COVID-19 has changed so many things for all of us. If you’ve been thinking about writing a book or you’re in the process of writing, you’re probably wondering how all of this disruption changes things for authors, and what to do next.
I work with authors who write books that align with their businesses, like leadership books, personal development books and any kind of book that teaches people how to do something. The uncertainty that surrounds these authors and these genres isn’t just limited to books because it’s tied to their businesses overall.
Let’s be honest, this is a really weird time in history. It’s hard to predict what’s going to happen and what things are going to look like in the coming months or even years. But I think a few things are true for just about all of us. We want to prepare ourselves and our businesses to get through this. And we want to try to have some control over our future. And that means not just focusing on managing the day to day but putting in the work that’s really going to matter down the road.
If you’ve been thinking about writing a book, it might be the kind of project that fits into these circumstances. Personally, I have a toddler so I haven’t had a ton of extra free time with daycares being closed but I have become a lot more intentional in how I spend my time. And I know that other people are finding themselves with a little more time. If you aren’t traveling for business, you’re not commuting to and from work, or maybe you’re not able to go out and do all the social things that you used to do, you might have extra time during the week or even on weekends to focus on writing that book you’ve been wanting to write. Things are opening back up in certain areas but we won’t be gathering, at least to the degree that we once were, for a while, which could mean more time at home to focus on writing.
I think one thing that the quarantine has taught a lot of us is to focus on the things that matter most and that can be tied to finding meaning and purpose in life. Working towards a major goal for your business, and for your life in general, can be empowering, especially when you’re caught in a situation where you feel like you don’t have a ton of control. I also think it’s important to remember that the situation isn’t permanent. The economy’s taking a temporary hit but things are going to get better. And when that happens, you want to be prepared to come out stronger than ever. Maybe that means having a new product or service offering. Maybe a new product like a book.
One thing that is amazing about this moment in time is that authors have never been more empowered to publish books on their own. Self-publishing is accessible to everyone and it’s no longer considered a plan B if you can’t get a book deal. The pandemic is really only pushing things further in that direction. Publishers are feeling the hit of people buying fewer books right now and some are going through layoffs. Advances for authors are getting lower and many literary agents aren’t going to want to pitch the same number of books that they used to pitch. It’s a weird time with all the uncertainty and disruption.
But for business authors, especially those who self-publish, opportunities haven’t really changed. Authorship still helps entrepreneurs build their personal brands and bring in more clients to grow their businesses. And most nonfiction authors will continue to make a lot more money from products and services that are tied to their books than they do from selling copies of their book. And one of the great things about self-publishing is that you don’t need anyone’s permission to write your book.
So if you’ve been thinking about becoming an author, now might be a better time than ever to make some progress and move forward. I created a quick start guide with 10 Simple Steps to Start Writing your Book right now. This guide is super helpful because it breaks things down into manageable chunks so you know exactly what to do without getting overwhelmed.
Becoming an author is extremely rewarding and it can make a huge difference in your career trajectory. It is a little bit more work than sitting around and watching Netflix, which is something that obviously we all enjoy and have been doing a lot of lately. But a year from now, it’ll give you a lot more to show from your time at home. So I hope you download the guide and I look forward to you starting your journey becoming an author!