“Should I Write a Book?” Reasons to Write a Book (Nonfiction) and Reasons Not to

You might be asking yourself this question:

“Should I write a book?”

With nonfiction authors and nonfiction books in mind, I’ll offer some reasons to write a book and some reasons not to write a book. I will also share some thoughts based on my experience as an author, an author coach, and an editor.

Here are 15 reasons to write a book:

1. You have a story to share. You have a message or experience(s) to impart.

2. You want to help others.

3. You want to persuade others.

4. You want to entertain others.

5. You want to use your book to build credibility—as a sort of business card for your products, services, or public speaking.

6. You’re confident it could help your professional standing or job prospects.

7. You want to learn something new and develop new skills.

8. You’ve “always wanted to” write a book; it could be a new hobby for you.

9. You want to prove something (to yourself).

10. The idea of becoming a published author sounds intriguing to you.

11. You want to become an author; you have a plan for a series

12. You want to make money. (If this is your biggest motivation or hope, good luck! You’ll need timing, advertising, and publicity if you want to cash in.)

13. You have time to commit.

14. You want to chronicle history—personal, family, local, or larger-scale.

15. You have the desire and dedication (and a modest budget) to see it through.

That last one is very important!

If you have a little patience and a little money to invest, it is a great time to write a book.

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Nonfiction books are growing in popularity; a few years ago, people began reading more nonfiction books than fiction books each year.

There are a lot of people out there who need solutions. Wisdom. Entertainment. Enlightenment. Perspective. You can provide that!

My clients are discovering that reputable independent presses will take a chance on first-time authors with a great query and proposal, and it is also possible to produce a quality self-published book and sell it to eager readers; self-publishing is accessible to all.

I don’t mean to imply that you need to write a book, or that everyone should write a book. It’s not for everyone. In fact, there are plenty of reasons not to write a book.

“What Are Some Reasons Not to Write a Book?”

When is writing a book—a nonfiction book—a bad idea? How do you know when you shouldn’t write a book?

Here are 12 reasons not to write a book:

1. Someone else wants you to write that book more than you do.

2. You’re not really sure you want to.

3. You have nothing important to share (at the moment) and nothing to prove to yourself.

4. None of the reasons for writing a book matter much to you.

5. You don’t have the time, patience, or funds to commit to writing a book, and spending thousands on a ghostwriter isn’t an option. Hint: as a self-published author, you need a “real” editor and a “legit” cover to be taken seriously. If you’re traditionally-published, you need persistence and a willingness to “play the game” to get a contract and deliver the goods as expected.

6. You’re too intimidated by the idea. (I remind you that it is do-able, even if you’re busy, broke, or “not a natural writer.”)

7. You don’t want to plan, outline, or organize. You’d just want to wing it and see what happens.

8. You don’t care to write a book that anyone will want to read. (If you have this mindset, the quality suffers and you’ll incur unneeded expense. Journal your thoughts instead.)

9. You don’t have “enough” material for a full-length book. Discover the ideal word count for a nonfiction book. Maybe you have an article or a blog series instead.

10. Your main reason for writing a book is to make a lot of money.

11. You expect to get a traditional publishing deal, yet you don’t have the credentials—degree(s), following on social media or on an email list—that traditional publishers increasingly expect you to have.

12. You think paid advertising alone will sell you a lot of books. Hiring a publicist or shelling out a lot of money on ads is no guarantee that your book will “hit.” And it won’t help you as much as you think the next time you write a book.

If you decide to write a book, DO IT! Commit to it.

It’s painful to see how many people say they want to write a book—have a great idea, great reasons, and start out all enthusiastic about it—only to never start, or worse yet, to never finish.

You don’t have to be one of those people. You don’t have to be another statistic.

If you’re struggling, get coaching or editing help. Listen to some of the best podcasts for authors. Join a writers group. Remember the reasons you had for writing a book in the first place. What would be lost (or who would miss out) if you didn’t write that book? Or if you started but didn’t finish it?

Buckle down, and get it done! You deserve to feel the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment that awaits you at the end. The world needs your book!

Writing a book or wanting to? Join in on emails with author resources, publishing how-tos, and more.

–Daniel