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Like me, my sister has many writing ideas. However, she’s a bit shy about writing and is unsure about the entire book writing process. She has a great idea for a parenting book and since I own DEOR Consulting, a parent and teen life coaching, consulting, and educating company, I mentioned to her that we could collaborate on the project. She’s very excited and motivated to start this project. This is a good sign. If you have a book that you’d like to write, consider collaborating on it with another writer. Make sure your ‘ego’ is inline before you begin the book project. Otherwise, it could be a bumpy writing road!
Some writers avoid collaborating on book projects for many reasons. They prefer to write alone or want all of the accolades; sharing the spotlight isn’t an option. Maybe there are creative differences but collaboration is a great way to move past differences and embrace them. Who knows, it could be a great experience and a way to get to know you better! How great is it to hear and see another person’s viewpoint? You may discover angles that you would never thought of on your own.
5 Reasons to Co-Author a Book
1. Split the writing. If you’re collaborating with another writer, you can split the chapters. Once you completed your assigned chapters, give them to each other to review. Add and delete information where necessary. You’ll complete the book in no time!
2. More ideas to select from. There shouldn’t be any shortage of angles and ideas. The key is to narrow them down and select the ones that best fit the book the project. This includes titles and subtitles for the book, names of chapters, resources to use, etc. Brainstorm for a couple of hours and choose the ideas that are right for the book project.
3. Each writer has different strengths. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. If you lack certain skills, find a writer who has strengths that you don’t. You can learn a lot and turn your weaknesses into strengths. Have the courage to be humble and admit that you don’t know everything. Guess what? Most people don’t know everything! If meet writers who say, “I know that already” run the other way. They won’t be interested in learning new skills or improving their weaknesses.
4. Finish the project quicker. Let’s face it, four hands are better than two and two brains are better than one. You can finish and produce a manuscript quicker when you work with another writer. If you’re on a PC and your writing partner is on a Mac, use Word because it’s compatible for Mac and PC. Or, you may want to use a simple text editor like Notepad or some other program. You could always use Google Docs.
5. Support. Being a writer can be a lonely career path. When you collaborate with another writer, you receive moral support and get to work with someone who understands the writer’s life. You also meet which provides you with opportunity to connect with another person on a ‘human’ level. Also, each writer has responsibilities and deadlines to meet. You can encourage one another every step of the way!
Collaborating with another writer is a fabulous experience. If you keep a positive mindset and find a writer that’s right for you, the writing process will go smoothly. It’s important to know what you want in a writing partner. Here’s a list: meets deadlines, is honest and trustworthy, has integrity, easy to work with, open minded, doesn’t have a “huge” ego, understands marketing or has a basic understanding of it, lives close by or is readily available via SKYPE or email, is passionate about the subject material, and has a strong work ethic. Create your own list and find the writing partner that’s right for you. Good luck!
Rebecca
Related articles
- Fun Ways to Improve Your Next Book Pt. 1 (lulu.com)
- Collaborative Writing (evenfromhere.org)
- Technology Is Amazing For Writers Of All Disciplines (ruthpealer.wordpress.com)
- Organize & Create Your Short Stories & Novels With StoryBook (makeuseof.com)
- Should You Write a Novel With A Coauthor? (advancedfictionwriting.com)
- 10 tools that simplify collaboration (hazima.wordpress.com)
