How
can a writer change the world?
It’s
a big question. It’s one that many
writers may have asked themselves. Have
any found an answer?
A
lot of writers simply write because they feel drawn to crafting something,
using words and/or images to create a book that not only the writer enjoyed
penning, but that the readers will enjoy reading. Others write out of ego, dreams of fame, and
pride. Some writers hope to win the
lottery and get rich off of their books.
How many write books with an intention to change the world?
Deep
down, I think a lot of readers want to change the world, influence lives, or
contribute to a better life for many.
Some writers hope they can at least turn one reader’s life around and
inspire that person to greater heights.
Writers want to create a world that they’d like to live in and at a
minimum, their writing helps them transform their own mindsets, and frees them
to live through their words.
What
is the best way to change the world with a book?
Does one write fiction, non-fiction, poetry,
short story, essay, a children’s book, a photography book or some other format or
genre to expedite such a change?
Should
the book come in certain format – audiobook, vook, eBook, trade paper,
hardcover, mass market – or all of them?
Does it need to be translated into
multiple languages in order to impact a planet of 200 nations and 7.3 billion
people?
Should
the book be given away or should the proceeds from its sale be donated to a
particular cause?
Do
you need to enlist someone with a big social media following or status to
endorse you and open doors to the public at large for your book?
Should
you write a book and then hope people read it, spread word-of-mouth praise, and
watch the book take off in a grassroots effort?
Or do you first do something – accomplish something major – and then
hope to parlay your fame into getting people to adopt your book?
Is
it ethical if someone pulls of a hoax and writes a book filled with lies if
that very book somehow helps people to change the world in a major, positive
way?
Authors
try to write what they know. Their work
comes from a place of knowing, believing or experiencing. Writers are inspired by who they know, their
past, their environment, their fears, their desires, and dozens of other
factors. But they can’t write what they
don’t know, what they haven’t seen or felt, what they didn’t even believe was
possible. Writers are humans and limited
by the laws of nature, the courts, and science in their conceptualization of
what is or of what could be. They are limited by the time in history that they
exist.
What
would it take for a writer to write a great book that brings about a revolution
either in action, thought, or spirit?
Some authors have certainly found ways to influence millions of people,
as well as other writers and leaders, but even the most successful ones have
been limited in their ability to reach and impact everyone.
Does this mean that whatever an author
writes, in order to truly be influential, he or she will need a massive
publicity and marketing campaign to get the job done? Of course, but most writers don’t want to
spend time promoting a book. They’d
rather keep writing.
I guess a real book-centric movement would eventually take off on its own, where an author’s
disciples take up the job of spreading the word to others.
Many
books tackle singular topics – love, peace, wealth, humor, beauty – but few
seek to tie every aspect of life together so that we find a way to give life
meaning, a purpose to our existence, and a means to live a rewarding life. Even that formula is limited – it sounds
self-helpish. How do we write a book
that changes minds, influences hearts, and leads other to real action that
makes the world better and people’s live more fulfilled?
Maybe
the world simply can’t be changed by a book.
The world is very tribal. No
matter what some book says, 1.5 billion Muslims or 1 billion Christians will
live in accordance with their faith.
Their book of importance is either the Koran or The New Testament.
In
other cases, it’s hard to unite a world that is divided by many things. For people who lack running water, how could
they understand or appreciate people in America who waste more resources than
others could ever hope to attain? For
educated youth of the West, how can they relate to impoverished African
communities where disease, violence, and nature scheme against its residents?
This
isn’t to say different people and places can’t find common ground, but you can
see just how difficult it is to get people of different circumstances,
knowledge, resources, histories, and needs on the same page.
Even
if you write a book that influences one billion people, you still missed more
than 85% of the world.
And even if you
have the whole world united behind your book, for it to last, we’d need to make
sure the next generation adopts it. It’s
a never-ending process to get people to buy into something – and then to
continually resell it to them and for them to hand it down to their progeny.
Where
do some books go wrong in their attempt to change the world?
1.
They
are too ambitious or they don’t shoot high enough.
2.
They
propose simplistic or unrealistic measures.
3.
They
present an interesting idea but fail to give substantive how-to-implement
details.
4.
They
fail to take into account the built-in prejudice or opposition to what is being
suggested in their book.
5.
They
fail to write clearly and concisely, and instead ramble on, almost
incoherently, to the point people can’t fully focus on a tangible solution.
6.
The
book will seek to change so many things that too many readers feel challenged or
threatened by it. We want things to
change for the better – but for it to not cost us anything.
7.
Readers
think the change proposed is for other people to adopt and not really for
themselves.\
8.
Some
books are misunderstood and misinterpreted.\
9.
Some
great books get dismissed because something negative about the writer is
revealed, thus undermining the world.
10.
Some
books conflict with one’s core beliefs, such as religious ones, and thus, won’t
be explored by all.
So,
even if we get through the numerous barriers of why or how a book can or can’t
impact everyone – and we get past the fact that not everyone reads and that not
everyone has access to the same book or even to a digital device to download it
for free – let’s explore what kind of writer one would need to be to pull this
off.
1.
What
type of education or training would be required of a writer who can change the
world?
2.
What
kind of experiences would he or she need to have to not only be an informed
writer but one who is viewed as worldly?
3.
Would
the writer need some type of credential or professional position or title to
give people a feeling the author is qualified to write such a book?
4.
Would
the writer need to be neutral on so many issues, so as not to alienate or
offend anyone?
5.
What
if a writer had one bad or questionable experience, perhaps an indiscretion as
a youth, or social media caught him doing or saying something inappropriate one
drunken night? Would the writer have to live a perfect past or risk being seen as illegitimate?
6.
What
if the writer has a negative lineage, like his dad was in the KKK or his mother
was a prostitute or an uncle is in jail? Would things the writer didn’t even
do be enough to dismiss him?
Ok,
you see what this sounds like, right? A
litmus test to be the president of the country.
There are no saints or superheroes that can serve a political office or
write a world-saving book. Such people are as fictional as a fairy tale. So will people accept a less than ideal
author to be the one to transform their lives, alter their thinking, make great
sacrifices, and act in a revolutionary way?
Maybe
we ask for too much. Maybe the world
can’t be changed by one book or one writer.
Perhaps it takes many books by many writers to bring about a new
world. Or maybe our greatest truth won’t
come from a book authored by a human. Could it be that it will be a computer,
stacked with the best artificial intelligence, that will create the book that
inspires humans how to live and coexist with one another?
Ok,
so we’ve discussed many issues that could impact the world’s ability to embrace
a single book that changes it on a grand and possibly permanent scale, including book distribution, format, genre, language barriers, tech accessibility,
literacy, affordability, writer credentials, etc. Now let’s tackle the main event – what will
this book say that its readers will come to forever see the world in a new
light?
·
What
will the content focus on?
·
How
will it be presented?
·
How
long will it be?
·
Will
the book tell stories or merely provide facts?
·
Will
the book raise questions and present ideas, but not demand actionable steps?
So
many questions. I can’t presume to know
the answers about an unwritten book by a non-specific author who may or may
not be human. I would guess that a book, in order to have great influence would
need to be written for all people, which means, taking a book and then
rewriting it to fit the norms and needs of its readers. Have a book for Americans – then customize it
for Russia, both in language, its references, and its voice. Further, create a teen version, a children’s
book, and one that appeals to different age groups. Just the way corporation’s customize an ad or
product to fit the customs of various age levels, regions, or other
demographics, a book that wants to change the world will need to change with
the crowd it runs with.
Would
a history-book approach work? How about
a book of humor? Maybe a true-crime tale
or an erotic fantasy? Could a
photography book or a spiritual self-help manual do the trick? Yes, to all of the above. Take a great work and reinterpret it through
all media and genres. Find a means to
reach people’s hearts, minds, and wallets.
Use whatever format, genre, or writing style that will work for each
faction of people. The way to be on the
same page is to have people read the same book – but to present it in a variety
of ways.
I
know of only one book this is done with: The Bible.
The
Bible has been revised and presented in numerous ways over the years, as people
look to find friendly ways to feed the core teachings of The Good Book to all
people. But even those attempts have
fallen short. The world is divided and
in trouble. All is not well.
So
what book will change the world, who will write it, how will it be published
and distributed, and how can we get everyone to rally around a united approach?
Someone should write a book about writing the ideal book. I’d read it.
Would you?
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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and
ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You
can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him
at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the
third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketing
