Eight out of 10 people feel they have a book, a really good book, within them. Yet, only 5% will even start writing their book. And of that number, only 5% will finish what they started. An even smaller number of those who complete their book will publish their book. Altogether, less than 1% of those who want to write a book ever see it through to completion, much less publication.

With this amazingly high interest to begin with, why is there such an extremely low success rate? Lots of reasons are offered, such as lack of time or money, but it all boils down to one overarching challenge: overcoming the fear of failure. This fear stems from a wide variety of reasons. The common denominator is not knowing where to begin or understanding all that is even involved in writing, editing, and publishing a book. The fear of failure paralyzes us.

This fear of failure often shows up as us discounting our experiences or our writing skills, typically with phrases like “I haven’t done anything special” or “why would someone want to read something I wrote?” Nothing could be further from the truth.

You are unique. You have led a life that is completely different than anyone else’s. Because you are so special, you have a distinct and interesting perspective that people would love to hear. You don’t even have to write about yourself; although you are a fascinating topic if you choose to go that route.

Even if your writing interests are quite different than the life you’ve lived, your unique experiences and knowledge can provide you with the basis for a fascinating book. JK Rowling, JRR Tolkien, or Dan Brown did not live in the worlds they created, yet they wrote amazingly successful and interesting books based on stories they created based on their own experiences and imagination.

Of course, you don’t have to achieve the recognition they have to be successful. You just have to free yourself to connect with your inner author who’s waiting to come out. There are ways to do that through creating a physical setting that removes the distractions and interruptions in your life, connecting yourself to restful music, and centering yourself. These are the basic, supportive techniques you can use to help you tap into your inner storyteller so you can express yourself in ways that will amaze you.

You can write your book. You can publish your book, too. It takes dedication and time to cross the finish line, but you can do it. Most importantly, it requires a commitment to make an effort and a belief in the process.

That’s what the Make Your Book a Reality program is all about: helping you bring out the book within you. The initial, most important phase is simply getting started, and that can be done in a weekend. Beyond that, we can aid you by demonstrating ways to help hold your reader’s interest. We can also help you with the editing process and with the mechanics of self-publishing your book. We can even assist with launching your masterpiece.

More information is available on my website (www.colbrucehurd.com). I can be reached via email at colbrucehurd@gmail.com. I can also be found on Facebook (Col Bruce Hurd), Twitter (@colbrucehurd), and Instagram (colbrucehurd77).

I look forward to helping you Make Your Book a Reality.

Best wishes and happy writing!!

Bruce