The Book Project

The time has come that I write a book. I am excited by this new project, because it’s been a dream of mine to have something published. I’ve already began the process of writing things I may or may not put into my book. I did some revisions and organizing. Yet, I’m left with the question, what kind of book am I writing? I think this is the hardest part of the book writing process. I have all these ideas and thoughts I want to share with the world. Except there’s one concern, will people be interested in what I have to say? What can I write about that will be of interest to the consumer. Gosh, I sound like a salesperson! I’ve been researching on the book writing business, and found that writers must be concerned in what people want to read. The target audience is very important. The subject matter is important as well as presentation.

Okay, I have my work cut out for me.

I’ve been writing for years and have pages of stuff. I am not sure if that “stuff,” is going to make someone pick up my book and buy it. I should note that I am not writing a book to make money. This is more for personal fulfillment. It would look great on a resume to say I’m a published author. Oh the thought makes me happy. However, I still want to give it my best just in case my book can actually sell itself. I still have my homework to do. I am just excited to be tackling something I’ve put off for years because of fear. I no longer fear rejection or criticism. I am ready to have my thoughts read.

The YouTube experience

I like YouTube. I like it for the instructional videos they have to offer. It’s been a helpful tool for me lately on a variety of levels. I appreciate the experts willing to share their experiences and how-to techniques in doing a variety of things. I spend a lot of time self-learning on my careers, ESL teaching and social work. I even do this for journalism. However, I haven’t done this for writing until now. Like any interest, I don’t mind exploring it further. I am motivated by self-learning. There are many great resources out there to pursue writing as a career, or in writing a book. In a few days, I’ve learned more about the writing business than taking a college course. YouTube is all right with me.

Blank page, many questions

This question is for the writers out there. Have you ever turned on your computer, open up Microsoft Word to a blank document, excited to jot down your great ideas and nothing happens? If so, don’t feel bad. I’ve had those moments too, too many times to count. Another question I’d like to ask a writer is, how do you sort through all your writings and decide what you want to use in your book? This is my challenge. One-step I’ve taken is creating an outline and weekly to do lists. This helps keep me motivated and organized. I know I could write about anything and post a hundred million blog postings, but would that make people want to read my work? Probably not. So here is challenge number two, what genre will I focus on? That is a work in progress. Thankfully, I gain inspiration from many things. I’ll figure this out one day at a time.

Here’s to more writing, hard work, perseverance, and personal satisfaction.