Time to start a new chapter in your quest for knowledge, side hustlers.
Everyone has an idea that they would love to turn into a book, but maybe you feel like you don’t have what it takes to make it a reality.
And I don’t blame you, even I felt that way about starting my own website. Even after I achieved success with it, I was hesitant about becoming an author.
And yet knowing what I know now I can say that writing a book is not about your writing skills, it’s about your message. A good message can turn an idea into an excellent business opportunity.
This week, we’ll discuss the benefits of writing your own book, because quite frankly, everyone should do it!
This week’s newsletter brings you:
- Trends. Interested to learn what types of books are more popular? Wondering what topics sell better? We will bring you the data this week.
- Strategies. This week we answer a question many of you probably have: Should I write a book? We’ll discuss the benefits of writing your own book, how to get started, and the process to follow to get your book out to other people.
- Tool of the Week. If you are going to write a good book, you are going to need a good editor, and Reedsy Book Editor is the perfect tool for first-time book writers.
Trends
Let’s kick things off by looking at some book statistics. When it comes to writing a book, should you stick with non-fiction or explore your artistic side by writing fiction? What categories tend to sell well? We’ve covered it all for you below. Enjoy!
Books sold by category
According to a report by Nielsen BookScan, adult fiction book sales increased by 25.5 percent between 2020 and 2021, with 2021 unit sales hitting 174.19 million, up from 138.84 million in the previous year. All categories saw an annual increase in print unit sales, with the exception of juvenile non-fiction, which suffered a decrease of 6.2 percent.
Most popular non-fiction genres
Diving down into non-fiction book categories, Yougov found that biographies and memoirs (26%) are the most popular category in terms of non-fiction. Other popular non-fiction book categories include historical writing (20%) and food and drink (19%).
Most popular fiction genres
Fiction readers, on the other hand, tend to opt for crime and thriller novels (33%), while fantasy (22%) and action and adventure (20%) prove to be other popular genres.
Strategies
Now that we’ve got the data out of the way, let’s dive right into the question: Should you write a book?
Why should you write a book?
Back in 2002, the New York Times revealed that 81% of people want to write a book.
And yet, most people refrain from making the jump, either because they feel they don’t have the skills or the time.
But as a side hustler, we know that you have both. The truth is, everyone can write a book.
And here’s why you should write one of your own:
Potential for passive income
Your wonderful ideas aren’t paying the bills, the only way you can make money from ideas is after you commit them to paper and publish them.
Simply by existing, your book can provide a source of passive income.
Then there’s the future: audiobooks, book-based courses, and speaking engagements! That’s only the tip of the iceberg. You can make money from your self-published book, but first you must write it.
An idea on paper will always beat an idea in your head.
Books boost credibility
Writing a book is the quickest method to achieve credibility, position yourself as an expert, and build a professional reputation in business. It can also be utilized as a marketing and promotional piece for your company.
Consider this: When you meet someone who has become a published author, how do you feel about them?
Even if you don’t know them, you might believe that if they can write a complete book and have it published, they must be an expert on that subject.
But do you want to know a secret a lot of people don’t know?
You don’t need to be an expert to write a book. You just have to write it. Obviously writing about a topic you are passionate and knowledgeable about is a huge help, but not necessarily a requirement.
Writing a book doesn’t need to be about making money off the book itself, it can just be a way to boost yourself in the world by giving your platform more credibility.
Resources:
Why You Should Write Your First Book by Brian Tracy
10.5 Reasons Why You Should Write a Book by Sindu Sreebhavan
Writing your first book
The one thing you must have in order to write a book is an idea. Without it, you’ll never get past the first page of your draft. Everything else can come as you go.
You might already know what you want to write about, or you might be completely stumped. Before you start committing anything to paper, you should begin by asking yourself a few easy questions:
- What should I write about?
- What am I passionate about?
- Who will be interested in reading about this subject?
- Will I be able to carry out this plan successfully?
Your responses to these questions will assist you in narrowing down your possibilities. For example, if you have multiple book ideas but only one that you are actually passionate about and believe you can pull off, then you have your premise!
If, on the other hand, you’re stuck for ideas, these questions should point you on the right path. Consider the types of books you enjoy reading as well as novels that have had a big impact on you. You’ll almost certainly want to create a book along the same lines.
You can also research other authors for ideas on where to take your book.
Create the first draft
Many writers feel that great vocabulary, intricate sentences, and metaphorical language are the keys to crafting an amazing novel. These aspects, like the layers of an iceberg, stack on top of each other, even if you can’t always see them.
However, while style and flair are important components of any book, what ultimately will determine its quality is its content, which is why you should concentrate on your themes, structure, and content rather than your prose first.
Writing courses
If you feel that your writing skills are not good enough to write a book, you can always find a writing course. However, before investing in a course, consider what you write, who it’s for, and your ultimate learning objective. A nonfiction writer, for example, is likely to have different creative ambitions than a novelist. The former may seek more clients, whilst the latter may wish to develop a story with a specific structure.
Not all courses work for all forms of writing.
So, before handing out your credit card information, consider the following questions:
- Are you a fresh writer looking for inspiration to start writing?
- Do you require assistance with writer’s block?
- Do you want to improve your writing style?
- Do you want to publish your first book?
- Or maybe you wish to write and publish a personal essay?
- Do you require assistance with book writing?
- Do you want to boost your income by self-publishing your book on Amazon?
- Are you a freelance writer looking to improve your business writing skills?
- Do you want to boost your brand storytelling abilities?
- Or do you wish to improve your everyday writing skills, such as self-editing?
- Do you require assistance in launching and marketing a potential best-seller?
Once you know for sure what type of writing you want to do, and the type of assistance you need, you can start looking for a course.
Popular platforms for writing courses include Coursera, Masterclass Udemy, and Skillshare.
What if your book becomes popular?
If your book starts selling, congratulations! You made it!
Now what?
Well, there are a couple of things you can do. For instance, if you don’t already have one this is a great moment to create a blog or website for the book.
Some blogging services even allow you to have a static initial page, similar to a formal website. If you don’t want to deal with the burden of blogging and don’t have a lot of money, you may construct a simple website on the cheap at GoDaddy, iPage, HostBaby, or any of dozens of other providers.
Even if you have the means to create a stunning design, now is not the time. And you don’t want something that you can’t keep up with. Waiting until a designer is available to make changes can rapidly make your site look antiquated.
All that is required for the site is a professional-looking photo and a brief bio that includes your contact information and information about your book and/or previous publications. Nothing too elaborate. No boasting. Nothing is more depressing than a pretentious website for an unpublished author.
Furthermore, do not post any extracts from your work that you are attempting to sell. You’ll publish it and render it unmarketable.
Ride the lightning (write another book or use the book to push other opportunities)
If you caught lightning in a bottle once, you should take advantage of that momentum and keep going. You can start writing a second book or use the book’s popularity as leverage for other opportunities, such as sponsorships, coaching, or lectures.
Resources:
Best Online Writing Courses by Become a Writer Today
Promoting your book
Everything in book promotion boils down to two questions:
- What will I get from your book?
- Why should I pay attention to you in particular?
The first question establishes your book’s market position. Your book must meet a specific need for a certain group of readers, or it will be ignored. We cannot emphasize this enough.
The only thing readers care about is what your book will do for them, whether for the story they’ll read, or the knowledge they’ll gain.
The second question develops your Author brand by demonstrating to the reader why you are the best person to solve that problem.
Ideally, you will answer both questions before writing a single word of your book.
Self-publishing vs traditional publishing
When you are looking to get your book out there, you’ll have to answer one crucial question:
Do you self-publish, or do you go the traditional publishing route?
There is only ONE significant difference between the two:
- If you self-publish, you own the rights and royalties for the book.
- If you do traditional publishing, these rights are controlled by the publisher.
That’s all. Everything else is a response to that solitary distinction.
Why would you choose traditional publishing?
The advantage of traditional publishing is that you don’t have to worry about anything in terms of getting your book out there and you will most likely get money upfront.
To begin with, getting an offer to publish through traditional publishers is extremely difficult.
However, if the publisher makes you an offer with an advance of $50k or more, you should (almost definitely) accept the contract.
These are the folks who are most likely to get those deals:
- Famous People
- Athletes of Note
- A-List Stars
- Politicians
- CEOs with household names
- Professional writers (novelists, for example) having a track record of high sales
- People with extensive publishing industry contacts
Who should self-publish?
Almost everyone else. Why is this the case?
Because, in the absence of a large advance from a major publisher, the benefits of self-publishing exceed the drawbacks.
Ghostwriters and outsourcing your book
If you absolutely feel that you lack the time and skills to write, you can always get someone else to do the heavy lifting for you. A ghostwriter is a professional who writes your book on your behalf.
Some business owners engage a ghostwriter solely to get their book written. However, in many circumstances, the disadvantages exceed the advantages. In some circumstances, a different method may be preferable.
Ghostwriting has a few benefits and some drawbacks. These are:
Pros
- It will be completed more quickly.
- It requires less time from you.
Cons
- It will be expensive.
- There is no assurance of quality.
Ideally, you should write the book on your own. But if you have the resources to hire a ghostwriter, it’s much better than just leaving an idea to die in your head.
Resources:
How to Promote Your Book by Reedsy
Self Publishing Vs Traditional by ScribeMedia
Hire a Ghostwriter by Grammar Factory
Tool of the Week
One of the most expensive aspects of writing a book is editing it. A good editor can easily cost you around $1000 to $3000 per book, which can be a tall ask for a first-time writer.
And yet, editing a book on your own isn’t the best idea.
However, that’s where Reedsy’s book editor comes in.
For starters, Reedsy Book Editor is completely free.
The Reedsy Book Editor is a free online word processor that formats your book as you write. See your drafts transform into a professional-looking, ready-to-publish manuscript — the finished result will inspire you to create more.
Reedsy has an automatic spell-checker — as well as a built-in goal reminder system to help you get back into shape if you’ve fallen behind on your writing schedule! Another useful feature of the Reedsy Book Editor is the ability to rapidly typeset your book to EPUB and print-ready PDF files.
Check it out if you’re looking for a writing tool that handles formatting and conversion for you.