As the Memorial Day weekend approaches, it’s time to take stock of your 2011 progress writing a book to build your personal brand.
In particular, did you make significant progress towards your goal of writing and publishing a brand-building book during the first-half of this year?
The following are some questions to help you evaluate your accomplishments, progress, and obstacles.
Writing & book publishing accomplishments
During the last 6 months, did you pass any of these writing and publishing landmarks:
- Receive your first shipment of printed copies of your book?
- Sign a contract with a trade publisher for a book to appear during 2012?
- Submit the entire first draft of your book & begin the editing process?
- Commit to working with self-publishing vendors like designers, book coaches, printers, or distributors?
- Obtain an ISBN for your book and create a business structure for publishing and selling your book?
Writing & publishing progress
If you didn’t get published, did you make on-going and significant progress during this year in any of these areas?
- Identifying a topic for your brand-building book?
- Choosing and testing a proposed book title and subtitle?
- Analyzing the pros and cons of existing books in your field?
- Creating a table of contents and content plan for your book?
- Preparing a book proposal for a trade book or self-publishing action plan?
- Building and strengthening your author platform and ability to promote your book?
- Identifying back-end profit sources from speaking, coaching, consulting, or information product?
Most important, How many chapters have you completed? and How many more chapters do you need to write first drafts for?
Identifying the obstacles to getting published
Even if you didn’t get published so far, or make significant progress, you still may have made significant progress if you have identified the obstacles that are keeping you from writing a brand-building book.
- Once you identify the obstacles, any competent book coach can probably help you overcome them. No problem is insurmountable if it can be identified. There are always workarounds.
- But, if you continue to rely on “hope” instead of addressing your publishing obstacles, you’re likely to remain disappointed. You’re also likely to have failed to make significant progress publishing a brand building book when–in 6 short months–2011 turns into 2012.
What types of obstacles are holding you back?
Start by addressing questions like the following. Do your obstacles to writing and publishing involve:
- Ideas and content? Do you have a good idea of the book you’d write, and the book your ideal readers are waiting for? Or, do you need help focusing your ideas? Do you need help choosing a title or creating a table of contents?
- Time management? Do your obstacles involve finding the time to write and keeping on schedule without sacrificing family or job?
- Project management? Are you looking for direction and a way of breaking the writing and publishing process into simple, daily tasks?
- Book marketing and promotion? Are you unsure how to market and promote your book, or build a following?
- Confidence? Are you unsure of your qualifications or your ability to write? Are you looking for writing tools?
None of the above obstacles are legitimate reasons to abandon your dream of writing and publishing a book to build your brand. Although you may think you’re the “only one” to face the obstacles, you’re not.
All of the above can be addressed, one way or another, if you are truly committed to writing and publishing a brand-building book during 2011. Congratulations on your accomplishments and progress so far, even if you feel that obstacles remain to getting published. By identifying the obstacles, you can overcome them! Please share your comments and experiences below.
Author:
Roger C. Parker’s Published & Profitable blog contains over 1,100 ideas and tips for planning, writing, promoting, & profiting from writing and self-publishing a brand-building book.
