Today . . . I am thinking about this question that came in from one
of our readers. She is a businesswoman exploring the possibility of becoming an author.
If you have a small business question that you'd like for me to answer, let me know.
Q #1: "As an author yourself, what tips would you give other businesswomen aspiring to be authors?"
A: Wow, what a great question!
Here are my top 7 tips for aspiring authors:
If you don’t love what you’re writing, no one else will, either.
2. Don’t tell people you're writing a book.
Most people will try to talk you out of it because it takes so much time to write, triple that for marketing, and there are a gazillion hoops to jump through, with, for the most part, very little return on your investment. Just keep it to yourself and keep writing.
3. Not everyone is going to like your articles, eBooks, or book.
Do not take rejection personally.
4. If you feel blocked when writing, honor your blockage.
Whatever you do, don't push through. Chances are, you either aren't completely aligned with what you are writing about or something else is being called forth from within.
Instead of sitting there with frustration mounting, allow the winds of Heaven to dance for a while and go to work writing about something else. Trust that the perfect words will come to you with perfect timing.
5. Write all the time.
Whether it's a blog post, Face Book entry, or a chapter in your book. The more you write, the more writing will come to you.
6. Just shut up and write!
I wrote the first draft for my book in 45-days during a teleclass that Andy Wibbels (of Blogwild fame) offered. No matter what excuses people came up with for not writing, his constant admonishment was, "Just shut up and write!" I tell my clients this all the time!
7. Learn how to write with your audience in mind.
Prior to writing for spiritually conscious businesswomen, my writing background had been in the academic world writing my dissertation and publishing for scholarly journals. My niche is a very busy woman who doesn't have time to read through 25 pages of statistics for the results she's looking for. She wants answers now. Know who you're writing for and adapt your writing style to your niche.
All the best, and keep writing! If I can do it, so can you!
Do you have any other suggestions? If so, leave a comment and let us know. And, if you have a small business question that you'd like for me to answer, let me know.
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
Award-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success
Comments