We’re living in unprecedented times, when many people are worried about the physical and mental health of their loved ones and vulnerable people in society, concerned that they will lose their job or business, and feeling isolated from their friends and family during the lockdown. With everything going on, writing a book might be the last thing on your mind. However, there are five reasons why you might want to write a nonfiction book during the coronavirus lockdown…
If you’re self-employed, a freelancer, or a small business owner, you’ve probably seen a reduction in clients, requests, and income over the past month. While you might be eligible for some financial support from the government, it may not cover the entirety of your lost earnings. To supplement your income, you could write a short e-book on your area of speciality, then self-publish it on Kindle for free. To cut costs, you can design it in Reedsy Editor for free and ask an eagle-eyed friend to proofread it for you.
If you’ve got little or no work to do, it can be tempting to watch the news constantly to find out the latest coronavirus updates or scroll through social media for hours. However, studies have shown that doing so can be detrimental to your mental health and make you more anxious. Instead, writing a book is a good source of distraction. It gives you something to focus on rather than worrying or getting consumed by what’s going on in the world, and it keeps your mind occupied with something productive, positive, and useful.
In times of crisis, we should all be helping and supporting each other. While it may seem like you can’t do much to help unless you’re on the front line, you can really help others by sharing your individual skills, knowledge, and experience in a book. With more people at home than ever, and many unable to work, it’s a great time to self-publish a short e-book that teaches people new skills or approaches while they’re stuck at home.
Although our normal daily lives are completely disrupted during the lockdown, it’s important to retain some sense of normality. When all of this passes, you’re likely to be focused on your work or business again, and writing a book on your area of expertise can help you maintain that vital contact with your normal working life while your workload is reduced. In fact, it may even progress your business or open new doors when normal life resumes.
Studies show that being creative improves our mental health, giving us a sense of purpose, direction, and calm—especially during times of change. While nonfiction often isn’t seen as being “creative” in the same way as fiction is, the skills you use to write a nonfiction book require creativity in how you express yourself, convey your knowledge and skills, and build rapport with your reader.
If you’re not sure where to get started with writing a nonfiction book, then check out our blogs for more tips and guides!
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