You’re a writer. So can you write a book?
You can, as long as you develop and maintain your motivation. As an example, look at the bloggers who have become successful authors.
Pamela Slim writes a blog called Escape From Cubicle Nation. It tells readers how to start their own businesses and leave their cubicles behind.
She told Mashable that she considers a book a challenge and an opportunity, a way to drive more business to your blog and business.
“As much as blogging feels important, it is brief and fleeting. You can crank out a killer post that gets tons of attention, but then it fades away,” she told Mashable.
“A book … forces you to string together a whole bunch of different ideas into a cohesive story. On the business side, there is no denying that having a published book opens doors. It is much easier to get traditional press coverage, and speaking gigs. People often assume that you are a ‘real writer’ when you have a book, even if you have been writing for years on a blog.”
She’s certainly not alone. In the same piece on Mashable, Walker Lamond, who writes a blog on things to tell his unborn son to help him grow into a responsible adult, says going from blogging to writing is worth the effort. “It is still the simplest and most lucrative way to monetize your work,” he said.
Then there’s Julie Powell. The onetime government bureaucrat took on the challenge of cooking every single recipe in Julia Child’s landmark book Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
Along the way, she began blogging about the experience, resulting in numerous articles about her and her blog. Then came the book, which sold beyond anyone’s expectations, including hers. It was followed by the movie Julie and Julia, starring Amy Adams and Meryl Streep.
But it’s not always an easy step. For every 100 ideas, perhaps one actually gets written. That’s why you need the determination, the stick-to-it-ivness to turn the idea of the day into a series of ideas that will stand the test of time.
Those who have managed to do so, like the above examples, have had the motivation to follow through on the commitment, even though writing a book doesn’t offer the immediacy or the immediate feedback of a blog.
