Millions of people want to write a book. However, less than 10 percent of them actually accomplish that goal. The reason, I'm willing to bet, is that the other 90 percent of aspiring authors are not truly committed to the project, and so they never get it done.
Are you committed to writing your book? Or merely interested? The difference will make or break your success. I was recently listening on a teleseminar with a marketing expert who said if you're committed, you'll do whatever it takes; but if you're merely interested, you'll do what's convenient. And successful people are truly committed. She was talking about marketing and business success, but the same goes for aspiring authors.
It takes time and discipline to write a book. And if you look at your shelf or the shelves in the bookstore, every single book was written by someone who made the commitment to get it done. If you're committed to writing your book, you'll do whatever it takes. You'll carve out time in your schedule to write. You'll put other things off. You'll invest in your writing skills. You'll hire a coach or take a class to keep yourself accountable and moving forward.
But if you're only interested, you'll do what's convenient. You'll wait until you have time to write. You'll put the project off for whatever distraction comes up. You'll forego guidance and try to do it all on your own. And you won't see the value in investing in your skills, which means your book probably won't ever get done.
The difference comes from within you. So think about it: are you truly committed-in a do-whatever-it-takes way-to getting your book written and becoming a published author? Or is it just something you'd like to do one day, when it's convenient?
If you're committed, you can use the following steps to take action.
1. Make Writing a Priority
One of the first things to do when committing to a big project is clear the decks and figure out where you can make time to focus solely on writing. This may mean giving up or delaying some other things you're working on. If you can, try to find a regular writing time that you can stick to every day, and then put it on your calendar.
2. Learn How Books Work
All books have certain elements that make them successful, just like all houses have a foundation, walls, and roof. If you're writing a book, you'll need to know how to plan out a book and put all the pieces together.
3. Be Accountable
As I mentioned before, writing takes discipline. You can set all the appointments you want, but if you don't show up for them, your book won't get done. Joining a class or writing group is a good way to ensure you get your work done. With someone holding you accountable, it's hard not to meet your deadlines.
Getting Your Book Done!
The difference between published books and unfinished manuscripts is the author's commitment. If you're not committed to getting your book done, that's fine-there's nothing wrong with that. But if you are serious about becoming a published author-then make it a priority and make it happen!