ARE YOU READY TO WRITE A BOOK?

In some ways that question is a lot like another question: Are you ready to have a child? Before you make the decision to become a parent, you’ll probably talk to other people who have already taken that route. You’ll read books written by experts in parenting. You’ll feel both excited and attracted to the idea—and at the same time, nervous and reluctant. You may not be sure that you’re ready for the challenge. The time commitment alone is daunting.

Truth is, parenthood isn’t for everyone—and neither is writing a book. And they both can be right for you at one stage in your life, when they weren’t right earlier.

So (leaving the question of parenthood aside), how can you tell if you’re ready to write a book? How do you know if this plunge into a new endeavor is the right step for you?

Here are 5 questions to ask yourself:

1. Do you have a story you are burning to share?

I’m not talking only about fiction. It could be the story of your business’s road to success. It might be the story of your great-grandmother’s life—or your own life. Maybe  it’s the story of something amazing that you’ve learned (in the business world, for example—or the spiritual world or the educational world) or the story of how to do something (bake a cake, plant a garden, make a quilt, lose weight) that’s new and fresh because it’s all your own. Don’t second guess yourself by thinking, Well, even though I’m excited by this story (whatever it is), no one else will be. That’s just not true. If it’s something that truly excites you, then it will excite others as well. Passion is contagious.

2. Do you have a message you need to share?

The best stories carry messages within them—and books allow us to reach out to the people who are yearning to hear those messages. Through a book, you can touch the lives of others, inspiring them with hope, courage, self-confidence, and faith. You can speak directly into the heart of a troubled teenager . . . give advice to a businessperson searching for a better way of doing things . . . bring cheer to a person on the point of giving up on life . . . or open new doors of understanding for those who are held captive by ignorance and prejudice. Your message is powerful because it’s yours, learned and tempered in the fire of your life—and the world needs to hear it!

3. Are you ready to work hard?

We’re not going to lie to you—writing a book, even if you’re working with a ghostwriter, is not easy. You have to be willing to research and investigate, so that you get your facts right; you need to invest time in thinking carefully about your stories and messages, making sure they’re as clear and compelling as you can make them. Once the book is written and published, you’ll need to commit to the marketing process, which can be nearly a full-time job in itself. Even if you’re fortunate enough to be published by a big-name publisher, don’t expect them to do the marketing work for you—but also don’t get scared by the word “marketing.” Marketing is simply sharing your passion for your book with as many people as possible. We write books for people to read, and marketing allows your book to reach the people who are already longing for your message.

4. Do you have self-discipline and the ability to be persistent?

All authors have days when they’d rather do pretty much anything other than sit down and write. Suddenly, all the ideas that at first looked so fascinating and exciting now look boring, silly, embarrassing—and you want to run away. Besides, if you never try, you can’t fail. But creating anything of value always requires discipline and persistence. Think again about the analogy to having a baby. No parent is thrilled about waking up over and over in the night to the sound of a crying baby—and yet we stumble out of our beds and tend to our children. We are unequivocally committed to their well-being, no matter how tired, discouraged, or bored we are. Seeing a book through from its conception to its delivery into the world requires a similar level of commitment and persistence, on good days and bad, when writing is wonderful and exciting . . . and when it isn’t.

5. Do you feel like your life is in a rut—and you’re ready for a new adventure, a new challenge?

Creating a book is a challenge that will enrich your life and startle you into new insights in countless ways. It does, however, (like all adventures) require that you leave your comfort zone. True adventurers are willing to give up their comfort, though, in exchange for the excitement of the journey. They leave behind their self-imposed boundaries (the ruts that habit has carved in their minds and lives) and venture out into new, unexplored regions. They face dangers; they take risks; and along the way, they see new and marvelous things. They come alive in new ways.

So what do you think? Is it your time to write a book?