Writing a book can be quite overwhelming. It does take some work, and it can take a long time if you’re not working efficiently. One of the best ways to work efficiently is to batch your work, or to do similar tasks all at once. I used batching as I wrote my first book, and I’m also implementing it as I write my second. Batching has really cut down on the amount of time that it’s taking me to write my book. That’s why I want to give you a few tips for incorporating batching into your book creation process, too.
BATCHING WHILE WRITING
The actual writing process is a great place to start batching. You’ve probably heard that the different halves of our brains work in different ways. The right side of the brain is better at being creative and coming up with new ideas, whereas the left side of the brain is better at thinking analytically. Batching works really well because it helps us to focus our work in either the right side of the brain or the left side of the brain.
When you’re writing, you’re working with the right side of your brain. You’re thinking creatively as you come up with the ideas and words that you want to put on the page. So, I’d encourage you to focus on just writing and getting your ideas out as you start to write your first draft. Try not to go back and edit what you’re writing too much. Instead, really focus on getting your words out as efficiently as possible. You can always go back and edit later.
BATCHING WHILE EDITING
Writing involves a lot of the right brain, and editing uses the left side of the brain a lot. So, it makes sense to separate out your writing and editing. Many writing coaches encourage writers and authors to separate writing and editing for this reason. If you’re self-censoring as you’re writing, you’re not maximizing the flow of thoughts and ideas.
When you go back to edit your rough draft, start to edit with your ideal reader or reader avatar in mind. What does he or she need to know about your topic, and how can you edit your text to help make things clearer for him or her? Think through what information you may have forgotten to include the first time around, or what examples you could add to clarify your ideas. Keeping your reader avatar in mind as you edit will help you write a book that truly solves the problems of your readers.
BATCHING YOUR MARKETING
It’s also smart to batch all of your marketing for your book. Set aside a few hours or even a day to plan out how you’re going to market your book. Think through how you want to promote your book on social media, what emails you’ll send to your mailing list, and how you can reach out to other influencers in your field to help promote the book.
Then take out your calendar and write down when you’ll need to do each marketing task. I like to keep a separate social media calendar so I can keep track of what I should be posting each day, and I try to schedule those posts ahead of time whenever possible using different tools.
When you’re marketing your book, think about the similar tasks you’ll have to do (writing emails, scheduling social media posts, creating graphics, etc.) and try to do similar tasks all at once. Batching will help you work much more efficiently.
