ESPECIALLY if you’re in the metaphysical or self-help field, I guarantee that at least twice in your life someone will say, “You really ought to write a book, you know. You’re so articulate…funny…smart…kind…wise.”
And you may smile and shrug, or shake your head, thinking there are so many books out there. Who am I to add to the pile?
You are you, that’s who. You have a different set of circumstances and life challenges, and a distinctive perspective, from anyone else who’s been published. And while what you may have learned on your particular roller-coaster ride may seem “of course” to you, your potential audience would find it fascinating new material.
Let me give you two examples from my wheelhouse.
We all know the adage, “Write what you know.” When I remembered that, rather than looking at the miles of aisles of books at Barnes and Noble and assuming my words didn’t matter, I acknowledged I had things I wanted to say. I looked at what my clients had asked me about for years – things like how to find clarity in life, how to simplify things, how to adapt to changing circumstances, and (of course) how to handle stress.
At the same time, I knew what I couldn’t stand about most self-help books: they all said Do it my way and it all gets better. Most of those books behaved as if the author had The Only Answers In The World. That’s why people bought the books, brought them home, and mostly read a chapter or two before they shelved them.
That’s when I asked myself: how would I do it differently?
I decided I’d share what I had experienced, and perhaps give one or two client examples. But then I’d offer open-ended questions at the end of each chapter so the reader could take what was useful from my thoughts and make it work specifically for them.
Now, there are indeed other books out there on clarity, simplicity, adaptability and making friends with stress. But apparently my way of expressing things was accessible, less preachy, and more fun. So people loved it, and passed it to their friends, and the reviews have been very positive. And I got to share things that helped me in a way that will last beyond my own lifespan.
What about my second book? Well, that one was based on my experience as a professional psychic medium for (mumble, mumble) years. And again, over and over I’ve had the same questions from clients, the same sad stories, and heard the same horror tales about other folks’ experiences. When I looked for a book that would help people negotiate their way around the psychic world, the only things I saw were books on psychic development or protection (or books that touted the author as The Only Psychic Person You Should Talk To).
I knew that people like to go to art museums and admire paintings even if they don’t want to learn brush technique. Why, then, were there only books that told you either how to develop psychic powers or how to protect yourself from the constant negativity in the supernatural world? Where were the books that would help you use intuitive counseling in a positive and practical manner?
So I took all the things I’d been telling people for years, made sure I wrote it in a way that did NOT say “I am the only good psychic” but would still alert readers to the Madam Hoohahs and Swami Swellandas that are out there preying on unsuspecting people.
I reminded myself that the unofficial title was “Dick and Jane Go To A Psychic And Don’t Get Screwed Up.” I wrote it the way I speak – with humor and affection for my readers. And again, it’s a book that is being read, and shared, and making a difference in the way people look at the entire psychic universe and professional industry.
I am not special. If I have a mantra when I teach, it’s that. You can do what I do. In this case, that means you can put your thoughts, your useful information, your tilt on the world out in print. And it’s important that you do so.
Even with tools like Skype, Zoom, and FB Live, we don’t get to interact with everyone we’d like to. Someone in Oshkosh, Wisconsin may never be able to see you in person. Someone in Amarillo, Texas, may never even hear of you through the typical self-help or metaphysical channels. And someone in Butte, Montana may never be able to afford workshops or travel to wherever you’re located.
But a bookstore? Amazon? Those are available everywhere. And if your books are in print, then you can reach those people in ways you might never be able to if it required your personal contact.
The world gets scarier by the day. More and more, people feel alone, depressed, helpless. Society has devolved into an us-vs.-them mentality to the point that people don’t know how to break out of their own small circle.
Your words might make a difference to them.
Your words might even save a life, change someone’s career, or galvanize the next generation.
And as I said earlier – we will all die. Nobody has an extended warranty. No matter how good a teacher or healer you are, when you are gone, if what you have taught is not written down and shared it might well be lost.
So write. Put down on paper (or computer blank page) what you want to teach, to share, to give to the world. Write down your musings, your lessons, your understanding of how we can make ourselves better somehow.
Your words and your thoughts are so deeply needed now. And passing your thoughts from hand to hand is one of the very best ways of helping to change the world, one mind at a time.
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