Why Everyone Should Write a Book
Did you know that in 2013 there were 304,912 books published in America? This is roughly 1 book for every 100 American citizens at a published rate of more than 835 books each day. Aside from China (who published 440,000 books in 2013), this was more than any other nation. These statistics don't consider the monumentous number of magazines, newspapers, blogs, and other electronic or web-based content that are published every day as well.
With this many books being published, one could be led to believe that writing and publishing a book is easy. However, as most of us know, writing a book is no easy task. For many people, book writing is akin to running a marathon. It's something that takes a very long time to prepare for and even longer to accomplish successfully. It takes strong conviction and a will to succeed combined with the ability to resist giving up when things get tough (yes, writer's block is a real thing). Even though writing a good book can be difficult for most people, it's still a great achievement that is within everyone's reach. Of course, after you've written your book, you need to have it edited and then eventually published. These are subjects for another article.
If you're struggling to find motivation to write your first book, here are ten reasons why you should start writing one today:
You Could Make a Lot of Money
One of the first things that most people will think of when discussing reasons to write a book is the possibility of making a significant amount of money. We've all heard stories of authors making it big by writing really good books. You've probably heard of J.K. Rowling and E.L. James. Both of these authors made it big in recent times and became millionaires because of the books they wrote. Realistically though, making money with books is very tough. Each year thousands of books never get published and many of the books that do either never make a profit or do very poorly. However, making money shouldn't be your sole motivation for writing a book. If you are passionate about writing and really believe in yourself, you stand a much greater chance of being successful.
To Leave a Legacy
One of the greatest things that you can do for your kids and family before you pass away is to leave behind a legacy. This can easily be accomplished by writing a book. Most likely, this would be an autobiography, but it doesn't have to be. If you enjoy writing stories you could create one using yourself as the main character. I once read about a man who wrote an entire set of children's books for his grand kids. These books contained real life stories that consisted of him learning about life, growing up, getting into trouble, and dealing with the challenges of everyday life. Not only were these enjoyable stories great for the grand kids to read, but it helped bring them closer together as a family. After the grandfather passed away, his stories could be celebrated for years both as entertainment and as a history book. If you write a journal or a blog, then creating a legacy book may be very simple. You could easily combine all of your content into one document. Wouldn't it be great to do something similar for your family?
To Teach Others Your Ideas and Knowledge
One of the worst things that can happen to someone in life is to be completely misunderstood. Writing a book is a great way to explain yourself, your point of view, and inevitably teach others about your ideas. Books allow creative freedom not generally allowed in most other forms of expression. This allows the author to express themselves fully and completely before being challenged. Since writing a book takes time, you will most likely generate a well written and thoroughly researched piece for others to read. For controversial issues and opinions, this is very important as it allows you to get your point across before being criticized mid-sentence.
To Learn Something New
One thing that I've learned by writing a lot is that in doing so it teaches you new things. I have learned so many things by writing that I am quite surprised by what I have learned. When I first started creating content online I never thought that I would learn so many new things. It's ironic because when you start writing a book or an article, you sometimes believe that you know it all. You may even have all of your main ideas lined up before the buttons on your keyboard ever get pressed. However, once you dive into the details of your writing you may realize (as I often do) that you need to do some research to back up your statements or to elaborate on specific details. In the end, writing teaches you new things which will ultimately help you become a better version of yourself.
To Clear Your Mind
Do you ever have trouble sleeping at night because you have so much going on in your mind? Writing is a great way to get those ideas and thoughts out of your head and onto a piece of paper instead. For a lot of people, writing is a way to clear their mind, relax, and escape from the realities of life. If you were to become enthralled in the details of writing a book, it could help you cope with the things that are troubling you. Some of the greatest stories that have ever been written have come from author's who were simply trying to clear their mind and get something out of their head.
To Become Famous (or Just Well Known)
If you are very good writer (and you keep writing and publishing stuff for people to read), you will eventually become famous. Perhaps you won't ever be as well known as authors like Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, or Mark Twain, but your words will undoubtedly touch the lives of many people. For those people whose lives you impact, you will become known to them as an author and perhaps even an inspiration. Your readers will talk about your writing and may even share it with others. This is precisely the definition of fame, and the thought of it is enough to motivate many people to write a book.
To Start a Revolution
Every once in a while a book comes along that starts a revolution or a new movement among people. These are the kind of books that have had a significant impact on society, changing the way we live. Famous examples of revolutionary works include Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" or George Orwell's "1984." Another famous book that started a revolution is the Bible. Even one of the world's most evil leaders and historical figures wrote a book that helped lead him towards actually starting the revolution he wrote about. Many people could even argue that the "Harry Potter" series created a sort of revolution among young readers. Whatever your opinion on this is, you can't argue the significant impact many books have had on both pop culture and society. If you are looking to start your own revolution, perhaps writing a book is the way to go.
It's on You're Bucket list
Many people have a bucket list containing a bunch of things that they want to accomplish or experience before they pass away. Just like running a marathon, skydiving, and traveling the world, writing a book is on a large percentage of people's bucket lists. It's certainly on my list of things to do before I die. Even if the book that you write is short and silly, at least you can say that you actually wrote one.
For Pride and a Sense of Achievement
Even if you don't become famous or make any money writing a book you will still have a great sense of personal achievement. You can also take pride in yourself for accomplishing something that very few people ever do. Much like the marathon metaphor I spoke of earlier, sometimes the feeling of achieving something great is all that someone needs to be motivated to write. When I think about my own book writing endeavors, a sense of self pride is probably a top motivation for writing. Personally, I really relish the idea of accomplishing something as great as writing a book.
To Share a Personal Story
Sometimes things happen to people that are so extraordinary or life-altering that it has to be shared with others. These events can be unbelievable, inspiring, astonishing, and even unusual. However, in many cases a person's story can be quite the opposite. The point is that everyone on God's great earth has something to share with the world. Everyone has a story and everyone has something great that they can contribute to the world. Maybe you didn't invent the light bulb or single-handedly defeat an army of soldiers, but I can guarantee that you have something to share with others that they will find interesting enough to read. The key to knowing what you have to offer to the world is identifying your spiritual gift.