Writing is fun. Writing is drudgery.
Anyone can write. Writers are a breed apart.
And, the fun part. All the above are true, at one time or
another. Yes, cognitive dissonance is our friend.
So you want to write a book, for a myriad of reasons. You
have a great idea. You want to share your story. You enjoy writing to friends,
on Facebook, the occasional note for your business or church or organization.
Yes, you too can write a book. But how do you actually, you
know, WRITE the book?
That’s where the professionals at the Jenkins Group come in.
We can help you from start (idea) to finish (publication). And everywhere in
between, from the research, to the writing, editing, selecting the proper
format, cover, typesetting, everything that comes with creating a book.
When it comes to writing a book, the writing itself is only
one of many parts of creating the the book, though it’s the part most people
think of. (It’s also the part that most people find so daunting, they never do
write it.)
The writing itself can come from many sources. Perhaps
you’ve been keeping a journal, or have done some writing as above for
organizations to which you belong.
Or maybe you’ve been in business for a number of years and
want to expound on the lessons you’ve learned.
Whatever the case, when it comes to the writing itself, I
can cite many dos and don’ts. But two cardinal rules stand above all others.
First, only use your best work. If you don’t think your
manuscript is up to par, potential readers certainly won’t.
Second, enjoy what you do. A reporter for the local
newspaper once told me that if you don’t enjoy your story while you’re writing
it, the readers won’t enjoy it either.
That’s true no matter what the story, format, genre or
length is. Readers can tell when there’s passion in the work – and when there’s
not.
In other words, write what you know and what you love.
But is hard, you say. That part of you that wants to
write is held back by the fear of actually putting pen to paper, or in this
computer age, fingers to keyboard.
That’s where we come in. We can help you with every step of
the writing process, from defining your idea and your goals to editing your
manuscript, from selecting an editor to working directly with a writer who will
take your words, ideas and concepts and flesh them out.
The Jenkins Group works with writers, editors, designers,
and other professionals across the country. We can offer you as much help – or
as little – as you need to see your vision through, from coaching and
encouraging to helping you select just the right people to assist you in
creating the dynamic book you can use to further your business.
And make no mistake, writing – ahem, creating – a
book with your name on the cover will help you become an acknowledged expert in
your field.
That’s true whether you’re writing about music, the stock
market, medicine, advertising, computers, art – pretty much anything. For
example, no one outside her family had ever heard about Julia Child before she
wrote Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She parlayed that into
another book, and another, then countless television appearances.
That morphed into parodies, such as Dan Aykroyd’s hilarious
encounter with a too-sharp knife on Saturday Night Live, even a second
life in a blog, book and film with Julie and Julia.
Now, is there anyone who hasn’t heard of Julia Child? Your
book may not be the springboard into international acclaim like what happened
with Julia Child. But it might. And until you actually write it, you’ll
continue to wonder.
Contact me with your questions, concerns, and ideas. We can
help you realize your dream of authoring a book.
So stop putting it off, and start writing.
