A writer’s greatest challenge is giving their reader a reason to read what they’ve written. As writers, we’re communicators. We have a message to share, so whether we think about it during the writing process or not, getting them to read is what writing for publication is all about.

This is a great challenge because readers are busy—we all are. And with so many options for how we spend our time, like other books, television, magazines, web sites, hobbies, families, etc., your book has to be pretty compelling if you want it to be read.

That means your book needs a great topic and great writing to make it successful. The quality of writing is important because people who take time to read books do so because they love reading. Think about it: if a person doesn’t like reading, no matter how much a book’s topic is of interest to them, they don’t have to read it. So why would you slack on the writing quality when that only gives a reader one more reason not to read your book?

Now, having your book read is important because if no one reads it, no one will talk about it or review it or buy it. Your book has to be read, and so you must give your ideal readers a reason to stay with you and finish it.

So how do you do that? Well, a lot goes into it—after all, I did say it is the writer’s greatest challenge. But you must start by knowing who your readers are and what they’re struggling with, particularly for self-help and how-to nonfiction. What problem can you solve for them? What keeps them up at night? Why? And most importantly, how will solving this problem change their life for the better?

Writing a book is about sharing a new solution. So it really helps if you have to have a deep and intimate understanding of the problem, whether through personal experience, professional experience, or research. If you haven’t experienced the problem yourself, then you should talk to people who have to see what it was like for them, how it affected their everyday life. Understanding this will help you connect with your readers and solve their problems in a meaningful way.

You have to write your book in a voice that appeals to your readers—a voice that both entertains and informs. Think about it like this: you are the narrator, or voice over, of your information. And you have an audience—your reader. Even though you can’t see them, you have to remember they’re there.

So you can’t always say whatever you want however you want. You have to be conscious of your tone and approach. If your readers don’t like you or if you offend them in some way, they aren’t going to read your book. And you have to give your best ideas, information, and strategies to them on every page so they’ll only want more.

Now back to the original question: why would someone want to read your book? While I can guide you through important choices about your material, that’s a question only you can answer. Taking the time to answer it, though, will make your book successful.

About the Author: Melinda Copp helps aspiring nonfiction authors write books their readers will love. Get a copy of her FREE “Jump Start Your Book E-course!” by signing up here: www.FINALLYWriteaBook.com.

We all have things we’re great at. I have clients who are good at coaching other people to find their passion; building and running successful businesses; helping people lose weight; and motivating others to change their lives. This is what I call their “brilliance work”–the stuff they were born to do.

However, to do their brilliance work in a way that benefits the most people, they have a list of other things they have to do, but probably aren’t so good at.

For example, I’m a good writer and I’m good at teaching other people to write. To do that, though, I have to run a business, keep financial records, update my web site, and market my programs and services (this was the toughest one for me!). I can’t just write and teach all day because I wouldn’t have anyone to teach if I weren’t marketing. I am not a natural marketer, but I know it’s absolutely critical to my success, and so therefore I have invested a lot of money over the years in training and programs to help me market my business.

I COULD have tried to figure it all out on my own, but that would be hard and not fun. And it would take away too much time from the things I LOVE to do. I am not ashamed to say I chose the easy way–I chose to leverage other people’s knowledge and brilliance about marketing to save time, avoid effort, save money, and make myself more successful.

You see, there is a hard way and an easy to do everything. You can try to figure it all out on your own (the hard way); or you can skip the hurdles and follow a system that works–this the fastest path to success.

That’s why the most common and critical mistake I see aspiring authors make when writing a book is this:

Trying to figure it all out on their own!

When I’m talking to people about their books, they get so bogged down in figuring out how to organize all their ideas, how to make it all fit, how to make the book a great read, how to incorporate their personal story, and on and on. They’re smart, right? They should be able to figure it out. And then they beat themselves up and don’t finish the book because they get stuck in the figuring out and never move on to the writing.

They ARE smart–they wouldn’t build a house without a blueprint; they wouldn’t climb a mountain without a map; and they wouldn’t take medication without reading the instructions on the bottle. Why should writing a book–something that’s often critical to their success–be any different?

Attempting to figure your book out on your own only puts your most important goals on hold–it holds back your success! There’s nothing smart about that.

Now, there is a step-by-step process you can follow that will give you the confidence and clarity you need to open your creative flow and write freely and easily. Start by signing up for my “Jump Start Your Book E-course.” It’s FREE, and will guide you through creating a solid foundation for your book.

The e-course will also introduce you to my Summit Book Writing System, which gives you everything you need to plan, write, and finish, not just any book, your BEST book, so you can start leveraging it to establish expertise, get more media attention, attract more ideal clients, and share your story with the world.

And most importantly, the whole book-writing process works with your goals, your unique personality, and your voice, so your book becomes an extension of YOU–representing you in the world, working for your business, and attracting all the right opportunities and readers to YOU!

Just imagine, you could be unstuck and your best book could be well on its way to completion. No more frustration, guessing, or figuring needed! How cool is that?

Stop wasting time and click here to get your copy of the FREE Jump Start Your Book E-course.

In my last post, I wrote about that gnawing feeling that something is missing from your book manuscript. I also promised to continue that conversation with some tips about how to figure it out.

Well, I went a little overboard–in a good way, I think–and wrote a whole report on the seven most critical pieces that many aspiring nonfiction authors miss when writing a book.

It’s free, so please enjoy, and please share it with anyone and everyone you think it might help!

Get your copy of this special report, hot off the press, here: The 7 Most Critical Mistakes Aspiring Authors Make When Writing a Book.

Enjoy!

Over the past week or so, I’ve been editing a chapter of my book-in-progress. I completed the first draft a long time ago–a year or better–then I set it aside for a while.  I knew the chapter was missing something, but I wasn’t sure what. I had other chapters to draft, and I wasn’t sure what to do with it next. Anyways, now I need to polish it up and get it ready for publication.

So last week I pulled the story out and started reading it. Yep, I thought when I’d finished, it’s still missing something. But what?

Have you ever read something you’ve written–a chapter of your book, or maybe even the whole manuscript–and known it wasn’t quite right? Something seems to be missing but you can’t put your finger on what exactly it is. Many times, as was the case with my chapter, a piece of writing is missing several things. This happens to every writer at some point, and in a way, it’s a good sign–not so much that your writing is missing something, but the fact that you recognize it.

I, for one, am thankful that I recognized something was missing from my chapter. Why? That means–after all the years I’ve studied writing–I am good enough to at least know something isn’t right. I didn’t read my crappy draft and think, “Okay, good enough.” I realized the chapter wasn’t ready and I care enough about my work to want to fix it. Then it was just a matter of figuring out what was missing.

Part of being a writer is figuring out what’s missing from our manuscripts. Figuring out what’s not working and then figuring out how to fix the problems to make them right. This also means we have to acquire the knowledge and understanding required to recognize problems in the first place. We don’t know what we don’t know, right?

So how do we learn to recognize the faults in our own writing? And what if we don’t know what to look for?

In a few days, I’ll continue this discussion with a few tips. In the meantime, please share your thoughts in a comment!

I’m no expert in human behavior, but as far as I can tell, we as a species thrive on routine. I know for a fact that both my sons behave better when they know what to expect. For example, this morning school was delayed for two hours because of the weather. So instead of eating breakfast at 7:00, getting dressed at 7:35, and walking out the door at 8:05, my sons and I lay in bed until 7:15, ate breakfast at 8:00, watched television until 9:45, and then I had to rush everyone to get dressed and out of the house at 10:00. We’re adaptable, thank goodness, and everything worked out okay. But the little change certainly made things more hectic. And all my morning chores that are usually done by 8:00 a.m. didn’t get done until about 11:00.

So routines are good—they give us a rhythm to follow through key parts of the day. They also make writing big projects, like books, easier to finish. That’s the hardest part, you know, actually finishing the book.

Routines get you in the habit and before long, you’ve done your writing for the day without any struggle or difficulty at all. Writing becomes one of those tasks you do every day, like making the bed or washing a load of laundry. But although most people accomplish more on routines, they aren’t always easy to establish. It almost seems like you’re the kind of person who establishes routines automatically or you aren’t. I fall in the second category for sure. I don’t naturally establish routines; I tend to fly by the seat of my pants, which makes it difficult to get things done.

I have to consciously make the effort to build habits that keep me organized and on track, with my writing and other areas of my life. If I want the house to be clean, I have to work straightening up into my routine. If I want my blog to be updated every day, I have to find somewhere to fit it into the rhythm of my life. And if I want to write a book, I have to give myself a deadline, break the project down into small assignments, put the task on my to-do list, pour my cup of coffee, and then show up to write at my desk in the morning. Motivation waxes and wanes, so when I don’t feel like doing anything, I have my routines to fall back on, to coax me into productivity.

When I’m working with a client or student and they’re struggling to find time to write I encourage them to work writing into their normal routine. I have found for myself, and many other writers, that if you clear calendar days and make writing a big deal, that you won’t make the kind of progress you do when you make writing a little part of every day. And you won’t be as good at it either.

Here are a few tips for easily incorporating writing into your day.

Put Writing on Your List
Even though I know I’m supposed to be writing every day, I still put it on my to-do list. I don’t know why writing things on lists makes them more likely to happen, but it really works.

Create Writing Rituals
I had a teacher in graduate school recommend making your writing time a sort of ritual that you do every day. By making it a ritual, she meant to set up your writing time in the same way each time, not only to make it a habit, but also to successfully transition yourself into it. For example, turn on your favorite music, fix yourself a cup of tea or coffee, light the candle, and then sit down at your desk to write. And then blow the candle out when you’re done.

Give Yourself an Assignment
Thinking about what to write when you sit down at your computer can eat away time. So at the end of every writing session, when you’re still in that creative flow, take a minute to give yourself an assignment for what to write the next time. Then when you open up that draft on your computer, you’ll know exactly what you’re supposed to be writing.

Writers write, even though that can be one of the hardest things to make time to do. Successes like getting your book done require doing whatever it takes to make sure you write. And the more you write, the easier it will be.

Establishing a writing routine is one way to make writing your book easier. How would you like to know over 100 tips that will make writing a great book as easy and fun as it possibly can be? The Summit Book Writing Home Study System walks you through every decision you need to develop your book idea, organize your material, and write the book in a way that hooks your ideal readers and keeps them engaged all the way to the end. The exercises, lessons, templates, and tip sheets make everything easy. You won’t need to figure out how to put together your book blueprint effectively–the Summit Book Writing System tells you exactly what to do next. To find out more information and get your copy, click here: Book Writing Course.

Anyone can write. But writing a book–actually completing the project–isn’t something most get around to doing. I’d be willing to bet many fail because they lack one of the following…

1. Open mind–I’ve learned from experience that I don’t always know what I’m doing wrong, and I think lots of other people are like this too. Try to be open to the fact that a better way may exist.

2. Commitment–Books don’t write themselves. If you want to grow your business, establish expertise, or further your career by writing a book, then you have to commit to making it happen.

3. Self-discipline–Especially at first, most authors don’t have an editor or deadlines to meet. There’s no one holding your feet to the fire, so you have to make sure you show up and write until the book is done.

If you’re not sure you have what it takes (and we all feel that way sometimes), get help, take a book writing class, read a book on craft, or do whatever it takes to get that book written!

The Summit Book Writing System is a book writing course that leads aspiring authors through the book writing process one step at a time. Click here to learn more and get your copy.

With a project as big and important as writing a book, working from a plan—or blueprint—will make everything easier and more fun. Following a blueprint allows aspiring authors to make their ideas work, just like construction crews use blueprints to build solid and strong buildings. It tells you what needs to go where and helps you compile all the essential pieces of a successful book in a practical and easy-to-follow way that readers will love.

So what should your book blueprint include? Let me break it down for you, one layer at a time.

1. Commitment
As the author, the most important first step you can take to write your book is committing your energy to the project. All the great ideas and writing skills in the world don’t amount to a pile of bricks if you don’t show up to do the work. Self-discipline is a challenge for just about everyone, so I always suggest developing a writing schedule that easily fits into your life. For example, if you can’t think before 10:00 a.m., don’t force yourself to get up at 5:00 to write your book. Creating a writing schedule that forces you to stretch too far is essentially a plan for failure. You have to plan your writing time when it works for you, and then make sure you show up and do it!

2. A Solid Foundation
What book are you going to write? What makes your book unique? If you’re like most aspiring authors, you probably have quite a few ideas about what to include in your book and no idea how to arrange them in a successful way. Successful books help a specific audience reach a specific conclusion. Your book’s foundation answers the following questions: Who are your ideal readers? What solution or new information does your book provide? And what’s in it for the reader? Get crystal clear about your answers to these questions, and then you’re ready to build your book.

3. A Working Plan
With a solid foundation, building your book is easy because you know exactly what you’re trying to accomplish. Then you can organize all your ideas and content to reach that goal. Aspiring authors often ask me if they need to outline their book first, and I’ve found that some people have trouble doing detailed outlines. So I recommend listing the topics, ideas, anecdotes, examples, and anything else you want to include in your book. Then organize that list in the most logical way. It doesn’t have to be a detailed outline, but you should try to organize your ideas in a way that makes sense AND grows naturally out of your already-established foundation.

4. Strong Writing
You don’t have to be Ernest Hemingway to write a successful book, but you do have to know what you’re doing. Many aspiring authors make the mistake of thinking they can write however they want and then hire an editor to clean it up—you can do that, but you’re going to pay a high price for good results. What most writers don’t realize is there are several small things you can do that will dramatically improve your writing. Write in the active voice, for one. And say what you mean in as few words as possible is another. When planning your blueprint, you should know what weaknesses to look for in your own writing and know how to correct them.

5. Reader-Friendly Focus
Writing a successful book means it speaks to your ideal readers—those folks who most desperately need the knowledge and solutions you can provide. So when you actually start writing about all the ideas and topics you laid out in your plan, you must write with your readers in mind. Think about what will get them excited and keep them hooked. Writing is communication, after all, and you need to know how to do it. Therefore your book blueprint should include specific strategies to keep your readers reading.

6. The Finishing Touches
The last piece of your book blueprint is like the fancy trim on a house—it’s the little details that make it unique and totally awesome. Your book blueprint should consider details like title, subheads, exercises, supplements, and other finishing touches that will make your book more user-friendly, more resourceful, and more fun to read. In other words, make sure you include things that will make your book stand out from the crowded shelves.

Any aspiring author can draw up a blueprint for a successful book. And I like to think of a book blueprint as a layered, rather than linear, plan. Each of the six steps I mentioned is a layer because it builds on the steps that came before. And they all work together to make your book successful.

Would you like a step-by-step system that guides you through all the layers of your successful book blueprint? The Summit Book Writing Home Study System walks you through every decision you need to develop your book idea, organize your material, and write the book in a way that hooks your ideal readers and keeps them engaged all the way to the end. The exercises, lessons, templates, and tip sheets make everything easy. You won’t need to figure out how to put together your book blueprint effectively–the Summit Book Writing System tells you exactly what to do next. To find out more information and get your copy, click here.

I’m still a little shocked that 2011 is here. I know it’s cliche, but where did the time go? January 1, 2010 seems like yesterday, but when I look around, I’m surrounded by the products of the past year.

First and foremost, my four-month-old son. He was by far my greatest accomplishment of 2010. We’ve added a garage to our house, adopted another dog, and sent our eldest to Kindergarten. I’ve also launched my Summit Book Writing Home Study Course–something I’ve been working on for years. We’ve had good times and bad, but there’s no doubt it’s been a year.

So now that I’ve got a clean calendar in front of me, what will I accomplish this year? I haven’t come up with an absolute resolution, at least not yet. (I used to resolve to write a certain word count every day.) But I am planning my goals and trying to plan the shape of the coming 365 days. For example, I want to post on this blog more frequently; write and submit more personal essays; and finish my long-overdue book proposal.

I’m not sure resolutions are supposed to be loose like that, so I’ll have to put some measurable goals in there, like maybe twenty blog posts per month. I’ll work on that. But after such a wild and fast 2010, I’m just happy I have the energy left to look ahead!

How about you? What are your 2011 New Year’s writing resolutions?

In this week’s guest post, Irene Watson shares a creative and compelling way to market your book–with video!

Like a film preview, a book video trailer can effectively help you to sell books. The use of effective images, narration, and music can create a sensory impact beyond the mere written word. Think of a book video as similar to an elevator pitch but on a multimedia level.

Readers are always curious about authors, and your video can provide a more intimate experience for readers so they feel “up close and personal” with the author and invited to read the book. Following are some tips to help you make the three key components of your video-the narration, images, and music-effective so they will resonate with your audience, and in turn, result in book sales.

Narration
You’ve already created an elevator pitch for your book. Your back cover tells in a couple hundred words what your book is about. You also probably have a regularly canned response when people ask you in person about your book. Your book video is along similar lines, only the text also has images to accompany it, and the written word can be combined with a voiceover.

In general, you want your video to cater to the short attention span of people on the Internet, so keep it to about two minutes. You will want to have a script for the video that is short and focuses on the book’s highlights-that may be your back cover copy, but you will also want it to match up with the images you will use. As you write the script for your video, think like a screenwriter and envision the images that will go with the words. You might want to map it out like it was a children’s picture book, with an image or two to match each sentence. You also want to keep the pace moving, the images changing, so that none stay on screen more than a few seconds, and so they can fade and zoom in and out so your video does not look solely like a slideshow or power point presentation. Your text should be timed to match the image changes and be relevant to those changes.

Combine the written word with the spoken word. Your viewers want to see photos and illustrations, not text, but you can put a few words on the screen to illustrate your point or emphasize what is important. For example, you can ask a simple question like “What defines happiness?” or flash words that will segue into new parts of the video like, “A relationship broken apart,” “Brother against brother” or even single words like “Hope, Fear, Racist, Turmoil, War, or Betrayal.” Make sure your text remains on screen long enough for people to read it, but not so long that they get bored looking at it; timing will depend on the number of words and the expected reading level of your audience.

In writing your script, you don’t have to tell everything. You just have to entice the reader to buy the book. Make sure the words you use are:

• Captivating, memorable, and relevant
• Have a hook to entice the potential reader
• Leave the potential reader asking “Where do I buy this book?”

At the video’s end, be sure to tell readers your website address and have it written on screen so they know where to buy the book.

Remember to leave room for pauses as well as time to keep an image on the screen long enough for it to make an impact before moving onto the next image. Timing is everything, and rather than overloading your viewers with language, restrict yourself to a few powerful and concise words.

Images
Find the best images possible to go with your text. If you have an illustrated book or one with a lot of photos, you can use those images. If you’ve written a novel or a book without images, you should be able to find stock photos online or hire a photographer to take photos for you. Make sure you have royalty-free photos or you pay any royalty fees for permission to use the photos. Make sure your images are as professional as possible-you want to go for the Hollywood effect, not the family home video look.

You will probably want somewhere around twenty different images, allowing for five seconds or so each on the screen. Don’t forget your book cover as an image as well as a photo of yourself as an author. Remember that the images will be viewed on a relatively small screen-on YouTube, the screen, unless enlarged, is about the size of an index card-3×5 inches, so find images that aren’t too detailed. You may want to crop your photos so you can focus solely on the most significant part of the image so you get the full effect.

Music
Music has an incredible power to move people beyond what is possible with images and the written or spoken word. How effective would your favorite movie be without the soundtrack? For your video, choose effective background music that will not distract viewers from the images or the script, but rather reinforce their message. Avoid music with lyrics so they don’t conflict with the narration. Find background music that has an appropriate tone and will enhance your theme without creating sensory overload. Again, you will want to make sure you acquire the rights to using the music for your video.

Making a video can be challenging, and unless you are super technically savvy and have good recording equipment, it will probably be in your best interest to hire a professional to put your video together for you. That doesn’t mean, however, you can’t be involved in the process. You can share your vision, write a draft of the script, provide images, and you may even choose to be the voice for your own video.

Before you begin your video, be sure to watch other book videos to decide what is effective in them-what do you like, and what don’t you like about the videos? Would you want to buy the book based on the video? Do a little research and put time and thought into the concept for your video. Your readers will want to get the book they paid for, so make sure your video accurately represents your book’s content while making that content so intriguing, interesting, and appealing that you will turn viewers into readers.

About the Author:

Irene Watson is the Managing Editor of Reader Views, where avid readers can find reviews of recently published books as well as read interviews with authors. Her team also provides author publicity and a variety of other services specific to writing and publishing books.