So You Want To Write A Business Book — Week 1

Thinking about writing a business book, but don’t know where to begin? Here’s how I found the time, avoided overwhelm, and finally got started on my own.

Last week, I announced that I’m going to do something mildly ridiculous: I’m writing a business book.

Yes. I’m going to become my own client.

Which still feels slightly unhinged.

After helping 18 business owners shape, structure and publish their own books, I’ve finally been bullied by my mentor into writing one of my own.

Rude, frankly.

The first article in this series was about the wobble that comes before the work. The ‘who the fuck am I to write a book?’ stage. The bit where your brain suddenly presents you with every possible reason to stay safely in your lane, shut the office door, and pretend you never had the idea in the first place.

This week was about moving past that wobble and dealing with one of the biggest hurdles in writing a business book:

Finding the bloody time.

You Don’t ‘Find’ Time To Write A Business Book

Which is probably the least sexy productivity advice on the planet, but it’s how I manage multiple businesses without my head exploding.

There are umpteen other things I could be doing right now:

Client work.
Writing fiction.
Marketing.
Admin.
Staring into the void whilst wondering why I ever thought running three businesses was a sensible career choice.

But if I waited until I had spare time to write a business book, it would never happen.

That’s true of most big projects, actually.

People imagine books appearing in magical bursts of inspiration, with the author dramatically typing beside a rain-covered window whilst creativity pours from the heavens.

The reality is usually much less cinematic.

Most books get written because somebody deliberately made space for them.

So I blocked two hours out in the diary and treated it like any other important business commitment.

Because if the book matters, the time has to matter, too. Time blocking isn’t revolutionary, but it is effective. I’ve used variations of it for years whilst juggling multiple businesses, client work, and fiction deadlines. Even productivity experts advocate for focused, dedicated work blocks rather than trying to find spare time later. Check out time blocking for more info on this.

Where Do You Even Begin Writing A Business Book?

And the first thing I had to deal with was the overwhelm. The ‘where do I even begin?’ part of the process.

A business book can feel enormous when you look at it as one giant project. Chapters. Word counts. Structure. Publishing. Marketing. The creeping fear that nobody will ever read the sodding thing.

Writing a business book indeed feels a bit like trying to assemble IKEA furniture during a meltdown. You know there’s probably a structure somewhere, but halfway through, you’re surrounded by loose screws questioning your life choices up to that moment.

So instead of spiralling over all of that, I went back to the basics.

Not just of books, but of business itself:

The Who.

Because once I decided this wasn’t simply going to be a vanity project about seeing my own name in print (which, by the way, is absolutely a valid reason to write a book if that’s what you want), I knew I wanted this book actually to do something within my business.

And that immediately led me to the next question: Who is this book actually for?

Your Business Book Needs A Job

There was also the question of exactly what I wanted this book to do.

Because just like every post, every email, every blog and every piece of content in your business should have a job, so should your business book.

Business books aren’t just books anymore. They’re tools.

They can:

• build trust
• position you as an authority
• pre-qualify potential clients
• support your sales process
• open doors to lucrative speaking opportunities
• help people understand your work/what you do/how you work before they ever get in touch with you

The answer shapes the tone of the book. The structure. The stories you include. Even the title.

Speaking of titles…

Once I got clear on the job of the book, a title started to emerge too.

It’s still a working title. I’m not emotionally attached to it yet.

In my experience, books have a habit of turning into slightly feral creatures once you start writing them. The finished version is often different from the one you thought you were creating at the beginning.

Which I don’t mind. It happens all the time when I’m writing fiction.

So Where Am I Up To?

Right now, we have:

• a vague idea on topic
• clarity on who the book is for
• clarity on what I want the book to do
• two hours blocked out in the diary every week
• approximately twenty-seven fresh opportunities for ‘why did I decide to document this’/ WTF self-doubt moments

Which, all things considered, feels like a solid start.

Next week, I’ll be tackling the actual content planning stage.

Wanna know more about how this business book malarkey works? We can grab a coffee & have a quick chat if you’re even mildly curious HERE