People write books for all different reasons. You may have a unique story to tell or may just want to capitalize on whatever dirt you have on someone. Whatever the reason, you need to write the book.
Books are written to inspire people, motivate them, or simply to entertain them. I have found eleven reasons why people write books, and I would like to share them with you.
Why Do People Write Books?
1. To Become A Better Writer
You may have dabbled in writing, but you are not experienced enough to say you are a true writer. You want to find out how to write better but do not know how to do it.
You do not become a superior writer by wishing you could be like your favorite author. You become a better writer by writing.
Writing a book is no effortless feat, but you can always give it a shot. If you have a great story to tell but have already put it in short form, you may want to try to create the extended version.
If you want to be a better writer, you need to push yourself and try something you never have before. Writing a book can be an enjoyable and exciting experience.
As the old saying goes, you never know until you try.
2. You Want A Bestseller
Many wildly successful books are ones that were the first book ever published by the author and made it big on the first try. It is hard to believe that “The Catcher in the Rye” was a first-shot book.
There are notable books written by first-time writers like “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee but wait, there are more:
- Andy Weir’s “The Martian.”
- S.E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders.”
- Amy Tan’s “The Joy Luck Club.”
- Nicholas Sparks’s “The Notebook.”
Required reading for school students, “The Catcher in the Rye” sold over 65 million copies. “To Kill a Mockingbird” sold over 40 million copies. These numbers are quite impressive and phenomenal.
The above books are proof positive that you can make the best seller list, even if it is the first book you have ever published. You may be aware of this and want to see if you can do it.
The great news is that you could be able to achieve anything when you put your mind to it, which is the lesson learned from these extraordinary authors.
3. It Is Therapeutic
Writing a book is therapeutic, especially if you are writing a self-help book. You can get past just about any hurt you have ever had in your life by writing a book.
Not to mention, you will undoubtedly save the money you would be spending on therapy. When you write down your thoughts and get them down on paper, you can work through your emotions.
You may be able to get a great self-help book out of your experiences and make a lot of money. There are many self-help gurus out there who would agree with this.
4. Leaving A Legacy
Life goes by in short fleeting moments. When you write a book, you leave a legacy behind that will outlast your life.
There have been many stories written by many impeccable authors who have made their mark on the world and told memorable stories passed down through generations.
You can describe a legacy:
- Spiritual
- Historical
- Timeless
- Classic
These are words people think of when saying the word legacy. A legacy of stories left behind to share with future generations is an actual achievement.
5. You Want To Make Money
Doing something you love for money is the American dream. You can make a lot of money by writing a book. It could be a book that protects the most profound truths in life with a sensational story.
Writing a book is a beautiful way to make money and still do what you want. The most significant part about being an author is that you are basically self-employed.
Just know that writing and publishing a book requires a lot of hard work and dedication. To be able to make a living by crafting quality books that touch the reader is every author’s fantasy come true.
6. You Want To Inspire People
As an author, you have a rare opportunity to reach people and inspire them. Writing is very influential; people respond when something moves them or motivates them.
If you write with a moral or a purpose in mind, you can help millions of people. You can tell powerful stories that are valuable and compelling.
Deepak Chopra, for example, is a self-help author who wrote books that inspired millions. Not only were the books thought-provoking and spiritual, but his books can also be considered timeless.
When you are an author, you can encourage the reader to think about things and help them to determine what is right and true.
It takes a fine writer to inspire people, and even if you have only inspired one person, you have made it.
7. You Want To Teach People
Self-help books teach people how to live a better life. You can teach people everything from how to get over the loss of a relationship to how to think positively.
Books are also the key to teaching children. Children must read books in school and take tests on them. You can also reach young children, as kids first learn to read.
You can teach kids:
- How to be kind
- How to share
- To accept differences
- To care about animals
You can teach kids just as much as you can teach adults. Learning does not end when you leave school, and books help build a bridge of understanding and promote learning at any age.
8. To Influence People’s Opinions
Books can change your opinion on all kinds of things. Reading can change your opinion about everything from politics to religion. People write books because information can change people’s perspectives.
Books can influence people to think differently and question things. Books promote the expansion of knowledge.
They can give people new options to consider and open up a whole world of possibilities.
9. To Get Recognition
You can become famous by writing a great book. Even if you do not become famous, you will at least get recognition. You can be the first to think a certain way or present an idea differently.
When you write a book, people will read it, even if it is just your own family reading it. You will reach people, and they will see your words and read your story. Your story could help someone.
10. To Accomplish A Goal
It is the goal of a good number of writers to create a novel. When it is done, it feels good, even before it gets published. Writers write books just to write something challenging.
When you are a writer who writes a book, it gives you a sense of pride. It provides you with a tremendous feeling of achievement and purpose.
11. To Learn More
When you write a book, you do not just teach other people; you teach yourself. Writing a book allows you to learn something new.
You can immerse yourself in a world full of characters that teach you something, or you can research a subject you are interested in and learn enough about it to teach others.
Conclusion
People write books for various reasons, and books are also great teaching tools for kids and adults alike. Just consider this, you could have a best seller on your hands and not even know it.
You can even become famous if you write a best seller, not to mention every writer wants to become a genuine author and write a fantastic book. People write books to become novelists.