On a recent episode of Business Innovators Radio with Nina Hershberger, Ann McIndoo, The Author’s Coach, discussed how to easily and quickly it is to write a book. Having helped more than 1,600 professionals write a book in the past 15 years, Ann has fine-tuned and streamlined the book-writing process.
According to McIndoo, becoming a published author is easier than most people think. “Everyone has a book in their head. My job is to help them get their message out of their head and into a final written book.”
When host Nina Hershberger asked Ann about the process of getting a book out of someone’s head, McIndoo answered, “Most people freeze when they see a blank screen and think they have to write an entire book, which can be a huge endeavor – like eating an elephant. I give my author clients small assignments to create the structure and content for their book. These small tasks make the process easy to create the chapters, talking points and most importantly, their message.”
During the Interview McIndoo shared the process, explaining how the Manuscript Grid, a technique McIndoo created, is the key to everything. “Before the author talks (or writes) anything, the first step is to layout the structure of what the book will be about. The author is asked lots of questions to organize their thoughts, notes, content and ultimately, the message”.
Ann McIndoo specializes in teaching authors:
- What to do BEFORE the author picks up a pen.
- How to organize the material.
- How to produce content for the book.
- How to stay motivated and deal with procrastination and “writer’s block”.
“If you are a Speaker, Coach, CEO, Trainer, Consultant, any kind of professional, in business, your book is your calling card. It serves you in two ways”, explains McIndoo. “It makes you an AUTHORity and positions you as an Expert. If you have a process, a system, a way of doing something – you have a book.”
When asked how long it takes to write a book, McIndoo answered, “As long as you like. The average time is two to three months, although I recently coached an author and got her book done in 2 weeks! It all comes down to the author’s focus and dedication to the project.”
McIndoo says, “The great news is using a coach makes the book writing process easier and quicker than going it alone. It’s a secret nearly all best selling authors use. It’s still their message and their voice. A coach just helps them get it finished and published.”