Everybody Has a Book Inside of Them

Getting that book inside of you onto paper can be fun, and in the process you’ll find your unique writing voice.

People write books for various reasons. What motivates you? Do you have expertise you’d like to share? Maybe you’d like to write an autobiography or a memoir that recounts the lives of your parents or ancestors. Books can act as business cards and bolster your brand. A self-authored book can be a source of passive income. Penning a book can connect you with a brand new circle of people and introduce you to new friends. If nothing else, it can be therapeutic. Writing a book can challenge you intellectually or provide a fun outlet for your creativity.

Writing a book can take an undefined amount of time, depending on what you’re attempting to achieve. A good rule of thumb is that most people write between 200 and 400 words per hour. So penning a 45,000-word book, for instance, could take up to 32 or 33 weeks at 200 words per hour per day, writing seven hours per week.

A common excuse for struggling to begin is wondering where to start. When you’re not sure, research. If you think you don’t have time to write, maybe authoring a book isn’t a top priority...