If you’re an entrepreneur, you know how hard it can be to balance your growing startup with everything else. One of the best ways to stay motivated and inspired is by writing a book—but what if you have a business to run? You don’t have to choose between the two, though. Here’s a guide to writing a book while running a company.
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Seven helpful tips for writing a book while running a company
Writing is hard. Even if you have a good idea and can get your fingers to cooperate, getting words onto paper can be daunting. Writing an entire book – how did that ever happen? If this sounds like something that might interest you, but you’re not sure where to start, here are some tips for writing a book while running your own company.
1. Cut out distractions.
You can’t be expected to work on a book and run your company simultaneously if you’re also getting distracted. Here are some tips for cutting out distractions:
- Turn off your phone. If you have difficulty being productive without it, leave it in another room or turn on airplane mode so no one can reach you.
- Close all other applications on your computer that aren’t related to the project at hand (email and social media).
- Set a timer for each distraction—for example, tell yourself that after an hour of reading an email, it’s time to get back to writing!
2. Give yourself frequent breaks.
Taking breaks is an essential part of writing a book. The more time you spend in front of the computer, the less productive you will be and the more likely it is that something else will take over your day.
We recommend setting aside 30 minutes every few hours (or even half an hour) where you don’t write—sit back, relax, read a book, watch TV, listen to music, or whatever floats your boat!
3. Get a good amount of sleep and exercise.
The importance of sleep is often overlooked when it comes to writing a book. I’m talking about actual, deep sleep. The kind where your brain has time to recharge and process all the information you’ve gathered throughout the day.
Sleep is vital because it gives your brain a chance to process all those thoughts and ideas that could be used in your book if only they weren’t crammed into their overcrowded heads.
4. Plan for your book in advance.
Once you’ve decided to write a book, it’s essential to plan. Why? Because writing a book is not the same thing as being an author.
Writing a book and being an author are two different things. If you’re planning on writing a book and becoming an author, then there are some things you should know before starting your project:
- Writing requires time management skills, which can be learned with practice and diligence.
- You will need the right tools and resources to complete your task successfully: a computer/laptop with a word processor (Microsoft Word is popular), an internet connection for researching your topic(s), access to books and other materials that may help write about them (you can borrow from libraries or buy from Amazon).
A notebook is an excellent way to keep track of your ideas; writing in it will help you organize your thoughts. Writing a book will take time, so be patient with yourself.
5. Set specific writing goals.
The first step in writing a book while running a company is to set specific goals for yourself. Write down your goals, and make sure they are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound). For example: “I want to finish writing my book by the end of 2019” or “I will write at least 500 words per day by the end of last week.”
If you’re not familiar with SMART goals, here’s what each letter stands for:
- Specific: Don’t just say, “I’m going to write a book,” Instead, be more specific about how many pages or words you’ll write each day, week, or month until completion. If possible, include deadlines so that it feels more natural and attainable.
- Measurable: A good goal should have measurable results—such as word count or page count—to help keep track of progress along the way.
- Achievable: Make sure your goal is realistic given everything else going on in your life (i.e., don’t try setting an unrealistic deadline like finishing an entire novel within one month). The key here is being realistic about what’s possible under current circumstances; anything less won’t get done!
- Relevant: The goal needs to be relevant to what you want. For example, if writing a novel is what you want, that should be your focus instead of saying something like, “I will write every day.”
- Time-bound: Having a deadline for completing your goal helps keep things on track and allows you to measure how well you’re doing along the way.
6. Visualize and affirm your success.
It’s important to visualize yourself as a successful author. Many authors prepare for their books by creating an image of themselves as best-selling authors before becoming one. This visualization can be done through a guided meditation or simply remembering the feeling of being confident in your abilities as an author.
If you’re having trouble visualizing yourself as a successful author, try writing down the traits that makeup someone successful and then look at those traits in yourself. The more you practice seeing them in yourself, the easier it will be to imagine them when you’re writing!
If affirmations aren’t your thing, consider making up some of your positive statements about how great it will be when your book comes out! You could say something like, “I am writing my book right now,” or “I am going to finish this chapter today.” Just saying these things out loud will help remind you that nothing is holding you back from getting what you want except yourself!
7. Automate as many menial tasks as possible
Automating as many menial tasks as possible when juggling a business and a book is crucial. For example, if your email marketing service allows you to schedule when your emails are sent out, schedule them for the same time every day.
Or even better, set up an auto-responder that lets people know you’ll be away from the computer for a few days. Use an automation tool to connect your online accounts and make sure that no matter what happens in your life, everything is still running smoothly.
Use tools like Trello or Asana (or both) as project management tools to stay on top of all the moving parts in your life while working toward big goals like writing books, launching new products, or growing teams within businesses.
One of the best ways to stay organized and productive is to build systems that work for you. If you don’t have a system, your life will be one big mess of tasks, emails, and meetings with no rhyme or reason.
Seven benefits of writing a book while running a company
Running a business is hard. Running a company while writing a book is more challenging. Writing a book takes time, energy, and focus, often in short supply for those running their own companies. Here’s why it’s worth taking on both projects simultaneously.
1. It makes you a better communicator.
Writing a book is a great way to learn how to communicate. When writing your book, you must consider what you are writing and how people will read them. It forces you to hone your message and make it straightforward so that your readers understand it.
In addition, after investing all of this time in communicating with others through writing, you’ll find yourself better equipped for other forms of communication, including meetings with investors or potential partners.
The result: The benefits of this skill set don’t stop when the last page has been written. They extend into every aspect of running a company!
2. It forces you to reflect.
Writing a book can be an eye-opening experience. It forces you to reflect on your learning and how far your business has come. You need to think carefully about what you write and ensure that it is useful for others.
You also must ensure that it is accurate and well-written, which may mean some rewriting or editing. But when all of these things come together, it makes for a valuable asset in your business toolkit!
This is why it’s essential to keep a journal and write down things that happen to you, what you learn and how you can use this information in your business. It also helps to keep track of your income, expenses, and other relevant financial records. It will allow you to see how much money is coming into your business and where it is going.
3. It encourages teamwork.
Yes, you can do it alone, but why would you? There’s no shame in hiring a team to help with your business. And there’s no reason not to hire someone who is an expert at what they do. It goes for all aspects of running a company: if there’s anything that could be better done by someone else than yourself, then find them and have them do it.
The best way to create a successful team is by finding people capable of doing the work they need to do, learning new skills quickly (if necessary), and valuing teamwork over competition. If everyone on your team has these qualities, chances are good that things will run smoothly—as long as everyone understands their role within the company hierarchy.
One of the most important things to remember when building a team is that they need to be able to work together. If you’re hiring people who don’t have much experience with other people, chances are that they won’t be very good at working in groups. Look for reliable, punctual, and detail-oriented people—it will save you from headaches down the road.
4. It establishes authority.
While your degree (and private student loans) helps get your foot in the door, writing a book establishes you as an expert in your field and shows authority. When people read a book, they think, “If this author can write a book, then they must be brilliant.”
It’s also essential that the content of your book is relevant to what people want out of their reading material these days: information about how something works and how it relates to them personally.
When someone reads your book, they’ll know that you’re an expert in your field and know what you’re talking about. They’ll trust what you have to say because you’ve already proven yourself through writing a book.
5. It changes the way you think about competition.
When you run a company, you compete with your competitors. You want to be the best, and so does everyone else. But when you write a book, suddenly there’s no competition.
The only thing that matters is creating something that meets or exceeds customer expectations—and that can only happen if your product is better than anything else on the market. In other words: When you write a book, your focus shifts from being competitive to customer-centric.
When you write a book, the need for speed is eliminated. People expect new content to be published regularly with a blog or website. If your site goes offline for more than three days, there’s a good chance that people will forget about it and move on to other sites.
But when you write a book, you have all the time in the world—and most likely will never run into this problem again (unless you publish more books).
6. It looks good on your profile.
Writing a book while running your company is excellent for your brand. It shows that you are committed to both yourself and your business, which is impressive in its own right. Many people get into trouble when they try to write a book because they’re not sure what their reputation looks like or if it will be good enough.
Remember: writing a book will help build up your reputation in the field and make you more visible. Not only does this make it easier for people to find out about what you do, but it also looks good on any resume or CV!
If you’re wondering what to write about, think about what your business is all about. You can also look at the books other people in your industry have written and see what they’re doing.
7. It builds rapport with customers and partners.
Many business leaders write books to build rapport with their customers. When you are perceived as a real person and not just another faceless company, it makes it easier for people to trust you.
Customers like to know that if they have questions or concerns, there is someone they can reach out to directly instead of just having to communicate through email or phone calls.
In addition, writing a book shows your commitment to the long-term success of your business. When someone buys from an author, they are purchasing more than just words on paper; they’re investing in the person behind those words—and as such, will likely be more loyal and less likely to jump ship when things get tough for any reason (which happens quite often in this industry).
Finally, writing a book demonstrates leadership within your field of expertise by showing that few others understand what you do better than yourself!
Frequently asked questions
Here are answers to some of your frequently asked questions about writing a book while running a company.
How do you start writing a book?
Once you’ve decided to write a book, the first step is to set aside time and space for writing. You might want to consider finding a coworking space that offers quiet rooms with desks where you can go when you need undisturbed work. You might also want an office at home with a door that closes so no one will walk in on your writing (or disturb it).
If this isn’t possible, ensure no distractions in the room—no emails or texts coming through. Whenever you’re working on something creative and essential, have your phone off or on silent mode, so you’re not tempted by notifications all day long!
Next is knowing your book’s purpose and why someone would want to read it. Why would anyone buy it if it serves no purpose beyond entertainment value (e.g., “fantasy” books)?
Knowing how your book fits into the existing marketplace helps determine whether or not there’s an audience for its content and whether or not it will interest publishers.
How do you choose the topic of your book?
When choosing a topic to write about, it’s essential to choose one that is relevant and meaningful to you, your company, and its readers. It’s also vital that the book be based on something you’re passionate about so it can come across as authentic in the final product.
When selecting a topic relevant to your business, it should relate directly or indirectly to your industry and market. For example, suppose you own an accounting firm.
In that case, writing a book on how to start a small business might not be as useful for potential clients as one on saving money when running payroll (unless you include information about tax deductions).
The other thing we would recommend doing before starting any project like this would be talking with someone who has experience doing similar things before making any decisions.
Sometimes even though all signs seem positive up front, they could turn into nightmares later down the line due again simply because more voices were involved earlier than later!
How do you maintain motivation while running a company and writing a book?
Setting goals and then breaking them down into smaller tasks is the key to staying motivated. It’s essential to set both short-term and long-term goals for yourself so you always have something to aim for.
For example, if your goal is to write a book by the end of this year, one of your short-term goals might be “Write 50 pages over the next month.” You could break that down further by saying, “On Monday, I will write 1 page,” or “On Tuesday, I will write two pages,” etc.
When things get tough, it can be easy to lose motivation because the end goal seems too far away or impossible, but if you break down each day into smaller bits and achievable steps, it becomes much more manageable!
It also helps with staying motivated when you hit plateaus in your writing process (which happens!) The best way to deal with them is to keep going forward even though nothing seems like it’s happening – eventually, your hard work will pay off!
What happens after you finish writing a book?
After you’ve written your book, what comes next?
Now that your book is done, you’ll need to publish it. This is the step that gets it into the hands of readers and allows you to reap some financial reward from your hard work! To start this process, it’s essential to know that there are two ways for authors and publishers to sell books: through independent publishing or traditional publishing.
The first option is independent publishing. This means you pay upfront for all costs related to bringing your book into the world—including editing, formatting, and marketing—and then distribute it yourself online through platforms such as Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).
In return for taking on these responsibilities yourself, instead of relying on a publisher or agent who would handle them instead (known as traditional publishing), you earn more money per sale because there are fewer middlemen involved in getting your work into readers’ hands.
The second option is traditional publishing, which most authors choose to do. This means you pay upfront for all costs related to bringing your book into the world—including editing, formatting, and marketing.
Then distribute it through a publisher or agent who handles these responsibilities for you. In return for making this tradeoff, you get access to professional experts who can help make sure your book is the best possible version of itself before ever going on sale.
Conclusion
As you can see, writing a book while running a company is possible. It is possible to build and maintain both a successful company AND a successful writing career. We hope this article will inspire you to begin writing your own books or at least think about your next book!