The Book Inside You Waiting To Be Written

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” ~ Maya Angelou
write a book

   Yes, you can write a book.

I once read an article that stated 97% of writers don’t finish their books.

I believe it. It’s easy to become discouraged, for writing a book takes effort. Lots of effort. Only a small percentage have the gumption to finish. I’d like to see those numbers increase.

Let’s say you’ve started to write a book and ask for feedback from loved ones. If that feedback is negative, it’s easy to throw in the towel. It’s much harder to hang in there, believe in yourself and your story, and keep writing.

The Key is to Never Give Up

If that book is inside you waiting to be written, then write it. Just write. Don’t worry if it has flaws or plot gaps or imperfections—an expert book editor will address those issues. Yes indeed, if you find the right developmental editor, your manuscript will be polished to gleaming.

Now, let’s say you love math but barely passed high school English. That’s why ghostwriters exist. If you want to write a book but absolutely have no idea how, ghostwriting is the solution. You can hire a ghostwriter to write it for you. Celebrity books are often ghostwritten. Lots of people have published ghostwritten books, and it doesn’t mean they weren’t part of the process. You (the author) work closely with the ghostwriter to bring the book to life.

Here’s how ghostwriting works: you share your story with the ghostwriter, and together you collaborate on the book over a period of months. The ghostwriter writes in your voice and produces a manuscript, and voila! You are an author. It’s your book, your story, and you retain all the rights.

write a book

          Yes, you should write a book.

Not Everyone Believes You Can Write a Book

I remember an article from way back in 2002—an article meant to discourage people from writing books. It was published in the New York Times by Joseph Epstein and entitled Think You Have a Book in You? Think Again.

Well, Mr. Epstein, that’s your opinion. Let’s hope your opinion has evolved in the 15 years since you wrote that piece.

The truth is, most people do have stories to tell—darn fine stories that percolate under the surface and threaten to boil over…unless they are told. If you have a book inside you, then it should be written. These are the stories that should be shared. And if readers know the stories exist, they will buy and read them. It takes aggressive and relentless marketing, but books written by every day people can and do resonate with audiences.

Don’t Let the Naysayers Stop You

Bottom line: your manuscript is already conceived and deserves to be born. It belongs in the body of literature for readers to enjoy, and only you can tell it. You. Don’t let anyone say otherwise. Just write it, or have it written for you. But by all means, release the book and let it soar.

Contact melaniesaxton@icloud.com for help with your book editing and ghostwriting project.