by Mike | May 3, 2017 | Best Entrepreneur Books, Biggest Problems, Million in the Bank, Mindset, Selling, Writing the book |
How To Write a Book (Guaranteed)
Many surveys show almost everyone would like to write a book, 80-90 %, and get published. Most will never do it, but could. Here’s a great way to get started? Write a page every day of 250 words and in one year you will have a 365-page book. That is 91,250 words in one year. It may not be a very good book, but that is fine for now. I never looked for a publisher either, I self-published.
Writing A Novel
The recommended size for a novel most publishers would agree is 80-90,000 words. I am writing one now, I am at 48,000 words and writing 1,270 words a day. I wanted to get a completed first draft done in 2 months and I am on track. If I don’t get 1,270 words written every day, I still try to write something and make up for low count days by going over on other days.
My first book was a business book, and that is a different experience. But my novel is so very exciting. I am always thinking about the plot and the stories in the novel. My wife thinks I am losing my mind, as I forget to do something or give the wrong response to a question. The truth is I am deep into distraction, thinking about how my main character is getting in and out of trouble.
Writing a Business Book
A good size for a business book I have found for me is about 50,000 words. It takes much, much more research. It is more difficult because you want to say something meaningful and useful to people. Novels are about entertainment. But there is a better market for a business book and you can charge a little more. It took me two years to write and publish One Million in the Bank. It also took me two years before that to get on track to even find the topic and inspiration to start that book.
How I Got Started
First Book Attempt
I first tried to write a book in high school. I had a pencil and notebook paper. It was a war story and looking back I did not have the experience to write that book. But I never got very far anyway. Writing a book with pencil and paper was hard and I was only 16 years old. Over the years I have tried again and again, but never got very far, then it happened.
365 Page Book
I call it my “365 Page Book.” What I wrote about was everything in my life? I wrote about my childhood, West Point, the Army, everything. It is easy to write about yourself and make them small chapters 1,000 words unless you feel like letting it flow, then let it flow. Make an outline, like for me, “Fishing with My Grandparents,” “Saved my brother”, “Getting accepted to West Point,” and any and all stories you can think of. The big events will be easy to remember but write about the little events too. This will get you in the habit of writing with very little stress. As a bonus, it will be a good chronically of your life for your family. This is not a daily journal. It is your life story.
Finding Your Book Idea
While I was writing this, I kept trying to think of an idea for my real book. I started a few pages many times even a 15,000 word start on a novel, then got stuck (I can tell you how to never get stuck too, maybe later.) Then I thought I found it, I was 30,000 words in a Goal Setting book. My adult lawyer son read it and made the comment, that there was nothing new in my book and needed stories. So I set it aside to start over but decided to interview someone and get a story. So I got my first story, by interviewing a plant nursery business owner. Wow, what a story. He made himself a millionaire from nothing. That was the beginning of One Million in the Bank and it lead to 7 awards.
Advantages Of Writing A Book
First, it will probably not make you any money. But it could, so you can dream. Even if your book doesn’t make money, there are substantial rewards:
1. People will think you are pretty smart and give you more respect than you probably deserve. I am amazed, people will say “I never meet an author before.”
2. If you have a business, even a very short book can greatly enhance your status as an expert in many ways.
3. You will feel a huge sense of accomplishment. It will make you feel very good and give you bragging rights.
4. For my business book, I learned so much in writing my book. It made me feel young and invigorated.
5. For my novel, it is exciting and often a surprise to see how you can be creative with your characters. Plus I am learning about the craft of writing a novel. Again it is invigorating.
6. With just a little luck you might make some money, but the odds are against you.
Get Started Today
Pick a favorite memory and start writing about it today. Seriously, do it. And if you quit or miss a day, feel no guilt, just pick it up where you left off. Good luck!
Related from my blog:
One Million in the Bank-Starting My Book
by Mike | Jan 14, 2015 | Million in the Bank, News, Writing the book |
Change Your Life
Change your life in 2015,you can do it. It is a new year. How will this year be different for you than last year was? In the theme of my book and blog, if you are here this is the year that you put yourself on the path to having a business than allows you to save $1,000,000 in 3-7 years. (more…)
by Mike | Apr 17, 2012 | Writing the book |
I kept writing my page a day, there were Army stories, business stories, family stories, and more. You would be amazed how many different stories you have in you. I was up to about 254 pages. This year I started to to turn my attention to the book I wanted to write to help others. Each day after writing my one page for My 365 Page Book, I would write some notes and thoughts on success, money making, goals, leadership, management, and more. On April 17, I had started a matrix of what different authors thought the secrets to success were and I thought I had found my book, All The Secrets to Success. I stopped doing my page a day for My 365 Page Book and focused on All The Secrets of Success. This was exciting, I dove into reading and rereading many books about success. Much of the research I had done could be used as a spring board. I was losing some interest a few months into the book, I was saying quite a bit in my book, but I began to question if it was practical. Many of the success books are very inspiring, but really do not tell you what to do to be successful. I guess in my mind I was starting to think people really wanted to know how to make money, not just be successful. Success is many things, and money definitely does not have to be part of it, but I was beginning to feel like my voice was going to be to motivate and then tell people as well as I could how to make lots of money.
Toward the end of the year, mostly December, I had moved away from All the Secrets of Success and now was looking at a very specific type of success-making lots of money.
by Mike | Aug 7, 2011 | Writing the book |
Craig Ferguson Inspiration
Craig Ferguson-who would ever think that Craig Ferguson of the Late Late Show would be my inspiration to write more and enough to get me on track to eventually produce One Million in the Bank. I stumbled through the first part of 2011 without getting much done on my sales book, but after watching Ferguson’s show my writing took off.
Craig Ferguson interviews writer in Paris.
As I watched his show that night, I even had my notes and the little bit I had written opened with my pen in hand. Craig Ferguson was in Paris, France interviewing an American that owned a book store in Paris. She said she wanted to write a book, but could not find the time. What is important is what he told her. Craig Ferguson said,”Write one page a day and in one year you will have a 365 page book.” I know this is not earth shattering advice, but the combination of me not getting anywhere on my book and the lady in Paris not achieving her dreams-that was the right setting for me to really hear his advice and let it sink into my thick skull.
I Got Started Writing For Real
I stood up, walked to my computer and wrote a couple of pages about something easy, my childhood. Then as I would think of another story in my past, I would pause a second and put that topic into the table of contents and go back to writing. I called this book My 365 Page Book. At the end of the year I had to write 25 pages the last week of December to catch up. Still on on December 31, it had been 147 days and I made sure I had 147 pages written. This was my story, not a story of how to help others, but I remember thinking- I can write a whole book. Thanks, Craig. You really were my inspiration.
by Mike | Dec 31, 2010 | Writing the book |
I did not get much done this whole year except talking about my sales book. Yes, I was putting some words on paper and taking notes in my sales book journal, but not as much as I should have. I talked to my employees, my family, my friends, and strangers, but not much got done. I had already read so many sales books over the years it was not funny. I had read them to get better at selling and negotiating. But now I needed to read for research to write my book. I bought and read many more sales books. Everyone had an angle, but most were saying the same thing. We are all selling all the time, so I thought I had a good topic, but honestly after reading all those extra books on sales, I did not think I could offer anything new. I would have to pick my own angle, my own buzz words then say what everybody else said. I guess I had lost the spark somewhere towards the end of 2010 to help people with a sales book.
by Mike | Aug 1, 2009 | Writing the book |
I stared my One Million in the Bank blog on August 30th 2013, but I was working on the book long before that and was keeping my own journal. My first blog posting, One Million in the Bank-Starting My Book, and the next 3 entries of this book will be from my journal and dated when the entries were made.
I have for quite a while now wanted to give back and thought the best way to do this would be a book helping as many people as I could achieve financial success. I hope my blog and book will be helpful to everyone and then an ongoing inspiration for those people wanting to have $1,000,000 in the Bank. I am a West Point graduate, class of 1975, and then I had 10 great years of military service. I was recruited out of the military, and then had 7 years of real struggle including bankruptcy, and then a few years later I was a millionaire by the age of 45.
Although the goal was the same to help people to have financial freedom, I thought a sales book would be the best way to go. I have written in my journals about sales for many years. I have been seriously selling and teaching others to sell ever since I got out of the Army in 1985. In about 2005 I decided to write a book for real and as I said I wanted it to be a book that was helpful to people. My first try was to write a sales book, because I know everyone sales all the time. I never had a writing schedule and just worked on it when I wanted. I did not get much done in 2009.
