It’s true: Even before you publish your book, just the work of writing it will impact you, other people, and the world.
I recently received this email from award-winning author Chris Stroble, who won the Nautilus and Pen Craft Awards for her book Helping Teen Moms Graduate:
“I want to share this feedback. I’ve been thinking about it all week.
“Last Sunday I spoke at my United Methodist Church on the topic of love to Black single moms. Afterwards one of our members, who is a Black single mom of 3 children (she’s in her early 30s), said to me, “Everything you said was exactly right. You said what we wanted to say but were too afraid.”“YES! Mission accomplished.“That’s part of my vision for Love For Black Single Moms. I remember from your self study class, you said write a vision of what you want your book1. Your audience2. Your community, and3. Yourself.“One vision for Black single moms is to make them feel seen and heard and to validate their experience.
“I want to share this feedback. I’ve been thinking about it all week.
to do for:“Mission Accomplished! Yay!
Yay! Yay!”Even Before Your Book is Published, Your Book Has an Impact
Like Chris, you may find yourself sharing the message in your book with your target audience to vet and develop the ideas in your book. You might teach a workshop or two or develop an online class.
You might also ask beta readers to provide feedback on a draft version of the book or some of the chapters. Those beta readers may tell you what a difference your manuscript made for them, even before your book is published!
In addition, the act of writing your book will help you clarify your ideas about your subject. You may write articles, blog posts, and social media posts, or speak to the public and share some ideas before the book comes out. These new insights and ideas can inform your thinking and work in new ways. Well before the book is published, these articles and posts informed by your book’s new ideas can inspire and empower people in your target market.
I’ve also witnessed how working on a book increases the aspiring author’s confidence. You may well embody the role of expert with aplomb as you gain self-assurance by writing. That confidence can make you more open to new opportunities.
And here’s another potential impact: Chris sent me an email about the experience, adding inspiration to my day. Her email inspired me to write this blog post and, I hope, has impacted you as a reader and writer! Note: You can read an interview with Chris about the journey of writing and publishing her first book here.
Have you begun to experience the impact of your book? Share your story in the comments below!
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