open up for you. You need to work to make this happen, by leveraging the book and letting people know that it exists, and that you’re an expert, but the possibilities are there.

Besides the commercial benefits, you may be motivated by leaving a legacy or helping others. And your knowledge can change lives, seriously. The wisdom and lessons you share in your book can help others, even years down the track. You may have moved on and started doing other things, and ‘grown’ in your business or life, but the book will remain to help others long after you’ve progressed past the learnings or challenges your book addresses.

So, why do we always sell ourselves short? We have a dream and immediately act as if it can’t be achieved, yet, when you think about it, how many people have already done the exact thing you want to do? That’s not to say that writing a successful book is easy, but with some effort, it’s a worthwhile challenge that can be conquered.

Yes, some books aren’t perfect. Some don’t sell well. But other authors write books which go on to be remarkably successful; their books are the start of something great. If you always worry about falling into the former group, you’ll never have a shot at the latter.

But that applies to most things in life too, right?

I was in Gimmelwald, Switzerland in 1999. I was 24 years old and partway through a four-month backpacking holiday.

Sitting at the outdoor table and chairs, enjoying the incredible vista of snow-capped mountains, a young woman was sitting alone at another table, writing in her journal. She folded her pen between the pages and closed it, then looked over at me and smiled.

“Hey,” she said, “Can I come sit with you?”

She joined me at my table and introduced herself as a New Yorker on break from her Child Psychology Masters. Julia was travelling alone and was really enjoying the serenity after two years of observing families for her thesis.

She had interviewed and observed a couple of hundred families doing everyday activities to further her research on various parenting techniques and their effectiveness.

“I don’t think I want to have children,” I told her, looking out across the mountains.

“Why not?”

“I’m just worried that I wouldn’t be a very good mum, and I don’t want to be responsible for messing up some kid’s life,” I said. “It’s a big responsibility.”

“The fact you would even be worried about being a good parent means that you probably will be,” she said. “You’d be surprised how many parents don’t even think about what kind of parent they are.”

She had a point. So many people bumble along in their journey, oblivious to the impact of their words and actions, unknowingly causing long-term damage to their children along the way. I don’t say that to criticise parents – especially now that I am one, and a flawed one at that. But I do have acute awareness of my behaviour and constantly strive to do better.

So, what on earth does that have to do with your book?

The fact that you’re reading this book is the first sign that your own book is going to be great. If you didn’t care, you would be off and racing on your own project without stopping to think about the quality. You wouldn’t have researched blogs and books on how to write a book, and you wouldn’t have taken the time to choose a guide that talks you through the basics. If you’re willing to put in the time, it’s clear that you care about quality and taking action. You are in the minority just by doing that, and you’re setting yourself on the path to success. Go, you!

There are many great reasons to write a book

Based on the number of people who contact me every day about writing a book, I can attest to the fact it’s a lifelong dream of so many people. For many aspiring authors, it’s a novel they wish to pen, and for others, it’s non-fiction. In entrepreneurial circles, authoring a self-help book or a memoir can catapult you from swimming among the weeds to skimming across the surface in a magnificent unicorn floatable.

Well-respected authors such as Brené Brown, Gabby Bernstein, Eckhart Tolle, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Dr Joe Dispenza grace international stages and impact the lives of thousands, if not millions, of people. They are the popstars of the personal development world – readers flock to Amazon on the day their books are available for sale, and thousands more pay well to see them in person. Most of my clients are inspired by one or more of these authors, and they want to be in company with them.

In my first call with a client, she said, “I already earn twelve to fifteen thousand dollars for a keynote speech. I want to charge twenty to twenty-five, and you can only do that if you have a book.”

“All the big boys have a book.”

And she’s right. You couldn’t throw a pebble in a conference green room without striking a published author.

Another client at the same time echoed a similar sentiment. “I currently get ten thousand for a speaking gig,” she said in her Aussie twang. “But apparently I can earn much more with a book.” The week her book was published, she was offered five such speaking gigs.

Other clients have used their books in other ways. My client Carlie Maree, who I’ll speak about more later in this book, quadrupled her income (from $105,000 to $420,000) in the 10 months after her book was released.

Yes, it requires effort and energy on your behalf to actively leverage the book, but the rewards are well worth it.

What kind of results would you like when you become an author?

What can a book do for you?

Grow your business

Although a book can exponentially grow your business, I do caution about jumping into it too soon. If you are a startup, my advice is to focus on making the business profitable before you invest the time, money, and energy into a well-crafted book. The energy and pressure of creating a financially abundant business can often impact on the creativity and motivation you need to write.

In addition to this, I have learned through working on the books of new business owners, that your first year or two in business is a steep learning curve, and you may change the trajectory of your business. I once worked with a coach in a very specific niche who, three months into her book program, said, “I hate my clients.” She had based her coaching business upon her own success in that particular area and discovered that many of the people she attracted weren’t taking action and complained constantly about their lives. She found it draining and wanted to change the focus of her business. The book became pointless and was abandoned when she was close to the end of the first draft.

On the other hand, when your business is settled and ticking along, and it’s ready to break through to the next level in visibility and earnings, a book can be the perfect mechanism. With a careful approach and a well-crafted product, a ...