To start writing a book, you need inspiration. But to finish writing a book, you need motivation and commitment. You can't create fake motivation or commitment, though. To finish writing a book, you need to know what's going to happen and how the book is going to benefit you.
One of our clients, Gareth Benson, took a total of 5 years to finish writing his book. It took this long, simply, because Gareth didn’t have the incentive, nor the process, to confidently move forward with his publication. As an intellectual property lawyer based in Australia, Gareth had always understood the value of the written word. He also knew that publishing a book was the best way to share his knowledge.
However, Gareth wasn’t clear how the book would benefit his business. He, like many other entrepreneurs, has a busy schedule. Because of the lack of clarity and his workload as the principal lawyer at Gareth Lawyers & Associates and the founder of Green & Gold Education Pty Ltd, the book stopped being a priority for several years.
A Shift in Priority and the Right Counsel to Finish Writing the Book
Gareth started working with Trivium Writing in early 2021, as the COVID-19 pandemic tightened its grip on the world. As for many others, the pandemic made Gareth revisit his priorities, and he decided to get back to writing and publishing his book.
After being referred to Trivium Writing by a friend who had been enjoying Léandre Larouche's social media content, Gareth watched Trivium Writing’s free online training and booked a free consultation to discuss the future of his unpublished manuscript.
Though Gareth already had a manuscript with excellent content, we helped him make the best out of his knowledge and polished the piece by revising, editing, and developing his half-decade-old work into a published book within the year.
Trivium Writing’s Framework and IDEAOLOGY
At Trivium Writing, we use a simple proprietary framework to ensure the quality and relevance of the books we develop. Regardless of where authors are on their writing journey, this framework can benefit them because it provides clarity.
The Trivium Writing framework includes, among other elements, the target audience, the general topic, the angle of approach, the thesis, the goal, and the purpose. However, the Trivium Writing framework makes it easy to find these elements through the particular analogy of a dinner conversation.
You can learn more about the Trivium Writing framework in the book Write a Book That Matters.
Applying the framework with Gareth, we ensured that he had a clear thesis and that his content matched his goal and target audience. Moreover, we made sure that the way his ideas were expressed was clear and efficient and worked well for the intended public.
What does this look like? Together, we brainstormed ideas for his framework and named his chapters. Not only that, but we also developed a driving metaphor for the book and crafted an engaging journey for the reader.
Trivium Writing’s Process and IDEAOLOGY
While working with Gareth, we went through the three critical parts of the Trivium Writing process: revision, editing, and design.
Revision
Before editing a book for grammar and style, we need to make sure the text is clear, coherent, and organized. During the revision process, we look for repetitions, unclear passages, and organizational inconsistencies. We also improve the flow and the pace of the text while adding more “colors” to the book through analogies and metaphors.
Editing
After validating the content, we proceed to edit for grammar and style. During the editing process, we make sure sentences flow with one another. There are different levels of editing, resulting in improvements for each subsequent draft. At Trivium Writing, we edit our books both on screen and on paper to make sure every letter, word, detail, and nuance is properly addressed.
Design
Once the book is ready for publication, we need a great cover design and interior layout that will do justice to the book’s content and attract readers. Starting from the content and the concept, we come up with ideas and create a mock-up for assessment. After deliberating and deciding on the best one, we prepare the interior and book design for publication.
Of course, there are additional steps to the process, depending on where an author is on their writing journey. For example, authors starting from scratch need to begin formalizing their thoughts into a book idea by going through a questionnaire that extracts their knowledge.
IDEAOLOGY: Your Compass to Intellectual Property Success in the Ideas Economy
Gareth’s book is a short and informative book that serves as an introduction to intellectual property and the entrepreneurial journey. It is designed to serve as a companion to entrepreneurs, providing them with a good read and a resource vault.
IDEAOLOGY inspires readers to become captains of their idea (ideaologists) and to sail toward their blue ocean of success. The book takes readers through the entire entrepreneurial journey, from ideation to the commercialization process.
Gareth’s book offers a wealth of tools, resources, stories, and case studies. It helps readers see the entrepreneurial journey from a 30,000-foot-high view, find out where they are in their own journey, and what their next steps should be.
IDEAOLOGY teaches entrepreneurs that intellectual property is the world’s most valuable resource, as well as how to leverage it in their business. It uses a solid analogy and concept to walk readers through a journey of successful Intellectual Property entrepreneurialism.
IDEAOLOGY Launch and Book Promotion
On September 24, 2021, Gareth launched his book during a hybrid event broadcasted on Zoom and held at the Darwin Innovation Hub in Darwin, Australia. Over 50 attendees from all over the world attended the launch, both in-person and virtually.
After officially launching the book, Gareth offered a free intellectual property workshop where he explained several concepts from his book and asked participants to write down their ideas. He also used several participants as examples to illustrate his concepts.
Since the launch, Gareth has been promoting the book on social media and while touring Australia. He is providing organizations and individuals with intellectual property workshops, growing his audience and his client base.
One of the things Gareth appreciated the most from working with Trivium Writing was the personal attention and the opportunity to polish his ideas and make them compelling. We took the time to understand his identity and reflect it in the book, making it an authentic piece of work.
When will you get your idea out in the world? If you would like to know how Trivium Writing can help you get your book out, book a free call today.
Article by Leandre Larouche
Leandre Larouche is a writer, coach, and the founder of Trivium Writing.
