Many people want to write books that inspire change in readers on a personal level. Others want to inspire change on organizational or global levels. How do you know if you are ready to become a change agent by writing, or in this case blogging, a change-inspiring book? How do you know if you have what it takes to become not just an author but an author of change?
Are You Ready to Author Change?
Below you will find 20 questions related to becoming an author of change. Answer them with simple “yes” or “no” responses.
- Do you feel called to create change on some level and to do so via a book?
- Do you feel a sense of purpose?
- Do you have a strong desire to make change happen?
- Do you have a message to impart?
- Do you have a mission to fulfill?
- Do you feel you are meant to help…in some way?
- Do you handle change well personally?
- Are you comfortable with change?
- Do you have an ability to help others change?
- Do you know how to create change?
- Do you have a community or tribe?
- Are you comfortable leading others?
- Are others drawn to you?
- Do you know how to create a community or tribe?
- Do you like being in front of a group and sharing your message?
- Can you communicate your message clearly in short sound bytes?
- Can you communicate the benefits of your message?
- Do you know your market—those who you plan to inspire—and how you can reach that market with your message?
- Do you know how to structure your book in a way that will best communicate your concept and inspire change in readers?
- Do you know if your book is unique and necessary amongst similar books already published?
If you answered “yes” to 15-20 of these questions, you are ready to become an author of change. If you answer “yes” to 10-15 of them, you are almost ready to become an author of change. If you answer “yes” to 10 or less, you have some work to do before you will affectively author change on any level, especially if you answered “no” to many of the questions between 9 and 20.
How to Author Change
To author change, you must become the type of person or writer who can combine passion and purpose into inspiration—inspiration that inspires not only you to write a book and to inspire others but also that inspires others to change. You also might need to change to become someone who can author change in people lives, in organizations or in the world. However, you might need to become more comfortable with change or you need to become more willing to lead and create community as well. Additionally, you might need to change your book idea—to hone it into one that is a viable project with the chance to succeed in the marketplace.
During my Author of Change Transformational Coaching Program, I take students through three steps to prepare them to become authors of change. You need to go through them as well. They are:
1. Author of Change in Your Life
As Ghandi said, you must change first if you want anyone or anything around you to change. Even if you have already experienced life altering change and you now want to inspire others to similar change by writing a book, you likely have some steps to take before you are ready to become that type of leader or promoter of your work. You must transform yourself into a change agent as well as into an author. It takes more to succeed in the world of publishing than just putting words on paper, and you must become willing and ready to do what it takes to become a successful author and author of change.
2. Author of Change in the World
You must learn how to take your message out into the world effectively. Promotion and communication of your change-inspiring message begins the moment you have the idea for your book or to help others change in some way. And to succeed in your cause you must think outside the box and consider creative modes of communication to spread your message to inspire change. Consider how you might transform yourself into a leader, a community builder and a communicator in a variety of ways. Delve into the myriad ways you can build platform and community around yourself and your cause—and ultimately your book.
3. Author of a Change-Inspiring Book
You must determine how you will author a life-changing, organization-changing or world changing book. This takes willingness and objectivity as you evaluate your book for success from idea to full content plan. Put together a business plan for your book that can be used for self-publishing or traditional publishing. Explore ways to get your book written quickly and effectively and choose the best way to publish your book. When you’ve done everything necessary to create your business plan, including a market and competitive analysis and a chapter-by-chapter synopsis, you are ready to begin blogging your change-inspiring book.
If you’d like to know more about how to become an author of change, register for my Author of Change Transformational Coaching Program, which begins in January. Click here for more information or to register. And don’t miss the early-bird registration on the ACT Coaching Program writing retreat, which is open to anyone. Click here for information. (Just 8 spots available and prices go up Nov. 1.)
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