Why Write a Book? 3 Questions Before You Start

Are you wondering why write a book?  Before you get started, think about these three questions.  It will help you focus your writing, and increase your chances of success.

Who Are You Writing Your Book For?

The first question to reflect on, and answer, is who are you writing your book for? 

Certainly, our best tip is to write a book for your reader.  Unfortunately, some writers are ego driven.  Their books are “all about me” with very little value inside the covers for anyone else.

In short, unless you are a celebrity, your book is never “all about you.”  Most importantly, choose a strong message for your non-fiction book to convey.  Because when your book inspires other people it is a success.   

“If you can’t be a good example, then you’ll just have to be a horrible warning.”

― Catherine Aird

Whether your goal is to be a good example or a horrible warning is up to you.  However, if you fall into the latter, hopefully your story has a “triumph over adversity” ending.

Consequently, begin with the end in mind.  Think about who you’d like to read your book, and how you’d like to inspire them to be, do or have more of what you are writing about.

It doesn’t matter whether you are writing a memoir, family history, reference or self-help book.  By knowing who your reader is, and what strong message you want to share, you’ll find it easier to write.

Why Write a Book for Commercial Publication?

Not all books need to be written for commercial publication.  In fact, in many cases, your book will be more successful if you publish, market and sell it yourself.  Certainly, family histories and some memoirs are better suited as private publications.

Less than 0.1% of books that are written get accepted by commercial publishers (also known as traditional publishers).  However, this is often considered the Holy Grail for writers.   

That said, even if your book is accepted, for the book to be a success, the author either has to be a household name, or be willing to put in the hard yards to promote their own books.  For this reason, commercial publishers prefer to work with known authors who engage PR firms.

Therefore the answer to “Why write a book for commercial publication?” is this.  If you want your book to make money, then self-publish to a professional level.  We can help you do this at KESWiN Academy.

What Date Do You Want to Release Your Book?

When you reflect on the three “why write a book?” questions, this one is often overlooked by writers.  Due to the fact that they underestimate how much work has to be done. 

Successful books take time to write, edit and publish. 

For instance, to bring a manuscript up to a publishable level, it needs to go through several rewrites.  Savvy authors are building their audience as they do this.  Consequently, they can use their audience for feedback… and motivation!  

Then, the manuscript needs to go through multiple rounds of editing (developmental and line by line/substantive).  Quite often these cause more rewrites.

Next, it goes through the copyediting.  This is where a professional copyeditor looks for punctuation, spelling and grammatical errors.  They also check facts, and highlight any potential legal issues. 

Unfortunately these steps are missed out by many non-traditional publishers (including vanity, subsidy and indie publishers).  As a result, authors risk their credibility being damaged.  If you’re building an authority brand, this is a big danger!

Finally, when the manuscript is publishable, it goes to the designers (cover and interior), and then gets typeset and laid out.  The last step before it goes to the printer is a proofread of the hard copy galley proofs. 

So as you consider why write a book, think about a realistic date to go through all the writing and publishing steps.  You may not be able to choose one until you’ve reached the copyediting stage.

Why Write a Book Inside KESWiN Academy?

We guide you through the book writing, editing, publishing and marketing process, step-by-step-by-step. 

Our training is progressive, from first idea through to final sale.  Inside our friendly community you get all the support and answers to your questions you need. 

We make the whole process easy for you because we have been through it again and again and again, with our own books. 

So we’d love to have you join us and get started on your book.  Or you can continue to read through our blog for more tips and resources.