Writing a Book to Build Your Practice -- PART II

Co-author a book,
like these two authors.

Writing Your Book: How to Get
Organized, Get Help, and Get Going

By Susan Kendrick
http://www.writetoyourmarket.com/

Once you start thinking about writing a book to build your brand and your practice, the first question is "How?" Like Part I of this article for medical and health experts, any professional can use this information, especially the free mini-course (see below).

Since my partner, Graham, and I specialize in creating book titles, subtitles, and back cover copywriting, we turn to our colleagues for help with other parts of the book publishing process. Our good friend John Eggen of Mission Marketing Mentors is a great resource. He provides what most busy professionals ask us for--a tested, systematic way to write and publish a book. He even shows you how to start making money on your book before it's released--a great way to fund your book project.

John just came out with a free mini-course that he has set up so that we can give it away to our readers.
Go to http://ultimateclientmagnet.com/newauthors.

A few tips from our end on the book writing process

A proven formula is helpful any time you take on an endeavor outside your immediate area of expertise. This is especially true when writing a book. It you don’t have a specific path to get from the idea stage to the final manuscript, you risk becoming overwhelmed by a project that can easily grow out of control. Ideas add up, tangents materialize that take you off course, and input from family and friends can send you reeling in a dozen different directions as you try to craft the “perfect” book.

Given these tendencies, it’s important to know that writing a book is first and foremost a function of organization.

Here's one way to think about organizing your book

While there are a few different ways to approach writing a non-fiction book--see John's free mini-course above--one is the 10-Point Book Writing approach. Here’s how it works:

• Choose a topic—something you are good at, like to do, or want to learn more about. This can relate to either your professional life, your personal life, or both.
• Tell readers why you wrote the book and what they will get out of it. That is your Introduction
• Identify 10 key points you want to make about your topic. Those are your 10 chapters.
• Break each of those 10 chapters down into manageable parts: An introduction, 3-7 key points, quotes, examples, stories, etc.
• The ideal length for a non-fiction book starts at around 144 pages, including the Table of Contents, Acknowledgments, Copyright page, and author bio. That means each of your chapters will be approximately 11-12 pages long. Think of it as writing a long letter to a good friend.

But, I don’t have time to write a book

You don’t have to go it alone. Busy physicians regularly hire ghostwriters, transcribers, and editors to assist them in the book writing process. You can even partner with a physician or non-physician to co-author the book with you. Do make sure you follow a tested process. Remember to check out John Eggen's free mini-course at http://ultimateclientmagnet.com/newauthors.

Whether you want to self-publish or work with a traditional publisher, make publishing a book another profitable part of your practice. Please email us with any questions at info@WriteToYourMarket.com or call us at 1-888-634-4120.

Happy Publishing,
Susan


© 2010, Susan Kendrick, Write To Your Market. All Rights Reserved.