The best way to remember what you learn is to teach it to someone else. One great way to teach and spread a message is to write a book. You may have a great topic, some great points that you wish more people knew, and even some examples floating around in your head, but turning those thoughts into a well written book - you have no idea where to start!
Deciding if, when, and how to write a book requires that you ask yourself some questions. Consider the answers to these questions before you start writing your book.
What is the message that you would like conveyed throughout the book? There can only be one answer to this question. If you have more than one answer, it needs to be more than one book. This was a mistake I made in my first book. It was about the gospel - but I tried to cover so many different aspects of the gospel that it didn't work, and it made it impossible for me to answer the next question.
Who is the audience you are writing to? Again, there can only be one answer to this question: the more specific, the better. If you write a book about sales, choose if you are writing it for those not in sales who are learning how or for those who are already salesmen. If someone buys the book, it should read as if the author is talking directly to him. If someone reads the book who is outside the specified audience, it is still better because he will read it as someone listening in on an important conversation between others. There are many reasons why you should only have one specific audience, so don't cheat in this area. If you have no specific audience you are writing to, then you will have no audience interested in your book.
What are your goals to do with the book after it is complete? Begin with the end in mind. Know what you want to do with the book, and that will help you with every decision during the book making process.
I made the mistake of not asking myself these three questions before I wrote my first book. However, that book ultimately opened the door to a job where I wrote and edited devotionals, which would later lead to other writing opportunities. So if you want to be a writer, pursue it by writing. Don't be afraid of making mistakes - mistakes are how we learn and grow. But while you're at it, you might as well learn from my mistakes instead of making the same mistakes over again. If you want to write a book, answer these three questions first. Joel Collison is the founder of Now Written Christian Books, and now provides editing and coaching for aspiring authors through Authorize.
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