5 Things To Consider Before Becoming An Author

Written by Tunji Olujimi

www.acceleratedauthorsacademy.com/about/

If you have an idea to start writing a book, then you know it may be a bit scary at first. Most times people do not know where to start when it comes to writing and publishing their very first or even next book.

I remember starting out in 2009 and did not know where to begin, because I have dyslexia and it was so scary for me to put pen to paper. I thought that I was not qualified to write a book, I was thinking who wants to read what I have to say or who will buy my book anyway. It was difficult to get my ideas out of my head and put them in a book, but I knew I really wanted to become an author. So, I decided to take the steps and make it a reality.  

Fast forward to today, I have written 5 books and along the way, I have learnt that there is a process to getting it done. I want to share with you the steps to going from a book idea to a published author. I created a framework which I use to plan out my book before writing it so I can write it with ease once I get started. I call it the 5 W’s framework which I use within the plan method of my 6-part authorpreneurs book blueprint.

The reason why most people never start their book idea or even finish their book project is because they do not have a plan. People start writing their book first which is the wrong end of the stick. It is best to start with a clear plan for your book and that way you can finish it with purpose

The 5 W’s Framework

These are the 5 W’s within the Plan Method – Why, What, Who, When and Where

1. Understanding Your Why

Most people do not know why they want to write a book and become an author. If you want to really call yourself a published author, then knowing your why is so important. Your why helps you stick with the process of writing your book when things get tough.

You need to get clarity on the reason why you want to write the book in the first place. It might be because you want to share your message, add value to people’s lives, give advice on a particular topic, create awareness about something or solve a problem.

You also need to be clear on why you want to become an author. This is particularly important because once the book is out it must work for you. You may want to be an author because you want to make impact, make more money, build your business, gain PR & Media attention or become an authority in your space.

My why for writing my first book was to share my message and to be a better speaker than I was at the time. I knew that writing and publishing a book will help me achieve that goal. You need to be sure of your why so you can work towards it as you are getting your book done.

2. What is your book about?

Every aspiring author needs to know their topic before starting their book. You can find what to write about by looking at the opportunities around you in the market you are in, look at your life experiences or diving into your passions to find a topic.

It is important to find out what you want to write about and have a clear picture of it before putting pen to paper. Find out your area of focus for the book by being specific about your topic. You must niche down and have a main topic. For my first book, I knew I wanted to write a faith-based book however, I niched down to worship and further to worship as a lifestyle.  Based on your chosen topic, make a list of what you would like to share with your readers in the book.

3.Who are your readers?

Once you know your why and your what then it should lead you to finding out who you are writing for. You cannot write a book with no one in mind, you need to determine your target audience for your book. Who is the person, what is their gender, their age, location and even income? What are their pain points right now – their needs, desires and wants and then what solution will you bring to them. This way you can take your reader on a journey, from their pain point to their purpose because you have found out exactly who they are, what they are going through and how you can solve their problem.

I understood that not all Christians would read my book, so I had to determine the type of Christian that was going to buy and read my book on worship. That helped me to speak directly to them in the book and in the marketing.

4. When is your launch?

Having a deadline in place makes it so much easier to finishing your book. Most people say they have been writing their book for almost 5 years or more that is because there isn’t a date in mind to get it published. You need to figure out when you want to start your book, what date do you want to finish your book and what date will you launch and publish your book.

Once you have that in place you can now give yourself daily writing deadlines to help you complete your book and meet your goal. I knew I wanted to publish my book on my birthday, so I gave myself enough time to finish the book and get it out.

5. Where is your book going?

Find out what publishing route you want to take for your book. Do you want to go via the route of traditional publishing or self-publishing? With that in mind, you need to know the bigger picture for your book, because it helps you do more with the book. Its also worth deciding whether you would like to build a business around your book or are you comfortable just leaving it on amazon?  

Personally, I knew I wanted to self-publish and do more with my book, so I used a self-publisher to get my book out and I turned the content of the book into events and training programs.

More From Tunji Olujimi:

Tunji is the author of 6 books (4 published) known as the Book Author Coach and the CEO of Accelerated Authors Academy. A highly competent, motivated and enthusiastic professional with years of experience in administration and project support.

Tunji has worked with over 100 people to write and publish their books and coached over 1000 people through workshops and speaking. Tunji helps coaches, consultants, business owners, speakers, trainers and entrepreneurs to create authority, profitability, credibility and visibility by writing and publishing their first book in 90 days or less to increase their impact, influence and income.

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