Archimedes’ Eureka moment was while taking a bath. Yours could be while you’re stuck in the middle of traffic. Ever had those moments when you had brilliant ideas in your mind, only for them to fly away as soon as the traffic light turns green? Publisher and author Jerry Kuzma (Write Your Own Book: 5 Minutes at a Time!) found a way to put his driving time to productive use: by writing a book (about writing a book). But his tips can also be applied to work-related issues, business ventures, and solutions to everyday problems. Here are Kuzma’s suggestions:
1. Record yourself talking about the subject of your book/business/solution idea.
When it is safe to do so, turn on the recording app in your mobile phone. Most mobile phones, even those which are not smartphones, have a recording function that you can use. Then, clear your head, pick a single topic about your idea and start talking about it. Record yourself discussing your idea, and when you’re done. Save the recorded file. Mr Kuzma has allotted five minutes of his time recording his thoughts about each book chapter, and now, the book is soon to be launched on Amazon. The idea behind this is to transform your ideas into something tangible. Once you record yourself talking about the idea for your book, business plan, etc., you have a tangible file you can always go back to. You can even create it while you’re stuck in traffic if writing works better for you. However, recording your voice will enable you to keep your hands free to drive when the light suddenly turns green.
2. Transcribe the recorded file.
If you’re writing a book or report, then this next step is a very crucial step of the process. When you finally have the time to sit down and work on your idea, open the recorded file and transcribe it. Edit out filler words and check for grammar and sentence construction. Now this transcribed file becomes a chapter or a part of a chapter of your book, and that’s a good start! On the other hand, if your idea is about a business venture, promotional gimmick, or a solution for work or home-related problems, you can choose to listen to your recording again to see if you’ve missed something, or you can also transcribe it to have your thoughts in written form.
3. Ask a friend or hire an editor to proofread or edit your book.
Of course, your book will need some revision before you can publish it. You can ask a friend to read your book, give you his or her comments about it. Also, you can hire an editor to proofread your book. You can go online and post an ad on Craigslist Manila or you can look for editors on sites like Fiverr, Elance, and Odesk. You can set the price for the editing job but the current rate is PHP100-PHP150 per page. The duration of this phase depends on how long your manuscript is. If you are trying to beat a deadline, you can inform your editor about it so he will deliver the edited manuscript on time.
4. Self-publish on Amazon.
Once your book has been proofread and edited, you can publish it as an e-book on Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing. Here’s how to do it:
– Create an account on Amazon.com. Log in to your account using Kindle Direct Publishing.
– Enter the necessary product details such as book title, short description, language used and search keywords
– Upload your book file (Uploading your book file may take a file as Amazon automatically converts it to Kindle-compatible formats. Also, books should be less than 50 MB.
– Preview your book and go back if you need to make changes.
– Choose which type of royalty will apply to your book: 35% or 70%
– Set the price of your book and Amazon will automatically match the price on other currencies.
– Once you have specified your price list, Amazon will then process your submission. It takes at least 12 hours for your book to show up on Amazon’s book listing.
5. Don’t be afraid to work on your ideas.
The work does not stop at recording your ideas. Remember that the rationale behind transforming your idea into something more tangible is for you to work on them. Your idea may seem bizarre, it may seem unusual, but be encouraged. Your stuck-in-traffic-birthed-idea might be the catalyst for the achievement of one of your life’s goals. Here is what Mr Kuzma has to say about using your driving/stuck-in-traffic time to record your ideas: “Get your tools in place before you start driving. Then, be encouraged. Whether it takes you three days, five days, ten days, or thirty days to produce that book, just get started. When you know you have taken five minutes and used it and produced something of quality, in your ‘wasted’time, you will feel really good about yourself. It’s such a good feeling to produce something of quality and to redeem some of the time that normally would have been wasted.” So the next time you’re stuck in traffic, switch on the recorder app on your phone, for you might just stumble on the greatest idea of your life!
Illustration by Neil Agonoy
MORE WAYS TO DEAL WITH TRAFFIC:
– Stuck in traffic? 6 ways to exercise your brain
– Stuck in traffic? Tell us a joke
– Stuck in traffic? Bring and train a pet
– Stuck in traffic? Sleep
– Stuck in traffic? 6 ways to give your car TLC
