Lily Snyder

Welcome to 2023! 🎇

We made it to another year. I love the first day of the new year because it’s an opportunity to start totally fresh. We have a whole 365 days before us to grow, transform, and do really cool things. One of the things I’ve wanted to do for years is write a book. I started writing ideas, created an outline, but never get farther than a blog post in length. Then I would give up. But this year is different.

In the last two years, I’ve done a lot of ghostwriting. I’ve ghostwritten articles for Forbes, I’ve ghostwritten chapters in books, all on the topics of emerging technology, marketing, and brands. Now I want to write something for myself with my own credits. I created metaverse strategies for multiple Fortune 500 companies. I want to write my experiences into a book so that anyone can learn and understand what the metaverse is all about.

The importance of setting goals

This month we’re reading Atomic Habits for the GVSU alumni book club. In the book, James Clear says that setting goals are good so that you have a starting point, but it’s the small (atomic) habits and consistency that will breed true results. Clear said he never thought of himself as a writer. He was OK writing in school but not a standout. Then he decided to start a newsletter. He picked two days a week he was going to publish, and after sending out enough newsletters, he eventually became a writer.

While the dangers of not setting goals include lack of direction and feeling stuck, Clear recommends creating a “habit stack”. I have to find a time in my day when I would be free to write. Then, stick writing into that slot, even if it’s only for 15 minutes. This is different from deciding to write and changing my whole schedule around writing. That makes a habit harder to stick to and therefore meeting the goal more difficult.

My goal for this year: write a 40,000-word book about the metaverse

The working title of my book is, Not Another Metaverse Book. My goal is to write 40,000 words, about 3,000 words per chapter. That comes to about 13 chapters.

The steps I plan to take to achieve this goal

In 2021, I took a course from Jeff Goins about how to write a bestseller. Goins said the point of a book is to make an argument. This is difficult for someone like me who is conflict avoidant. However, I do have some posts that are argumentative. Actually, this one is the most popular of my blog.

In the Fall, I joined a writer’s group. During the meetups, we pass around each other’s work, read it and write notes. It’s been helpful for accountability and a kick in the butt to finish a chapter.

The benefits of publishing a book

Books are better than a resume. They’re the ultimate authority-making machine. Writing a book gives you something to talk about, and share, and an in to speaking at conferences. I’ve seen what publishing a book has done for others I follow in the VR/metaverse industry, and I would love to be a part of it.

Plus, if I could make some money from it, that would be cool too. 💸😉

In the meantime…

• Get your $11 Swipe Guide to the Metaverse
• Read my book reviews (because writers read and readers write!)