Things to Consider Before Starting Your Book Project

In the last episode, we talked about whether or not a book should be a part of your content strategy. If you have decided that it is, let’s talk about what will be expected of you. Like anything in business, you need to have a plan before you start. Writing a book is no different.

You’re busy. You’re running your business. You don’t have the luxury to set aside months to work exclusively on a book project. It can’t take you away from you core business. How can you complete a project of this type?

Back in my days as a book editor, I always advised my authors to take it one step at a time. Break it up into small milestones. You have to. Otherwise, projects of this size and scope would never get finished. They’re too big and too daunting to consider all at once.

This is why I recommend that you use a blog as your first draft. Why?

1. It gets you writing and producing. That’s always a good thing. Treating your content as a promise puts a little pressure on you. Good!
2. It gets you interacting with your customers. Not only will you be growing an audience, but “live” practice will improve your writing.

Blogs allow you to practice in front of a live audience. You’ll get to test out ideas, in real time, in front of real people. What better way to understand what works and what doesn’t? This is good for your writing—but it’s good for your business too. You’ll know your customers so much better this way.