Without sounding too self-serving…
I wasn’t used to so much “losing.” And because I was so used to easy success... The fact that I was being beat so handedly by this book was a major blow to my ego. And even though I tried to push it into the back of my mind and ignore it… I could still feel its “unfinished weight” nag and gnaw at me from the corners of mind.
To make matters worse, at the time I was traveling all across the country speaking at big events and having people come up to ask me… “Don, when are you going to finally write that book?” Every time someone did I felt my stomach sink. I knew they meant well, but it truly hurt me to face up to my shame at not being able to finish what I started. (Especially as a “motivational speaker”).
But after many months and years of grueling struggle, trial and error and consistent effort… And the serendipity and guidance of several close friends with way more publishing experience than I had… I was finally able to publish “The Sale” in 1996 and sell more than 150,000 copies of it — a truly humbling success.
Holding that first copy in my hand made all the hardship worth it.
As you already know, after “The Sale” I went on to publish 15 more books. And now I feel the confidence to write any book I want in record-time. And without facing any of the challenges and mental-blocks that plague so many other writers.
So what does this all mean for YOU?
Well, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on my writing process. And I’ve also met a lot more best-selling authors and publishing experts who have shared decades worth of valuable insights with me.
And all of this experience has shown me that most want-to-be authors struggle with one of four key ingredients in the writer’s formula. If you miss just one of these pieces, you will get a wildly different outcome. And likely never finish your book.
It’s like trying to add up some numbers in a calculator. You can have 9 out of 10 of the numbers in your equation right... But if you slip in a “5” instead of an “8…” Or put the decimal two places back when you should have only put it three back… Or hit the division symbol when you should have hit the plus sign… You’re going to get a totally different outcome.
And the same thing happens when you’re writing a book. It’s why I’ve taken great pains to narrow down these 4 key ingredients and put them into what I call the “Writer’s Success Formula.”
And now, for the first time ever, I’m going to share it with you in this letter. I’ll be the first to admit that the “Formula” is simple, but if you understand it deeply, then I truly believe it to be powerful and life-changing for aspiring authors.
The “Writer’s Success Formula” is…
(Vision + Skill + Discipline) x Passion = Outcome
Or (V+S+D) x P = O/C for short.
Every single one of these components (Vision, Skill, Discipline and Passion) is crucial to you getting a successful outcome when writing your book.
1.) Vision: If you don’t have “Vision,” you’ll never get the job done. And vision is about so much more than just “wanting” to write a book.
2.) Skill: Skill is all about your specific expertise and knowledge. This is about identifying the precise message and story that you can share to change the lives of others.
3.) Discipline: Nothing ever gets done without discipline. However most people struggle with setting up a consistent routine that allows them to finish their book quickly.
4.) Passion: This is the only “multiplier” in the entire equation. Without passion, your book will flop even if you’re the greatest writer in the world. But with it, you can create books that touch people’s souls deeply.
Of course…
