Write the book you want to read

My key takeaway from this chapter is simply this: Be yourself. Now, let me explain. Many industries, including the book industry, have a certain way things are done. Before the Internet, you needed to submit your manuscript to an editor who would determine if it is publishable or not, or if there is a market for it. The book had to be written in a certain way, formatted a certain way, designed a certain way, and so forth. They were the gatekeepers who decided if you could come into the club of published authors or remain outside.

This is no longer the case. You can create your work, do it the way you want it, design it the way you want it, and publish it, letting the public decide whether they like it or not. This is the context I see in this chapter – “Write the book you want to read.”

That means don’t bother about what others think, what you think they want to read, how it should be presented, and everything that goes with all the thoughts that hold us back. Simply write what you would like to read. You will be surprised that you’re not the only one who likes it that way. Folks are waiting for your work. So, dare to be different.

Do you have a book in your head? Write it. Are you bothered that it may not fit any particular genre? Just write it. Are you bothered that people may not understand what you are writing? Just write it. Are you bothered that people may not like it? You cannot please everyone. Just write it.

We may never know whether this will work or not until we put it out. Let the marketplace decide. Put it out there.

We have to do away with this desire to please everyone. We are not called to everybody. Each of us has a tribe. We need to locate our tribe and play our role. We need to strive to become the best version of ourselves. And that is by expressing who we are now on the way to who we are becoming.

Do you want to write a book? Write the book you want to read.