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