During the years I’ve been in business, I’ve found there are 5 Excuses that may be stopping you from writing your book. They may not be earth-shattering excuses, and they probably sound pretty good to your ears when you say them out loud. But…alas…they’re still excuses and excuses don’t get books written. Excuses waste breath and energy.
In this article, I’m going to list each of the five excuses and then debunk each one. What you’ll be left with is…well…no excuses.
Excuse #1: I don’t have time to devote to writing a book. Nobody has time to write a book. You MAKE time to write a book! Do you think Seth Godin has time to write a book? Or John Maxwell? Or Daniel Pink? Nooooo! They get an idea for what they want to write about and they actually write it. Yes, they are the “biggies” so they have assistants to help. But so do you! That’s what Winning Proof is here for – to help you navigate through the book and publishing process. Excuse debunked.
Excuse #2: Nobody wants to read about my boring life. You’d be surprised at what people want to read. If you’ve lived more than 10 years, you’ve experienced some things that others want and need to know about. What successes and/or failures have you experienced, and what did you learn? What funny incidents have happened to you that would make others chuckle a bit? Sometimes, people who feel hopeless need to know how you navigate through each day. Write about the significant people in your childhood who were instrumental in shaping who you are as a person. Perhaps it’ll spark a childhood memory in someone and make them feel warm and fuzzy. Write about family or school trauma. Maybe someone will find healing within your journey. Excuse debunked.
Excuse #3: I can’t write. You don’t have to have the ability to write. Maybe you got D’s and F’s in writing class throughout your school years. This is what professionals are for! All you need is the ability to communicate your idea to a ghostwriter. Yes, you’ll pay for someone else to take your words and make them pretty on the page, but it’s still YOUR words and YOUR message. Excuse debunked.
Excuse #4: Marketing a book is too hard; besides 99% of manuscripts get rejected by publishers. For one thing, you don’t have to market your own book–you can hire professionals who know how to get your book out there. A book marketing professional knows how to navigate the industry and they know who is buying what so you don’t have to know a thing, but you will learn a thing or do in the process. If you’re “into” social media, you can do some posting, create excitement, and let people know you’ve published a book, but don’t expect thousands, or even hundreds, of books to fly off the virtual shelf. Plus, I’m not an advocate of traditional publishing and 99.99% of the time I will direct authors toward self-publishing. Traditional publishers are extremely finicky and do reject most manuscripts, and typically only accept manuscripts through literary agents. Excuse debunked.

Excuse #5: I stubbed my big toe, it’s time to eat, I have a cavity, I don’t like writers, I think I’m pregnant, my soccer team wouldn’t approve, I stubbed my big toe again. There will ALWAYS be an excuse to not write your book. Don’t die with your story still inside you! Excuse debunked.
What excuse is keeping you from getting your book written and published? Acknowledge the excuse. Release the excuse. Start your book.
Michelle and her Winning Proof team helps sports and business professionals stay relevant and visible in the marketplace by helping them to write, publish, and promote their books to maximize brand recognition. Michelle’s clients include pro athletes, sports agents, coaches, high-level performance trainers, sport psychologists, and executive & leadership coaches. Connect with Michelle on her website, LinkedIn, and Facebook. You can also reach Michelle at 714-797-3731.