Should you ever give up on writing your business book?
It’s that feeling again.
The heavy knot in your stomach when you think about firing up the Word document that contains your business book.
The book that stopped being fun several weeks ago (or was it months?).
The book that’s started to feel like a huge chore.
The book that still has seven chapters until it’s finished.
That.
‘Maybe I should give up?’ you ask yourself. ‘After all, it’s not doing me any good to slave over this thing when I’m hating it. Running a business should be rewarding and fun, not a drag. Yep, this book is doing me no good at all.’
This is an interesting question, and one that deserves a considered response. Let’s dive in.
Why is writing your business book so difficult?
If I was to ask you the above question, you’d probably come up with some or all of these answers:
- It feels too hard
- I don’t have enough time
- I’ve lost interest in it
Let’s look at them in turn.
It feels too hard. Writing is hard work because it involves thinking. And thinking is tiring and – at times – tough. That’s why people who’ve published books are so well respected – they have the staying power to get to the end. Do you want to be one of those people? If so, carry on. Alternatively, find a book coach or a ghostwriter who can take some of the load off.
You don’t have enough time. Who does? And yet thousands of books a year are written. Get help or move on, nothing to see here.
You’ve lost interest in it. Here’s where it becomes more interesting, and where I become more sympathetic (see, I’m not that bad). Is it the writing you’re bored by, or the subject? If it’s the writing, see above for a solution. If it’s the topic, and if it’s what you do for a living as an expert, you have some soul searching to do.
Your hardest book is your greatest teacher
The reasons above give us a start, but from my experience of coaching numerous authors to write their business books and memoirs, they ignore the real reason you feel like giving up.
Which is this.
You’ve probably lost sight of what it is you’re trying to say. Or maybe you were never sure in the first place.
I know, it sound crazy – even insulting. But hear me out.
Writing a book is the best way I’ve found to expose the chinks and flaws in my thinking. If I’m not 100% sure of something, writing about it is sure to show it up. Until then I could float along in blissful ignorance about my somewhat woolly logic. But not once I try to write a chapter about it.
This manifests itself in procrastination, feeling fed up, and thinking I don’t have time to write. All of which are fabulous ways of convincing myself it’s the book’s fault, not mine.
Writing a business book helps you to understand what you don’t. So take a step back and ask yourself if you really get what you’re trying to say.
It might be that you know the facts, but it’s the angle on them you’re not sure of. Or it might be that your arguments don’t quite add up, even though they seemed okay on the surface at first.
This is where you can let your book be your teacher.
In fact, it’s the single most valuable benefit of writing a book. Developing your understanding what you know so you can explain it to someone else in a clear and motivating way – that’s the sort of thing that sets authors up for life. Embrace it.
When you should give up
That said, there are a couple of solid reasons for throwing in the towel when it comes to writing your book.
The first is when your business takes a different direction to the one reflected in your book. You might be transitioning from being an HR expert to someone who advises people on resilience, for instance. You can still write a book, but it would be a different one.
The second is when your personal life throws you a curve ball that makes writing a book impossible (at least for now). You have a baby, you get divorced, your parents fall ill. Life happens and we’re all human beings, so give yourself a break.
And that’s it. The only two reasons I can think of for giving up on writing your business book.
Let’s carry on!
