At some point, every writer struggles with this question: Does my book really matter? Writing a book is a big thing. It takes time, effort, vulnerability, a willingness to share your voice and insights with others. It’s understandable and very common to suddenly wonder: Why am I doing this? Does it even matter?
First, let me assure you, it does matter. Your book matters. Your story matters. You matter. What you’re writing will make a difference for someone at the time when they need it most.
Think about books that have done that for you. A book that came along at just the right time and made a difference in your life. What would you have told that author if they were hesitating to write, finish, publish? What would you say to that author if they asked, “Does this book even matter?”
Someone would say the same to you about your book.
If you’re struggling with that question, “Does my book matter?” it will help to shift your perspective. Focus on your reader. Just one reader. Someone who is struggling with the very thing that prompted you to write your book. What do they need? How does your book provide those things?
List five specific ways your book will help that one reader. Does it help them solve a problem? Explain things with a clarity they’ve never found before? Make them feel heard, understood, less alone? Does your book offer a story that will resonate with that one reader as much as it did for you? Inspire them in a new way? Help them take action?
Sometimes, in answering those questions, you might end up comparing your book to others. You think of what your book provides for your reader, but then the thought pops up, Well, so many other books say those things too.
That may be true. But your book is uniquely yours. It reflects your style, your voice, your experience, your words, your way of connecting, your way of understanding.
Of all the books available on a certain topic, readers will be drawn to yours because they relate to your style. Your voice speaks most uniquely to them. The way you explain things makes sense to them. Your examples and stories resonate with them.
Think about a book you chose to read out of the many books on similar topics. What was it about that book that spoke to you? Why did you feel drawn to that book in particular? Out of all the books on the shelf, why did that one matter to you?
Now think about how you relate to your own story, to the book you are writing. Where would you be without the story you are sharing? What kind of difference did your book’s message make in your life, to the point that you wanted to share it?
That’s what your book will provide for other people. That’s worth sharing. It mattered to you, so much that you’re writing about it. If it mattered to you, it will matter to someone else. You’re sharing with your readers something that had an impact on your life. That’s a gift worth sharing.
So, does your book matter? Yes. You know it matters because you’ve already lived it. And now you’re sharing that impact with someone else. Someone who is looking for the very book you’re writing for them.
That’s the reader you need to focus on as you write. That’s the reader you need to remember whenever that question pops up in your mind: Does my book matter?
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To learn more about focusing on and writing for just one reader, you may want to read this article: The Power of Writing for One Reader
Janet Eriksson 