Writers are lucky. They keep their own hours; they can work from home without any need for expensive overhead; they don’t have bosses with unreasonable expectations. They also have some insecurities. The money doesn’t come in if they don’t produce and find the means, either from their own efforts or through a publisher, to market their books so that sufficient sales occur to put food on the table.

Writers of All Shapes and Sizes

The really great thing about writing is that there are very few “rules.” Writers are of all ages; writers are from all “walks of life;” and writers get to choose their own genres – fiction, non-fiction, novels, short stories, essays, poetry, articles, blog posts, etc. They can write serious non-fiction about issues of the day; they can write biographies; they can write “steamy” novels or suspenseful courtroom dramas; they can write mysteries or science fiction – wherever their passions lie.

So, What’s Holding You Back?

This is the question you first must ask yourself. That book idea has been brewing for a long time now, and you haven’t done anything about it. Why? Most give the following excuses:

• No time.
• Too busy at work or school
• Family obligations.
• It will take too long
• It will never get published

Let’s take a look at these excuses.

No time; Too Busy

One truism is universal: We all make the time to do the things we really want to do. And if we don’t do that, then we are letting other people or circumstances control us. Here are some numbers to think about:

• Most of us are awake 16 hours a day, and asleep for 8
• Multiply 16 X 7 days a week = 112 hours
• You may work 40-50 hours a week.
• If you work 50 hours a week, you have 62 hours left for other things
• If you dedicated 2 hours a day to writing = 14 hours a week
• You still have 48 hours left every week for other things. (Chauffeuring kids; getting to kids’ activities; shopping, etc.) And if you have a spouse or partner, how much slack can they pick up?

It’s easy to get into the mindset that you will never get that book written because of time, but here is the cure: Just start. Start today. Even if you find only 1 hour, do it. What you will find is that once you begin, you become excited; and once you become excited, you will budget the time you need to work on it.

It Will Take Too Long

Yes, books take a long time to write. How long does it take to get a college degree? How long does it take to raise a kid? And, remember, you don’t have a deadline – it’s not like it’s a college paper that’s due next week. Think of the sense of achievement you will have when you do finish it – even if it takes 5 years. It will be a crowning point in your life.

It Will Never Get Published

Here’s the thing about the publishing industry. Yes, it is really picky about what it chooses to publish. And most do not allow you to submit a manuscript directly to them. They want you to go through an agent. So, you can look for an agent – lots of authors do. And lots of authors are rejected many times over by agents. But, the good thing is, it doesn’t cost a lot to submit to an agent – most of it is done via email anyway. If you continue to get rejections, then you can look at self-publishing.

Here’s the other thing about publishers and agents: It’s a dying industry. As we move into the next couple of decades, e-publishing will be norm, not hard cover books. And that has big implications for authors.

Self-Publishing

Lots of authors self-publish. They pay all of the production costs, and they also often pay for the marketing costs as well. If you have an extra $12 - $15,000 lying around, you too can go this route.

You can also e-publish on your own and submit your book to Amazon and other online publishers. This costs virtually nothing, and your book is “out there.”

Marketing Your Book

This is a complex business. Fortunately, many have gone before you, and there is a wealth of free information all over the web that will give you strategies for reaching your ideal “reader.” Yes, it will take some time, but once you finish your bestseller, you can take those hours and spend them on marketing!

Do this for yourself. Write that bestseller. Start now. This is truly a case of having nothing to lose.