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"This little gem of a book offers sage advice..." 
Fred Brock
The New York Times

Too Young to Retire,  the retirement gift for those who aren't calling it quits, is at bookstores   nationwide and online. 

Is it Time to Write Your Book?
Avoid The 3 BIG Mistakes of Aspiring Authors

By Lisa Tener, author and book coach

Have you always dreamed of writing a book? Now that you’re in a position of transitioning from your previous career, it could be the perfect timing. And, if you’re thinking about transitioning to a new career, such as public speaking, training or consulting, writing a book can help you gain credibility and cache for your new endeavors.

But where do you start? Many would-be authors assume they should just start writing the book. Not so. In fact, writing the book first could mean wasting months or years of precious time. If you want to self-publish your book, by all means, write it. However, if you want to get published by a traditional publisher, what you really need to write is a book proposal. My favorite book that tells you how to write a great book proposal is How to Write a Book Proposal by Michael Larsen. Once a publisher says “yes” to your proposal, then it’s time to write the book.

Now, let’s say you’re writing your book or book proposal. One of the most common pitfalls of novice authors is to talk about the book to anyone and everyone—friends, family, people at cocktail parties. Mum’s the word. No, I’m not going to tell you they’ll steal your idea. That is extremely unlikely. The fact is, though, that the less energy you project outward about your book, the more you focus your energy inward into the writing. Talking about your book can take the place of writing it. Keep it quiet and write, write, write.

But wait. Before you just start writing mounds and mounds of stuff that some day you’re going to have to wade through and organize and figure out how to put it all together into something coherent, take a deep breath and begin to plan.

Without a plan, how do you know what to do and how to get there? Everyone needs a plan. Plan your time; plan what you need to do; plan how to research your market before you begin; plan what you’ll do when you run into snags. Plan how you’ll get support, as well as any expertise you need. Support can come from a friend, colleague, writing cohort, coach or writing class. Expertise can come from people in your market (potential readers), editors, a writing coach, agents, publishers, colleagues and experts in your field.

Above all, have fun and stay in touch with your passion for your subject. Writing a book, getting published and hearing from readers about how the book made a difference in their lives can be a peak experience—just ask Howard and Marika. The more you stay in touch with what excites you about the subject, the more fun you’ll have.

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Lisa Tener is a published author and book coach. Her first book was published by a traditional publisher (Health Communications, of Chicken Soup fame). Her most recent project is the soon-to-be released e-kit Write Your Nonfiction or How-To Book in 60 Days, co-authored with Jen Senecal. Lisa has been interviewed on ABC World News with Peter Jennings, NiteBeat and PBS-TV and quoted in USA Weekend, Glamour, Family Circle, Body and Soul, Fitness, the Boston Globe and dozens of other publications. To sign up for her FR*EE teleseminar, 10 Things You Need to Know to Start and Finish Writing Your Book with Ease (next offered May 30 at 9pm EDST) e-mail Lisa at Lisa@LisaTener.com with the subject: “May 30 seminar, new.” You can visit her website at www.LisaTener.com.