Earma Brown asked:


Did you start writing your book and quit? Yes, I know you’re not a quitter. Like many of us, you may be making some simple mistakes that block your book’s progress and success. Correct the following mistakes; complete your book and prosper:

Mistake 1 Failure to start small

Inexperienced book writers aim too high. Don’t try to fit everything you know or researched into a one big book. Plan too big and you may end up with a monster book that turns your potential readers off. Remember many people in the new millennium are busy and impatient. They look for short, quick easy reads.

Solution: Plan a short book first. If you have loads of interesting information, consider breaking your book into parts. Even a series of books is better than one large volume in the non-fiction genre.

Mistake 2 Failure to educate oneself about book writing

Many novice book writers fail to educate themselves about book writing. If you’ve never traveled this road before, enroll in a book writing course. If you have little time, sign up for an email course to jumpstart your writing. Invest in your book project by hiring a professional editor to edit your work.

Solution: Invest time to learn about book writing. A client of mine said, “I want to invest in my work but I have no budget to start with.” No worries; more book writers than you know have started with a low to no-string budget. Enroll in free book writing courses. Invest time in learning to self-edit your work until you can afford to hire a professional.

Mistake 3 Failure to target your audience

If you fail to pinpoint who you are writing for, your chapters will lack focus. Your copy will fail to connect with readers. If you do manage to hook your readers, most won’t make it to the end of your book. Beginning writers who make this mistake bore their readers with flat, lack luster writing.

Solution: Target your book audience. Create a profile of your reader. Write down their complaints, their needs and/or problems that your book solves. Write your book to that person. You will have tight focused copy that compels your reader to keep reading to the end.

Mistake 4: Failure to develop a sizzling title and back cover first

Most newbie book writers stall at this one. They don’t realize a hot title helps the author stay motivated. Writing the back cover first helps crystallize your book’s message. With a clear message in front, you can write compelling copy that draws your readers to keep reading.

Solution: Develop a hot title and back cover first to write tight focused copy that sells. A hot title includes the top benefit of the book. It is usually short, clear and/or tells a story.

Mistake 5Failure to keep writing in the midst of everyday life

Many writers believe you have to get away from everything to write a successful book. No you don’t. I know several novelist and non-fiction book writers who had to write during a long commute to get their best book written and out to the world. They accomplished it because they systematically worked on their book until it was done.

Solution: Avoid marathon writing. In the midst of your busy life, designate your time to write (work on your book) with a goal to completion.

You may not be making all of these mistakes. Yet one or two will stop your book dream in its tracks. Your audience is waiting. Implement the above solutions, get your book written, release it to the world and prosper.

Earma Brown asked:


Did your book writing come to a halt somewhere along the way? No worries. Like many of us, you may be making some simple mistakes that block your book’s progress and completion. Correct the following mistakes; complete your book and prosper:

Mistake 1: Failure to plan your book realistically.

Inexperienced book writers aim too high. Don’t try to fit everything you know or researched into a one big book. Plan too big and you may end up with a monster book that turns your potential readers off. Remember many people in the new millennium are busy and impatient. They look for short, quick easy reads.

Solution: Plan a short book first. If you have loads of interesting information, consider breaking your book into parts. Even a series of books is better than one large volume in the non-fiction genre.

Mistake 2: Failure to write your book’s vision.

Newbie book writers lose focus and determination because their vision is not clear. When it’s not written down distractions easily creep into pull you away your goal of a completed book. You may quickly forget why you are even writing a book.

Solution: Write your book’s vision statement. Write it down and make it plain. Write when you’ll complete it. Name specific outcomes you get after completing your book. For instance, envision yourself watching your bank balance grow from book sales. Write, “I see myself with increased income and more clients.” Anyway you get the idea; create your vision statement including see, hear and feel.

Mistake 3: Failure to envision what your completed book will do for you.

This mistake is similar to writing your book’s vision but different because it focuses on the rewards. Many novice book writers fail to dream about the rewards of a completed book. Is your goal to become an expert and gain visibility in your field? Do you want to launch a new career or go to the next level in your current career?

Solution: Fuel the flame of your book dream again. This time dream a bigger dream. Dream after writing your book, you receive life long income that grows each month. You become a highly visible expert in your field.

You gain added respect of your colleagues and peers because of your book. You receive increased income leveraged from higher fees charged. Your clients gladly pay them with book author as one of your titles.

Mistake 3: Failure to conquer procrastination.

The way to conquer procrastination is to act. No, you don’t have to sell your soul anymore to write a saleable book. Use the cumulative effect of doing a little bit at a time. Even so, unless you want it to take years to write, you must schedule a considerable writing time each week. For example, you could write 2 pages a day and have a short book in weeks. Or you could write 10-15 hours a week to complete your book.

Solution: Do it now! Now is better than later. Remember you become a successful author the minute you start moving toward your worthwhile book goal. I don’t know anyone that regrets they wrote a book. But I know plenty of people that regret they didn’t do it sooner.

Mistake 4: Failure to count your book as significant.

Tons of book writers stall at this one. They don’t realize the significance of their work. Too easily they think who cares anyway. Why should I add one more book to the 100s of thousands of book already in the world?

Solution: Realize your message is significant and deserves your attention, love and time. Consider what your readers need and want. If your book shares something unique, encouraging, useful, entertaining, it is important enough to be written.

Think about your gift? God gave you your gift to share with others. Our gift back to God is what we do with it. The loving care you put into your gift (book) the more rewards await you.

Mistake 5 Failure to keep writing in the midst of everyday life.

Many writers believe you have to get away from everything to write a successful book. No you don’t. I know several novelist and non-fiction book writers who had to write during a long commute to get their best book written and out to the world. They accomplished it because they systematically worked on their book until it was done.

Solution: Avoid marathon writing. In the midst of your busy life, designate your time to write (work on your book) with a goal to completion.

Mistake 6 Failure to keep going after life interrupts.

It is a common challenge to find your place after being interrupted by family, work and daily life. After all that’s why many think you must get away to get it done effectively. Yet, there’s hope for those who can’t get away or choose not to. Successful writers all over the world use the tracking approach. They succeed because they commit to doing a little each day.

Solution: Set yourself up for success; use the tracking approach. The most popular method to use for tracking is time. Time is the method where you commit to a writing a certain amount of time each day. With the cumulative factor involved your commitment doesn’t have to be that much.

For example, to accomplish my book writing goals I commit to writing one hour a day in a.m. (my most productive time.) With this method don’t be overly concerned about how much you write, just keep the time commitment.

Mistake 7 Failure to find writing rhythm.

You don’t have to write each chapter one after the other. If you get stuck on chapter two, you could be stuck a very long time. This type of thinking comes from grade school where we are ritually taught to do everything in order.

If you have been thinking that way stop right now, no need to raise your hand. You have my permission to work on whatever chapter moves you or you feel passion bubbling for at the moment. Feeling stuck on a chapter, try another. There you have it now go with the flow.

Solution: Don’t become chained to writing in order. Jump around and fill in the blanks. Review your chapters and whatever subject or topic you most drawn to, begin there.

You may not be making all of these mistakes. Yet one or two will stop the successful completion of your book. Your audience is waiting. Implement the above solutions, get your book finished, release it to the world and prosper.