5 reasons why you should write a book… starting today!

People write books for all sorts of reasons, but here are five really good ones to put pen to paper (or fingers to keys):

1. It’s always been your ambition. Some children dream of becoming doctors, teachers or astronauts when they grow up… or – in my daughter’s case – a fairy princess ballerina. Others are almost born with a desire to write. They learn to read before their peers, their favourite outing is to the library and they dream of holding their own printed masterpiece one day. If that’s you, it’s time to get cracking!
2. To make some money. OK, so let’s get this out the way. Unless you happen to write a global bestseller, you may not be able to give up the day job as soon as your book is published. Writing books is hard work, and selling them is another story altogether. But writing something you’re proud of is like a payment in itself, and may provide a helpful second income. Depending on what you write, it could also help to promote another social enterprise or business venture. In the current climate, every penny counts!
3. Because you’re a master at creating characters. Almost anyone can write a mediocre plot, but the ability to create unique and believable characters is a true art. If you can make people love, hate and even miss your characters when your book ends, it would be silly not to write that story you’ve been carrying around in your head. Maybe you have the next Elizabeth Bennett, Sherlock Holmes or Paddington Bear up your sleeve and are depriving the world of something wonderful by keeping that special character to yourself.
4. Other people have encouraged you to do it. Whether it’s your life story, pearls of wisdom on a topic you’ve spent your life researching or a children’s book with a powerful message, you can’t seem to get away from that repeated refrain: ‘You should write a book!’ If you’ve heard the same message from several quarters, it makes sense to at least give it a go! If nothing else, you might leave a wonderful legacy for your children or inspire others to chase their dreams.
5. Writing makes you come alive. If you’re anything like me, you spend hours each week doing meaningless things… writing lists you never look at again, scrolling through social media pages, cleaning up after kids (or a spouse!) who is determined to make more mess than you could ever fix. If that’s you, make a vow to yourself today: ‘From this day forth, I will spend an hour a day/two hours a week/three days a month doing something that makes me come alive.’ For me, that thing is writing, and perhaps it is for you, too. There’s something about writing that makes everything else pale into insignificance. It makes the world seem brighter and more colourful. It gives me a reason to get up in the morning and push through the mundane to something more meaningful. If writing makes you come alive, do it! Set aside some time where you can write, craft, edit, explore yourself, research, write some more, scrap some bits and generally fall in love with the writing process. It’s in your blood… all you need to do now is get some words out onto the page. Don’t put if off – start today!

If you’ve already written something you’re proud of, we’d love to hear about it on our social channels @emirapress. If it’s a children’s book and you’re looking for a publisher, click here to view our submissions criteria. We’d love to hear from you!

Susanna x

Susanna Smith is senior commissioning editor at Emira Press. Read her advice on how long a children's book should be.