By George Cox
19th-century poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge provides the best description of writer’s block: an “indefinite indescribable terror” at suddenly finding himself unable to produce work of the quality for which he was known.
But you don’t have to be a 19th century poet to experience the dreaded writer’s block. In fact, we’d suggest that almost everyone who has ever found themselves face to face with the blank page (or screen) has felt writer’s block nipping at their heels.
Of course, working with an author who is experiencing a particularly severe case of writer’s block can be incredibly frustrating for all parties. The author feels stressed and under pressure, and the publisher feels irritated by their lack of control and missed deadlines.
That’s where we come in.
We’ve been working with entrepreneurial authors for 15 years, and our tried-and-tested Content Creation Process™ has been specifically designed to not only help authors overcome writer’s block, but to reduce the chances of it altogether.
Let’s dive in and find out more.
Why are entrepreneurs especially susceptible to writer’s block?
There’s a huge demand for business books written by successful entrepreneurs, and luckily many business leaders are more than willing to share their wisdom and expertise.
The problem, however, is that many business leaders are not natural writers. Add to this that they are often incredibly time-poor and will always prioritise their business, and the process of getting that wisdom and expertise onto paper and out into the world becomes fraught with low-quality manuscripts and missed deadlines.
Entrepreneurs are incredibly skilled and creative people who are hugely ambitious. Sometimes, however, the entrepreneur may agree to unrealistic targets because their motivation and ambition is not matched by their availability.
When this becomes clear – again, those low-quality, rushed manuscripts and missed deadlines – the entrepreneur may very quickly feel demotivated.
This is the perfect time for writer’s block to strike.
What are the catalysts for writer’s block?
The book-writing process may quickly become derailed by:
- Lack of time
The entrepreneur’s focus is elsewhere – their business is their first priority. Producing high-quality written work takes time and dedication. If the entrepreneur feels they can’t commit to this, they begin to suffer from writer’s block as a byproduct of simply not having the time or capacity to write.
- Procrastination and overwhelm
The entrepreneur begins to feel that the task is bigger or more demanding than they initially anticipated. They feel overwhelmed at the pressures they perceive to be on them, and begin to procrastinate.
- Fear or a lack of self-belief
The entrepreneur does not identify as an author and is not confident in their writing abilities. Critical feedback from manuscript editors may further this feeling, meaning the entrepreneur now associates writing with negative feelings.
How do we help to prevent this?
- Lack of time
Our Content Creation Process™ is designed to take up as little of the entrepreneur’s time as possible. There’s no need for staring at a blank screen feeling they simply don’t have the capacity to dedicate themselves to writing – the entrepreneur need only attend bi-weekly or weekly calls to share their knowledge in their voice, and the rest is done for them.
- Procrastination and overwhelm
We break the entire Content Creation Process™ down into manageable chunks. The entrepreneur is involved only in this process at the top level. We know from experience that involving the entrepreneur in every part of the process only adds to feelings of procrastination and overwhelm.
The entrepreneur is only concerned with the tasks that need their input – the rest of the often complicated and multifaceted book-creation process is done behind the scenes. Breaking it down and simplifying it in this way means the writing process looks less like an impossible mountain and more like an easily-scalable hill.
- Fear or a lack of self-belief
The entrepreneur is concerned with their public image because of the direct effect this has on their business. It can be incredibly nerve-wracking, therefore (not to mention can have real-world consequences), if the entrepreneur feels they are at risk of publicising a poorly-written book.
Working with a team of writing experts negates this fear. Not only that, but our Content Creation Process™ is designed to keep the entrepreneur engaged and motivated by not overloading them, keeping the content true to their unique voice and wisdom, and setting deadlines that are realistic.
Our secret to happy entrepreneurs and happy publishers
Entrepreneurial authors need maintained, intentional, and long-standing guidance. With the systems and processes we have been carefully curating over the last 15 years, we are able to produce a steady stream of high-quality content.
The secret?
All we need is a few hours of the entrepreneur’s time each month to dig out their unique wisdom. Our team of specialist writers and editors can then craft this into the most engaging and commercially successful narrative.
In fact, our process is so successful that we can virtually guarantee that entrepreneurs who follow it will avoid writer’s block altogether.
For the publisher, that means assurance that high-quality manuscripts will be delivered on time and in full. An audience can always tell the difference between a manuscript that has been written by someone who is engaged, motivated, and full of passion, and one that has been written by the opposite.
Together, we can ensure all business books you publish are the former. We stand as a middle ground between publishers and entrepreneurial authors to ensure that the entrepreneur can still prioritise their business and that the publisher receives manuscripts on time. As a result, both parties achieve their shared aim of producing a commercially successful, ongoing investment: a bestselling business book. If you think you’d benefit from a further discussion, hop on a Clarity Call with our founder, Georgia.