GETTING READY TO WRITE THE BOOK!

 

TITLE:

SUBTITLE:
 
The Concept:  Give me a 1 sentence handle for your book. (a one-sentence summary of what this book is all about.  Central Idea:

The Contents: Show me your 25-50 word synopsis. In 1 paragraph, describe the contents of your book.  Include the central theme, key points, structure or format, any pertinent information.

Put your summary statement into 250 words.  Summary Statement (sometimes called the overview): this portion of a book proposal is a terse statement of your overall concept and mission.  It sets the stage for what’s to follow. Short, concise paragraphs are usually best.  Finding the right “FOCUS” for your book—neither too broad or too narrow—is essential.

Platform: Who else might be interested in this topic? Who do you most want to reach with this book?  (potential audience and target audience)

How do you want your message to change your reader?

What specific need(s) or problem(s) among the audience prompted the project? (Felt Need)

What do you want them to learn or become? (Take-away Value)

How will you get your target readers interested? (Hooks)

What benefits will the reader gain from reading the book? Be specific.

How do you plan to reach your audience and market/sell your book?
Do you know your reader and the size of your audience — inside and out?
What can you do to exactly peg (identify) your audience/reader (establish the market), create a platform.  Answer the questions:

How large?

Why you?  What motivated you to write the book?

Write a one-paragraph author bio.

Survey your competition—other books on same topic for same audience. (Don’t forget about using Amazon.com and other online sources.)  Note how these books are similar to or different from yours. 

Where do you fit?  What is unique about the book?

What will your book offer that others do not?

What Category?

TEST: What evidence is there to indicate a real need for your book?  Who will use it?

Pattern/Format: What will your book look like?

Make sure that you understand WHY your book needs to be published.

Pay particular attention to the popular reader friendly formats of the publishers of your choice.

What unique approach or sources of material do you want to use? (slant/format)

TEST: NAME 5 BOOKS (author, publisher) THAT ARE MOST SIMILAR TO YOURS:

 

 

 

 

DETERMINE YOUR DESTINY

DETERMINE YOUR DESTINY

 
YOU HAVE YOUR SPECIFIC GIFTS FOR A DIVINE REASON.  You were created to accomplish great things—it is your destiny.  We are all talented.  Paul says, “Each man has his own gift from God” (I Corinthians 7:7).  If God has given you certain talents, it is rather likely that they have something to do with your ultimate purpose in life.  “God is always calling us!  But there are distinctive moments in this call of his, moments which leave a permanent mark on us — moments which we never forget.” — Carlo Carretto, Letters from the Desert

STEPS TO TAKE:

(1) Pray. See if the Lord has anything to tell you. 

(2) Read your Bible. You want the thoughts of God? They're right there. “God guides us first through his Word, then through our heartfelt desires, then the wise counsel of others, and then our circumstances.  At that point we must rely on our own sound judgment. … God gave each of us a brain, and he expects us to put it to good use.” — Bruce K. Waltke, Finding the Will of God  

(3) Consider your desires. What does your heart tell you to do?

(4) Seek wise counsel.

(5) Look at your situation.

(6) Ask yourself if this decision makes sense.  “In His will is our peace.” — Dante, The Divine Comedy: Paradise

Details determine Destiny.  To determine your destiny is to become focused on your goals and to live a disciplined life to accomplish those goals.  A focused writer follows up on opportunities that come along.  This will not be easy, because there are many possibilities but only time enough to effectively develop a few.  Sometimes painful events come that seem to interrupt your plans for success.  Visionaries know how to manage the discomfort of discouragement and keep pressing forward to other possibilities.

We can speculate about how we can act meaningfully and purposefully in our world.  But finally we need to do what lies right at hand.  If we are open to grasp the opportunities that come our way, we will have ample things to do.  This does not mean we should act haphazardly.  There may be things that we need to say NO to, but we cannot fail to do what clearly must be done. (Charles Ringma in Seizing the Day with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Pinon Press, June 29)

FOLLOWING GOD’S GUIDANCE.  Whenever we are uncertain as to our course, we can rely on God, in His wisdom, to shut doors against us — every door but the right one.  When we cooperate with God as He engineers the circumstances of our lives, there is no limit to what He can do.  God opens and closes doors before us at His will.  When we don’t understand what He is doing, we do well to remember that we are not fulfilled by the plans we create but rather by following God’s plan for us.

Our lives are filled with many questions that may never be answered, but that’s okay if we let God lead and direct us.  We may not understand why certain things happen or why we have to go through difficult situations.  But the one thing we can know for sure is that God is always in charge. (Elaine Wright Colvin in Treasury of God’s Virtues, Publications International, page 297)

Your life isn’t a dress rehearsal, and it’s time to live like you are completely alive, celebrating the blessings you have been given by God. ~ Elaine Wright Colvin

SPONTANEOUS LOVE

The evidence of our love for God is the absolute spontaneity of our love, which flows naturally from His nature within us. And when we look back, we will not be able to determine why we did certain things, but we can know that we did them according to the spontaneous nature of His love in us. ~ Oswald Chambers

 

Our service for others will be futile and burdensome unless it springs from an overflowing heart -- overflowing with the love of God. When God satisfies our soul-hunger, then we'll not be able to contain our acts of love done in Jesus name. ~ Come Away My Beloved

 

It is impossible to have this love unless God helps us set aside our own natural desires so that we can love and not expect anything in return. Thus, the more we become like Christ, the more love we will show to others. (I Corinthians 13:4 NLT)

 

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Corinthians 13:7 NLT)

 

"Lord, help me to use acts of your spontaneous love to bring hope and joy to someone you put in my path today. Amen."