Momentum is a powerful thing. In our social lives. In our health. In our businesses. And in our missions.
For many of us, we are more energized to actually seize the opportunities in front of us when we have momentum. We are confident. We are acting from our intuition.
But when we lose momentum, we often start to second-guess ourselves. Overanalyze the situation. Doubt our abilities. Question whether it’s really worth it.
Books are no different. I’ve noticed that on many discovery calls, folks say that they want to write a book, but that now is not the time. Sometimes that reasoning is because they just aren’t carving out time. For those reasons, I’d say the antidote is assessing how bad you want it.
But more often than not, the reasons are rooted in the actual tactical aspects of life. Oftentimes, a few months are needed to get through a really busy time at work to devote more attention to the project. Other times, people want to align the process with other facets of their lives.
All reasons are legitimate reasons, and there is no judgment here. But those books need to be out in the world. So here’s how to keep momentum with a ghostwriter, if you need a little bit of time before you commit to starting.
Stay in Contact
This is the most surefire way to keep momentum. The ghostwriter you are considering partnering with will likely maintain contact for a bit, but staying in contact needs to be a two-way street because we also want to be respectful of the queues we receive from potential authors.
There are several great ways to stay in contact with your ghostwriter that are more productive than a “hey, just checking in” email.
You can send them articles that you find interesting; this helps the ghostwriter learn more about you. You can send them new content or resources you’re releasing; this helps them learn your teaching and writing style. You can even just keep it simple and send them potential ideas you have for your book; this helps the ghostwriter to be able to better plan and guide you.
Staying in contact in these ways helps you keep the wheels turning on your book, helps the ghostwriter be better prepared, and helps strengthen the relationship, which makes a big difference in a ghostwriting project.
Read Books
Yes, you want to write a book, but reading books is just as important. It’s super helpful to a ghostwriter if you can give them examples of the style of book that you like so they can better understand how you want your book to look and feel.
Reading books, whether in your genre or out of it, gives you more options to choose from when you’re having this discussion with your ghostwriter. It gives you the ability to say, “I liked this aspect of this book but that aspect of that book.
Reading also helps expand your creativity. It stretches your imagination and your perspectives. It allows you to consider how other people think about things. All of this helps you to better be able to relate to your reader and address both their desires and objections.
Journal
Journaling is a great way to prepare for your book, even when working with a ghostwriter. It accomplishes two key things, depending on the type of book you are writing.
First, it helps you keep track of what’s happening in your life in real time. This could be useful to reflect back on when you’re trying to consider a sequence of events or the details of a story. Of course, you’ll be using stories and events from throughout your life, but why not jot down some notes now as you think about your book?
Second, and perhaps most importantly, it can spark reflections that may become a theme for your book. You may start to notice patterns in your life, in your thoughts, or in your teachings. This reflection is also helpful in content production. You might get a burst of insight while journaling that could fill a whole section or even a chapter of your book.
I get it. Life happens. And while I encourage you to carve out time for a book to scale your mission and insights for busy times in the future, I also understand that sometimes that’s just not possible. I also want the process to be joyful for you. So if you need a little bit of time, that’s cool! Go ahead and request a 30 min book consult for us to get acquainted, and then use these tips to keep momentum.
Disclaimer: This blog should not be construed as providing, or intending to provide professional financial, legal, psychological, or other professional advice. It is simply meant to share my experiences with those who may find them relatable and helpful.