If you’re like approximately 80% of the population, the idea of writing a book and becoming an author has been floating around your mind for a while.
Whether it’s a non-fiction book on your area of expertise or a fantasy novel about your favorite warlord, a lot of people have given some serious thought to whether adding “author” to their resume is the right thing to do.
If you can say, “That’s me!” to any of the sentences below, then it’s probably time for you to start writing your first book.
If you’re already certain that writing a book is the next right step for you, I invite you to take my free training on how you can take your book from idea to published without working more than five hours a week so you can get it into the hands of your perfect readers.
Without further ado, let’s dive in.
Here are the signs you should it’s time to step into the role of becoming an author.
You’re a huge reader.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve been reading since the day you knew what words were. I was one of those kids that did the library’s summer reading challenge every summer, and I usually read upwards of 100 chapter books over those three months.
The best way to become a better writer is to become a more avid reader, so if you devour books as voraciously as you devour your morning coffee, you should absolutely consider writing your own book.
Additionally, there’s a very good chance that there’s a message missing from all the books you’ve read, and that could be your chance to come in and fill in the blanks.
You’ve been writing since forever.
My first-grade teacher probably hated me, because I had her staple dozens of mini-books together so I could pen out novella after novella.
They weren’t works of critical acclaim by any means, but they laid the groundwork for me to become an author in my adult life. If you were also one of those kids, it’s only natural that the next step is for you to take all those years of writing and turn them into a true, published book.
You own (or want to own) a business.
If you’re a business owner or entrepreneur, writing a book could be what takes you from the level you’re at to the level you want to grow to.
Becoming an author means that you can raise your rates, get more credibility, and therefore bring in more clients, customers, and press opportunities.
As an example, my business’s revenue increased tenfold within six months of my book being out, I landed my first TV interview, and I’ve been paid to speak on dozens of stages across the country.
If you haven’t yet started a business but want to, writing and publishing a book can be a great way to get started on that endeavor. The minute you become an author, you become a business owner, as you now have a product you can sell and a platform you can market on. From there, it’s easy to branch out into coaching, courses, a podcast, and more.
You offer sliding-scale services.
This is a bit of a niche one, but if you’re an entrepreneur or practitioner who provides sliding-scale services (think: therapist, chiropractor, and other healthcare professionals), writing a book could be a great way to move away from sliding-scale clients and focus on those who can afford your full rate.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with what sliding-scale services are, it’s when the client pays a varying and discounted amount based on what the client can afford. While this is great for the client, it often severely cuts into the provider’s profit margins.
If, as a provider, someone comes to you and asks for sliding-scale services, you now have the opportunity to politely decline while still sending them on their way with something incredibly valuable and helpful: your book.
That way, you’re still supporting the person through their struggles, but you’re protecting your profit margin and making room for clients who will happily pay your full rate.
You have a story to tell.
This, in my experience, is the most popular reason people write a book. They’ve been through something – whether it’s a horrible trauma or an enlightening revelation – and they want to share it with the world so others can learn from what they’ve been through.
Every single person has a story to tell, and if you’re someone who thinks their story can change other people’s lives, then perhaps writing a memoir or non-fiction book is right for you.
You’re a natural-born teacher.
While there are lots of intricacies to writing a book, if you’re a non-fiction author, you’re essentially a teacher. You might be cringing at the idea of being a teacher, but I’m not talking about standing in front of a room of fourteen-year-olds trying to teach them algebra. I’m talking about the art of conveying knowledge to someone in a way that enables them to use it in their own lives.
If you find that you’re the one your friends come to for advice or that you’re the one constantly teaching your family members about a certain topic, you might want to channel that “teaching” energy into a book that can help more than just the people you see on a daily basis.
You want to challenge yourself.
Writing and publishing a book is one of the hardest things you’ll ever do in your life, and it goes beyond the difficulty of writing the actual manuscript. First of all, you’re pouring a piece of yourself into your book, whether that’s your imagination as a fiction author or your heart and soul as a non-fiction author.
Secondly, putting yourself and your work out into the world is terrifying. Becoming an author means you’re going to face bad reviews, negative messages and comments on social media, media members ignoring your pitches, and the self-doubt that plagues a lot of authors that I know (me included).
If that sounds like fun to you – if that sounds like a challenge you want to overcome – then go ahead and start putting pen to paper.
You want to check it off your bucket list.
Sometimes, your reasons for doing something don’t have to be complicated! “Writing a book” is an incredibly common item on a bucket list, and if you’re wanting to check that off yours, then I say that’s reason enough to become an author.
You want to heal your own trauma and past scars.
Writing was probably the biggest thing that helped heal my personal trauma. It allowed me to process my life objectively and communicate it in a way that made sense, which, in turn, required me to make sense of everything going on in my own head.
While I’m not suggesting replacing therapy and professional support with writing, writing a book and helping others with your story can be both incredibly healing and incredibly freeing.
You want a stream of passive income.
Writing a book is by no means a “get rich quick” scheme, but it’s absolutely a way to earn a few hundred dollars of passive income a month if you play your cards right.
It’ll take some marketing knowledge, time, and energy, but because of the power of Amazon and word-of-mouth, your book has the potential to reach readers around the world without you actively pitching it to them – and you’ll get paid in the process!
If you were nodding your head “yes” to any or all of this article, then it’s probably time that you take that dream of becoming a published author and turn it into reality. To help you get started, I’ve created a free training on how you can take your book from idea to published without working more than five hours a week, and you can check that out here. Can’t wait to see your book the next time I visit the bookstore!