Writing an eBook is Risk-taking Behaviour ? Choose to do it!

The choice to author a book isn't one that just suddenly comes to you. It's something that gradually happens. And it usually happens many times before you begin to take it seriously.

Are you the cautious person who takes few risks or are you a risk-taker? Are you the person who weighs the pros and cons over and over again refusing to address the obstacles to your goals and thus does nothing?

Are you the risk-taker who plunges ahead without thinking much about it and gets discouraged because of the obstacles that need to be overcome and the fact that your dream seems further and further away? Or worse still you fail and give up?

Somewhere between those two extremes lies the potential eBook author. The lesson may very well be that you must be realistic about your ability to embark on the eBook authoring journey and reach your destination.

Let's take a brief look at these two extremes ? caution and risk-taking. One leads to change. The other is stagnation.

CAUTION

This article was written borrowing and adapting from material in Barbara Sher's book, I Could Do Anything If Only I Knew What It Was, How to discover what you really want and how to get it. In her book, Ms. Sher has a quiz to determine if you are a cautious person which may be holding you back from achieving your goals. I have adapted her quiz to suit would-be eBook authors.

Answer these questions in relation to authoring an eBook.

Are you a person always in rehearsal? Have you been studying, taking courses, developing expertise, learning skills, and gaining wisdom but haven't put it to its best use in an eBook?

Yes No

Are you constantly planning, preparing, talking about it, asking for advice, hesitating, ? without doing anything about actually writing the eBook?

Yes No

Do you hang on to dreams and goals too long without taking action in even a small way to move you toward your goal? In other words do you refuse to make short-term goals that will lead you to your dream?

Yes No

Do you use the excuse that you don't have the time to work toward your goal of authoring an eBook?

Yes No

Do you find time to do some things that you don't really need to be doing like watching too much television, doing things you don't want to do, or "puttering" with something that could buy you time to write?

Yes No

Do you look at others pursuing their dreams and envy them the journey?

Yes No

Is your dream of authoring an eBook not important enough to you to begin the journey because it would be too selfish and other people and things deserve your time and energy? Do you habitually put other people and things ahead of your own needs and wants?

Yes No

Do you crave change and adventure in your life by authoring an eBook but it hasn't gotten past the 'daydreaming' stage?

Yes No

Reflect and Write

Now go back to these questions and take the time to write a letter to yourself. Take the time in this letter to reflect on your "why" of your response. Be honest with yourself. You've got nothing to lose.

While you are reflecting on your "why", include some positive ideas about how you could get started at the eBook authoring process. Consider those strengths you already bring to the process. Consider who or what could help you reach your goal.

As Sher states, "If you have said Yes to most or all of these questions then you're a Sure Thing person and you've got some thinking to do."

"Safety is riskier than you realize."

Caution shouldn't be thrown to the wind but without risks life isn't an adventure.

"Fear is that little darkroom where negatives are developed." ? Michael Pritchard

Time becomes so important in our lives once we are old enough to realize that we may not have made the best use of it in the past. The truly "lucky" person is someone who realizes that time is indeed running out and if authoring an eBook is in his/her plans then let's get started.

Shoot for something And you will never achieve the impossible. But shoot for the impossible And you're bound to achieve something.

RISK-TAKING

"Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?

- Ben Franklin

Is taking risks too risky for you? There are risks associated with eBook authoring. Specific risks in the eBook authoring process will be addressed in a future article but for this article we will focus on the general consideration of your attitude toward risk-taking.

Without taking calculated risks, your dream of authoring an eBook won't be realized. Without this risk factor between you and your dream, you would already be living your dream. It's what holds most people back. You must realize that ACTIONS are what make things happen not THINKING about actions. Any new behaviour comes through taking a chance and realizing you might not succeed ? the first time.

Realize also that there is always a solution to every obstacle you might encounter. The answers to all your questions are already out there. You may just have to find them.

From Do It! Let's Get Off Our Buts by John-Roger and Peter McWilliams, "Be daring, be different, be impractical," Sir Cecil Beaton advised, "be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary."

It takes courage to pursue one's dreams. Banish fear by taking action. Failure is part of the learning process that goes hand-in-hand with risk-taking.

On a scale from one to ten, with one being cautious, and 10 being a risk-taker, assess yourself numerically where you presently stand in terms of authoring an eBook.

I rate myself a ___.

Well???

Reflection Time

What do you need to do about it, if anything? What actions are you going to take? What can you do within the next 24 hours to take that first concrete step toward your goal? What is it about your past and present behaviour regarding writing a book that makes you feel good about yourself? What bothers you? Who could help make a difference in your eBook authoring life if you chose to confide in them? Have you ever told anyone you wanted to write a book? Why? Why not? What good do you think it would do to begin telling others about your dream? What have you done in your past that you thought you would never be able to do? Why is authoring an eBook any different from that situation? What obstacles do you see to authoring an eBook? For each obstacle consider at least 3 ways you could overcome that obstacle. How will you feel when that eBook is published and the first copy is sold? What would authoring an eBook do to your self-esteem? Your life? Your confidence? Your career? Your income? Your future?

A poem for reflection!

Risk-Taking is Free

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach out for another is to risk involvement.

To expose feeling is to risk exposing your true self.

To place your ideas, your dreams, before the crowd is to risk their opinion.

To love is to risk not being loved in return.

To live is to risk dying.

To hope is risk despair.

To try is to risk failure.

But the risk must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing and is nothing.

He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.

Chained by his certitudes, he is slave, he has forfeited freedom.

ONLY A PERSON WHO RISKS ---- IS FREE - Author Unknown

© 2005 Paul Jackson

Paul Jackson is a retired educator with wide-ranging experience in self-help workshops for educators. His new-found passion of eBook authoring allows him to apply his reflective philosophy to the process of authoring an eBook. At http://www.ebookwritingandpublishing.com

P aul uses his philosophy of "Helping people help themselves" to assist individuals in reaching his/her dream of authoring an eBook.

____________________

Advertisement: Honest Riches - Click Here!

Advertisement: Lost AdWords - Click Here!

Advertisement: Get $1 Million A Month In Google Pay-Per-Click Ads Free! - Click Here!

Advertisement: Who Loves Money? - Click Here!

Advertisement: SEO Elite, the GrandDaddy of SEO Software - Click Here!

---

Lets Get One Thing Straight About Being A Published Author

Just for fun, evaluate the following statement:"Most people want to write a book and get it published, but that's simply impossible 99% of the time."Is the above... Read More

My Rich Mums Ebook Secrets

As usual, I walked into the Starbucks for my morning coffee.Enjoying my morning coffee in Starbucks has been a routine since a year back. Now, everything in... Read More

How to Build and Sell your eBook at the Same Time

Why write an eBook? You want ongoing, lifelong multiple streams of income. You want to raise your credibility and trust ratings with clients or customers. You want... Read More

An eBook Publishers Dilemma: Should I Use PDF or Exe Format?

If you write and publish eBooks, sooner or later youwill probably be faced with a dilemma - should youcreate your eBooks as .exe files or .pdf files?PDF,... Read More

Make Your Own E-book!

If you have a newsletter or knowledge you wish to share with others, you might think about making your own ebook.First of all, for those who might... Read More

Internet Marketing - How to Write Your Own E-book

I tell you now the first e-book I ever wrote sat in my directory for a few months. I was scared out of my wits to actually... Read More

A Brief History of the Book

"The free communication of thought and opinion is one of the most precious rights of man; every citizen may therefore speak, write and print freely."(French National Assembly,... Read More

7 Secrets to Explode your eBook Sales! Part 2

Secret #2: Creating your Marketing Timeline for Success!Copyright 2004 Bluedolphin CrowAho!You can increase your sales and free time by creating your own marketing timeline. Marketing timelines are... Read More

How to Write Your First Ebook

Writing your first ebook may seem like a daunting task. But like many projects, it won't seem so bad when it's broken down into manageable chunks. Not... Read More

Youve Got To Be Joking!

I don't know about you, but I get a lot of joke stuff arriving in my email. I've got one buddy in particular who hardly lets a... Read More

10 Ways To Make Money With eBooks

Ask any internet marketing "guru" and they will tell you the same thing:"Sooner or later you will have to have your own product to sell."The fact is,... Read More

The Problem With E-Books

One of the most popular online ventures is selling e-books. People are hungry for information; that's why they're on the Web in the first place. And e-books... Read More

7 Secrets to Explode your eBook Sales! Part 6

Secret #6: Creating momentum and identity through Book Sellers!Aho99% of them were wrong when I asked this simple question.Who are the best eBook Sellers online today?The answer... Read More

The Bible of Marketing Ebooks

The ebook from Michael Cheney really is the bible when it comes to make a successful website.I highly recommend this ebook. This should in fact be the... Read More

The Advantages Of Being An e-Book Writer Or Publisher

All well known experts have agreed that informational products especially eBooks are without any doubt the number one home based business opportunity. They are much easier to... Read More

Just One Quick Question

Ever notice the number of times a client or prospect says some variation of 'I just have one more question,' or 'Just a quick question?' The answers... Read More

10 Excuses for NOT Authoring an eBook!

Most people at one time or another have said to themselves, "Someday I'd like to write a book." or "I only wish that someone would write a... Read More

Profiting From Writting Your Own Ebook

As you might have heard, the Internet is all about information. Millions of people logon to the Internet each day searching for information. They're searching for everything... Read More

E-Book Writing Formats: How to Make the Words Flow

Nervous about writing your first e-book? Never fear. E-books are written in a conversational, informative style that's easy for the reader to understand, and easy for you... Read More

eBooks: With Courage and Patience, We Are Getting There

Just how do we make the "e" in e-books stand for "easier"? Well, how about this? Let's scrap the existing digital rights management. Instead everybody in charge... Read More

Resell Rights Power

The Quickest Way To Have A Product To Sell On The InternetCreating a product from scratch that you can sell on the Internet will take some time... Read More

Writing An eBook - The How To Guide

Whenever you're listening to one of the big names in internet marketing you hear the same speech over and over again when it comes to viral marketing.... Read More

Top Ten eBook Mistakes and How to Correct Them (Part 2)

Did you know that you already have an eBook inside you? And, like your coach, you can earn thousands of dollars each month? Even if you... Read More

E-book Sales ? Will Your Cover Close the Sale?

Well designed professional looking e-book covers do much, much more than show the title of the book. An e-book cover can be a powerful attention grabbing sales... Read More

Ask and Ye Shall Create

How do you decide to create a new speech? A new report? A net product? Most of us have an idea, then start to work on it.... Read More

How To Get Your Article or Ebook Started Fast... Time Saving Tips To Get Your Writing Moving..

As we have all heard time and again (and it's very, very true), writing articles for ezines/newsletters and ebooks is a great way to increase your exposure,... Read More