WHAT I LEARNED BY WRITING (AND PUBLISHING) A BOOK

I had to take a little time away from this blog as I was knee deep in the publishing process for my book Finishing The Job. (You can learn more about the book and purchase a copy at http://www.FinishingTheJob.com.). But I am back and prepared to provide more information that I hope is helpful for you. I thought I would begin my telling you what I learned by writing and self-publishing Finishing The Job.

1. It’s rewarding! – I accomplished a long-time goal by writing my book. I felt quite invigorated when, 1) I was able to go through the final drafts of my copy, 2) I saw the initial layout of the book electronically, and 3) I picked up the final copies of the book. I won some pretty big games as a coach and the feeling I had when I picked up that finished product was every bit as exciting.

2. It’s a lot of work! – Everything from doing interviews to writing the content to laying out the book to actually getting it published involved many details. Time, energy, and organization were vital!

3. To do it well, a writer must be fully-invested. – It is much easier to write a book when a writer devotes his time and energy fully in the project. With that being said, it was difficult for me as a full-time educator to write Finishing The Job in the six months that I had hoped. Instead, it took me 18 months to write it! While it is possible to spend early mornings, late nights, and weekends writing, the more focus a writer has on the project the more likely the project will come to fruition.

4. A writer must be motivated. – First, the writer must obviously be self-motivated. A lot of time is spent on your own just writing so one must remain focused on the goal. It helps to have others motivating you, too. I had Cindy Hertzel, one of the key figures in my book, frequently asking me about it and even kicking me in the backside near the end wanting me to get it completed.

5. Publishing a book is easier than ever. – I learned MUCH about the publishing process. Yes, there are some tasks that must be accomplished when publishing a book that a writer does not have to perform when writing a term paper or other literary work. Buying ISBN numbers, registering with the Library of Congress, purchasing bar codes…Had you thought about those? While it can be comprehensive it is quite easy to do those tasks on your own. I could write (and talk) for hours about the options in the publishing business today. A writer could find a publishing company, work with a self-publishing company, or self-publish on their own. The fact is that it is quite easy to publish your own book in today’s age. I started my own publishing business, even if it publishes only one book right now!

6. Document as you go through the process. – Take good notes, whether it’s interviews that you conduct or thoughts that come about as you write. Use a voice recorder if you do interviews; I found it easier to get good quotes when I used a recorder. Also, if you are writing a non-fiction work and need to use quotes from newspapers or borrow photos it is wise to have a waiver document that you can use when you talk to these people. I took a lot of notes during the process.

Resources Mentioned in This Blog
Book: Finishing The Job http://www.FinishingTheJob.com

Question: What is your biggest obstacle in writing that book you have always wanted to write?

If you have any questions about writing or publishing a book leave a comment or send me an e-mail at coachhoytbasketball@gmail.com and I will be happy to respond.