3 Authors Share Their Tips To Help You Write Your First Book - #45

Show Notes

Whatever your reason or motivation for writing a book, a well written book can be a great way for an entrepreneur to share their story, help others, and build a strong connection with your ideal customer.

While there’s a lot of information out there guiding first time authors on how to write a book, there’s not much that specifically focuses on the key elements you need to know and be able to answer BEFORE you ever get started.

In this episode Lori Vajda and Nola Boea interviewed three authors who reveal their best tips so you can become a savvy and successful first time author.  

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In This Episode You’ll Learn 

• What important questions to ask before you start writing your first book.
• How to choose, not one just one, but two types of editors.
• The 3 critical steps and processes you need before writing your first book.
• How to decide whether to go the traditional publish route or self publish.

While writing a book may be a new experience for a first time, never before published, aspiring author, it doesn’t have to be scary. As Nola and Lori discovered in their interview with three successful authors. And, writing your book can be a great way to showcase your successful entrepreneurial journey. 

(5:40.58) A good editor can take anything you say and make it sound so much better. But what kind of editor or editors should you work with? 

(6:46:93) First, consider your audience, even before you write your first word. Then, ask yourself: How can I be sure my idea will actually appeal to readers?

(11:38.72) Many aspiring authors assume that getting started means cranking out tens of thousands of words before you approach an agent or publisher. In reality, this published author and ghostwriter recommends you follow these three simple tips.

(13:31.08) The magic of writing happens when you keep these fundamental principles at the forefront of your mind.

(16:46.60) Before you can truly embark on a publishing journey, you'll have one major decision to make. Will you self-publish your book or try to have it published traditionally?

(18:54.60) Once your book is published, the work is far from over: Now you need to find your readers who will buy your book. These fast-track marketing tips can help you successfully accomplish that goal. 

Resources 
You can subscribe to Lori and Nola's show, (we love you and want to make it easy) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

This episode was supported by: Be-YOU-nique

ConvertKit: Our #1 Favorite Email Marketing Platform 
(This is an affiliate link)

Cyndee Rae Lutz’s website: https://www.cyndeeraelutz.com/ 
Meditation & Inspiration with Cyndee Rae Lutz
Episode #29: Mindset-Reset for the Busy Entrepreneur: Ways to Minimize Self-Doubt

Leanne Regalla’s website: WritingThatResonates.com 
Just for the Sticky Brand Lab listeners:

• The Book Structure Cheatsheet
• My Favorite Distraction Busters
• The Portable Office Checklist
• Signature Story Writing Prompts

Grab the handouts at tinyurl.com/stickybrand
Episode #43: Effective Lead Generation Tips for Side Business Owners Ready to Attract More of Their Ideal Customers

Kristina Adams: The Writer’s Cookbook Website
The Writer’s Cookbook Podcast​

Transcript

​[00:00:00] Nola: We hear from a lot of professional people who want to write a book. Some aspire to write a memoir, some want to share their knowledge, unique tips or innovative insights. All authors have one thing in common. The desire to make an impact on their readers, but producing work that sells is not just about writing what you think is good.
 
[00:00:19] Leanne: You want a book that stands out.
 
[00:00:21] Cyndee: My editor. She was instrumental. I couldn't have done it without her.
 
[00:00:26] Kristina: All of my 14 books are self-published.
 
[00:00:28] Leanne: There's a lot of information out there on how to write so that your book makes an impact and creates the transformation that your readers want.
 
[00:00:36] Cyndee: A good editor can take anything you say and make it sound so much better.
 
[00:00:42] Kristina: I chose that so that I get more control and ultimately more income.
 
[00:00:46] Leanne: So, don't flounder around on your own, trying to figure things out.
 
[00:00:51] Lori: So, how do you set yourself up for success before you even get started writing your first page? Stick around listeners. Because today you'll hear from three authors who are sharing their insights, tips, and experiences. So, you can get started on the road to becoming a successful author. But before we begin, if at any point, this episode resonates with you, we'd love it if you'd click the subscribe button on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Not only does it give us joy when we get new subscribers, but it gives us a chance to help you. Because each week we come out with new content, so you can hit the ground running and be the most confident, powerful badassery business owner ever.
 
[00:01:40] Announcer: You're listening to the Sticky Brand Lab podcast, where time-strapped professionals like you, learn how to create a business you'd love in as little as three hours a week.
 
[00:01:56] Nola: Sadly, every year millions of books will never get the chance to be published. We're talking about stories told by potential authors who might've helped people by bringing comfort in time of need or wisdom to someone feeling alone or lost in the in search of guidance. We don't want that to be the case with you and your story.
Welcome listeners. We're Nola and Lori, your co-hosts and we're on a mission to help professional women launch their successful side business venture, or as we like to think of it, adventure. So, you can build a profitable business and brand you love. One way to build your personal and business brand is to write a book. Lori, have you ever thought about writing a book to tell your story?
 
[00:02:36] Lori: I actually, until recently had only considered it. Prior to that, whenever I shared my personal background story, people would hear it and they'd always say, you need to write a book. And I think I'm a copywriter. And while I write on behalf of other people and their purpose, I don't write on behalf of myself. So, the idea has been very, very foreign. And it's only recently that I've embraced it. What about you, Nola? Have you thought about writing a book?
 
[00:03:06] Nola: Actually, I have. And for a similar reason. Every time I tell one of my stories about something that happened in developing country during my career as a staff, writer, people say, okay, you are writing this down, right? You need to compile these stories. And I just thought, oh yeah, that's cool. Yeah. It was a good story. But only again, like you recently have, I thought about really putting them together as memoirs. Not just memoirs, but the myths that were busted and some of the aha moments. You know, kind of weaving in some of that transformational experience. So yeah.
 
[00:03:40] Lori: You and I have worked on an e-book together, and that was an interesting experience because our e-book is also our lead gen, 50 Side Hustles You Can Start From Your Home Today, but the challenge was, I wrote the content. You acted as the proofreader, editor, kind of lining it all up. And one of the things that after we completed the book, it was almost as though, we finally got it done. We worked on it so hard for so long and we get it all right. And then our format changes and we realize that talking about side hustle, which is a great SEO term, really wasn't our target audience. Our target audience, we narrowed our niche. And what we found is now that we can say our first iteration of our e-book is underway, but now it's almost like we need to redo it to fit our own target audience. Would you agree with that?
 
[00:04:36] Nola: I would agree. But you know what? I don't think it's time wasted. We really did learn a lot and it's going to be useful to somebody, but I think that the next time around it will be easier. And I also think that other books, as you write a draft, it's kind of like writing a second draft or writing a third draft.
 
[00:04:53] Lori: You're right. You're absolutely right. And while many professional entrepreneurs will write their book or books to showcase their professional authority, some will use it as an opportunity to reveal the lessons they've learned after going through a particularly difficult time in their life, their business, or even their career.
 
[00:05:12] Cyndee: Hello, this is Cyndee Rae Lutz. I am author of the book When Your Heart Belongs to an Addict, a Healing Perspective.
 
[00:05:22] Nola: Cyndee is a speaker, meditation teacher and yoga instructor, and has been both a guest on our show, check out Mindset, Reset for Busy Entrepreneurs, that's Episode 30, and she contributes to our website. You can find her meditations on the Mindset Reset tab. When you have a personal story to tell, like in Cyndee's case, narrowing the focus of the topic can be a real challenge. How do you figure out which parts of your story are pertinent and which are extraneous? As a self-published author, Cyndee wanted to share her story with the goal of inspiring others and giving them hope. But she needed help. Because writing something so personal is not easy. And if you want to ensure your voice is consistent all the way through, there's only one solution. And for Cyndee, that was clear.
 
[00:06:04] Cyndee: I did use an editor when writing my book. In fact, I used two editors. The first one was a content editor. And I hired her towards the beginning when I had a basic rough idea of what I was going to write about, and I had written some content for part of it. I wanted her to be able to read what I was writing about and see my style, make sure she was good with the type of book I was writing. And she was instrumental in helping me write the book and getting it done.
 
[00:06:46] Lori: Getting feedback early and often helps break up feelings of overwhelm. It also helps you tell a more compelling story. And really that's the role of a content editor. But what about after the story is written? For Cyndee, the solution again was easy.
 
[00:07:03] Cyndee: The second editor I hired was at the end of the process. And she was a proofreading editor. So, a proofreading editor looks at the book with a different eye. They make sure the page numbers correlate with the chapters. They make sure the spelling is correct, and that your references check out, and generally there are no inconsistencies. She also put it in the proper format for the graphic designer to get it and be ready to lay it out for print.
 
[00:07:37] Lori: So, I have to share with you Nola, until Cyndee had shared that she had two types of editors, I had only ever thought there was one kind. Which she referred to as the proofreading kind. I was totally taken aback and shocked to think about working with a content editor.
 
[00:07:57] Nola: I had never thought about it. I just thought an editor, is it an editor? And they do everything that an editor does. And it didn't occur to me that there were two types, either.
 
[00:08:06] Lori: You know, there might be a proofreading editor or a content editor that does do all of them. But the thing I like about how she used them, is she used one to help her organize her thoughts, get her story, her direction. And I think having that unique perspective from someone helps set up the foundation. But it made me think that one of the key elements to finding an editor is working with somebody you trust. So, regardless of whether you work with one all the way through who can help act as both, or you work with two different people or more, I think you probably have to treat it like you would any professional. And that is to do an interview.
 
[00:08:49] Nola: Definitely interview an editor you feel comfortable with that you know is going to reflect your own style and that when they do start making changes to your draft, you really feel comfortable that it's in your best interest. Because it's going to feel uncomfortable. I'm reminded of a part I read in Stephen King's book, On Writing, where he talks about his experience in becoming an author and a craft of writing. And he talks about when you pour your heart and soul into this draft and you've spent a lot of time on it and you hand it over to your editor, like you're, you know, handing over this little baby. And then the editor starts slicing off chapters and truncates major sections and gets rid of certain characters. He says, it feels like they're killing your children. But you have to let it go. And just trust that it's going to be in your best interest and that your story is going to end up reading better than ever. And it's true. And ultimately, if it's a good editor, that's exactly what happens.
 
[00:09:50] Lori: You know, I read recently that 80% of Americans have wanted to write and publish a book at some point. And not only is that one of the reasons that we wanted to create this episode. I recently attended a webinar through ConvertKit. ConvertKit is our email system. And they are an affiliate of ours. One of the things that I love about ConvertKit is they offer their members continuous learning opportunities. So, I was attending a webinar and there were over 300 people on this webinar to help with email marketing. And the host asked the attendees, mind you over 300 people, what is one of your goals for the upcoming year? And the majority put in there, write a book. Some of them wanted to write manuals to go with their webinars. Some of them wanted to write their personal stories. Some of them wanted to write professional books, but they overwhelmingly the amount of people that wanted to write a book. And it got me thinking because although 80% of Americans want to write a story, less than 1% will actually get it done.
 
[00:11:01] Leanne: Hey there, Leanne Regalla here. I am an author coach, and a marketing coach for entrepreneurs, consultants, and experts who want to write a book that grows their authority, attracts their perfect clients 24/7 and makes positive change in their corners of the world.
 
[00:11:19] Nola: Leanne is the founder of Writing that Resonates. And is the author of Instant Authority: Write a Book, Spread Your Message, Make an Impact. Not only is she a published author and a ghost writer for other authors, she's been a guest on our show. You can hear her episode number 43 about tips for effective lead generation. According to Leanne, to write your own book and do it well, it all comes down to her three philosophies.
 
[00:11:44] Leanne: This is really why I do what I do. First off, you want a book that stands out. There's a lot of information out there on how to write a book, but not so much on how to write well so that your book makes an impact and creates the transformation that your readers want. I want to change that. Number two, you need a plan from the very start. The number one reason that nonfiction books are rejected by editors at every step of the publishing process is poor focus and organization. You can save yourself a ton of time and stress with a plan, right from the very beginning, one that works for you. Number three, you need professional systems. Pro writers use proven methods to help them write well and write quickly. So don't flounder around on your own trying to figure things out. Learn those approaches and customize them to your own working style so that you can deliver exactly what your readers want and need.
 
[00:12:48] Lori: Regardless of your reason or motivation for wanting to become an author, a well-written book is a great way for you to help others as well as improve your communication skills and build a strong connection with your ideal reader. But if your book covers the same topics and ideas, as hundreds of other authors, it will be increasingly challenging for you to cut through the noise and get noticed as a thought leader. So, what is the secret to unlocking your creativity in a novel and unique way? Well, if you think the secret has to do with style, such as incorporating and impressive vocabulary or elaborate sentences or using figurative language, you'd be wrong. According to Leanne, the magic happens in keeping a few fundamental principles at the forefront of your mind.
 
[00:13:39] Leanne: So, my first tip and what I help everyone with in the beginning is finding your one big promise. What will readers get from your book? How will their lives be changed? Be really clear about this. And when you craft your book's title, be clear and not overly clever. Don't try to create a new word or a new branding when you're first starting out. People will not get it. Instead, they'll reach for another book that promises the exact outcome that they're looking for. The next tip follows right behind this know your book's structure. So, this is a big light bulb moment for many of my clients. Finally, use an outline. This goes back to the point I made about focus and organization. There's a time and a place for stream of consciousness writing and or dictating. I'm a huge fan of dictating, but it's within the outline you create while you are focused on delivering that big promise to your readers. So many aspiring authors start out without the right organization. And when they get feedback from an editor that their manuscript needs major rewrites, they're overwhelmed. They simply give up. So, to sum up, you want to write a book that makes an impact.
 
[00:14:57] Nola: The tip that most resonates with me is the one about using an outline. I mentioned one book, but actually there's a different book, more of a professional book that I have been playing with and working on for at least a couple of years now. I have a lot of content for it, but I need to organize it. In fact, I've created an outline and it stinks. And every few months, I will sit down and I will reorganize it. And it still does not flow. And so I'll just get exasperated and I'll walk away, sit down in the next few months and I'll reorganize it. And I just can't get it to work!
 
[00:15:28] Lori: Maybe you should be hiring Leanne as your content coach.
 
[00:15:33] Nola: I do think so. And what's cool is Leanne put together a tip sheet for our listeners, which I know that I will be using too. And that tip sheets to help you get started successfully. She's posted it at tiny url.com/stickybrand, but you can grab that link here in our show notes or on our website's Resources page.
 
[00:15:53] Lori: Now. Imagine having finished or just about finished your book, there's a sense of accomplishment and the pride you feel for your achievement. Well done. As big of a deal as that is. It's not the end of your story, so to speak. Now it's time to get your baby in front of your ideal reader. Which means publishing, of course.
 
[00:16:14] Kristina: Hey, my name's Kristina Proffit. I'm an author writing coach and podcast host under my pen name, Kristina Adams, that's Kristina with a K. I have an MA in creative writing. I've been teaching writing on my blog, the Writer's Cookbook, since 2014, and I published my first book in 2016. Since then, I've published 14 books.
 
[00:16:31] Lori: But before you can truly embark on a publishing journey, you'll have one major decision to make. Will you self-publish your book or try to have it published traditionally.
 
[00:16:43] Kristina: I've never worked for the publisher on my books. All of my 14 books are self-published. I chose to do that so that I get more control and ultimately more income.
 
[00:16:52] Nola: Self-publishing is a booming business these days and self-published books have a lot more credibility than they used to. In fact, there used to be a stigma, but that's no longer the case.
 
[00:17:02] Lori: Nola, did you know the famous book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki was a, started out as a self-published book?
 
[00:17:11] Nola: I did not know that. That is a classic. In fact, we even read that in business school.
 
[00:17:16] Lori: Yeah. He was sharing his story. And what he told was that he was at that time going on radio stations. And of course, the host would always say, where can people find your book? And he would say, go to any major bookstore and ask them. That's where you'll find it. So, people started to go into their bookstore and ask, and the demand from staff calling publishing houses to order the book for their customers, because the demand kept increasing actually publishers reached out to him to publish his book and that's how it ended up getting published traditionally.
 
[00:17:55] Nola: Wow. That's very clever. I did not realize that they had started out as an e-book. Similarly, did you know that 50 Shades of Grey also started out as an e-book? No. Yeah. And it became a blockbuster movie even after that.
 
[00:18:10] Lori: I never saw the movie. I know that that book is not well-written. Yet. I still read it. I read the first one. I read the second one and I couldn't read the third one. I was like, okay, this writing's terrible.
 
[00:18:24] Nola: They needed an editor. These are a couple of great examples. And while you don't need a traditional publisher to write and produce a great book, one that can help you build your business and brand, you will need to get it in front of readers. Figuring out how to market a book can often present a real challenge for first timers.
 
[00:18:44] Kristina: My top tip for book marketing is form a relationship with your readers. Don't just see them as someone who's buying your book, and then moving on. If you can foster a relationship with your readers through email marketing, Facebook groups, Twitter chats, whatever works for you, you'll find that they're much more loyal and likely to leave positive reviews, pre-order your next release and recommend your book to their friends. It can take time to build up this rapport, but it's totally worth it.
 
[00:19:07] Nola: Kristina makes a great point about building your audience and marketing to that audience, when your book is published. In fact, building that email list is another reason to even listen to episode 43 about building that lead generation tool. And that's something that you can do. Building your email list and building your audience, that's something that you can do while you're working on your book. So that by the time that is done and polished and ready to go out, you have actually got somebody who's paying attention to what you have to say and would be interested in it right out of the gate.
 
[00:19:45] Lori: Kristina has clearly been very prolific in the last few years, producing so many books. I am looking forward to when she and her co-host Ellie, come on our show in an upcoming episode so we can ask them about marketing tips.
 
[00:20:00] Nola: Yes. I'm excited.
 
[00:20:02] Lori: Yeah. I wonder if Kristina will bring her cute little dog Millie on the show as well, it could be a first, you know.
 
[00:20:08] Nola: That would be a first.
 
[00:20:10] Lori: Thank you so much for listening to this episode. We hope it makes all the difference in you getting started on your side business so you can create your best and most exciting life ever. If you found the information helpful and you decided to start on your business book writing adventure, let us know by posting here where you're listening, or on our Facebook page. This way we can send you love, encouragement, and congratulate you on the amazing and badassery decision you've made.
 
[00:20:41] Nola: Be sure to come back next Tuesday and every Tuesday for another informative, inspiring and motivating episode. And remember. Action creates results. So, tap into your desire to create a business and brand you love by taking 1% action every day. Small steps, big effects.
 
[00:20:59] Lori: Do you have questions about creating a personal brand, side hustle or small business? Sign up for one of our clarity sessions. For more information, contact us at stickybrandlab.com/contact.
 
[OUT-TAKE]
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Well, if you think the secret has to do with styles such as incorporating and impressive vocabulary or elaborating elaborates [choking]……guarding my voice….