Take a close look at your
fears
Some time ago, a delightful man contracted with me to write a book that
was to be the story of his successful business life. We'd no sooner
gotten started than he called me into his office and explained, with
tears in his eyes, he couldn't continue.
A young man had developed a fairly unique way of looking at life, and
hired me to help him put it in a book. We got several chapters in and he
quit returning my email and my phone calls.
A woman and I had a great deal of difficulty getting her book truly
underway. After several broken appointments and false starts, she
admitted the whole idea of writing a book scared her half to death.
Although each of these examples are different, at least on the
surface, I think the woman who identified her fear was speaking for many
as well as herself.
What's The Fear?
When you think about getting your book written, there are several
things that you might find scary, including:
- The sheer size of the project; 40,000 words, give or take, 200
pages give or take, is a big project. It takes sustained effort over
a period of time to get it done.
You can, however, if it's important to you, get a book written.
If it's important, you'll find the time, the way to make it
happen.
- Fear of revealing yourself. If you write a book and it sells
well, you are exposing your ideas, and, in many ways, your very
being to hundreds, thousands, even hundreds of thousands of
strangers.
Getting a book out there is a public act. You will be on record,
in print, with whatever ideas you've put in your book. People will
know you at some level, and some will judge you. Does that really
matter?
If your book is even moderately successful, it's likely to change
your life. You will have more authority and more respect. Some
people will expect more of you because you're a published author. If
you're highly successful, you may even get rich from your book.
Are you willing?
If you sell only a dozen or so copies, you'll feel like a
failure. You won't be, of course, but you're likely to feel that way
for a bit. Are you willing?
- Fear that your ideas will change even before the book is
printed.
They probably will change, or at least develop, which only means
you're getting ready to write a second or third book. Isn't that
nice?
These are, in my experience, the most typical fears that keep people
from getting a book written. There's nothing wrong with fear, it's
letting it stop you that's the problem.
Write well and often!
