From Ponds to Pages: Tips on How to Write a Book

Writing my first book was an adventure filled with challenges, revelations and personal growth. As a solopreneur for decades, I understand the struggles of finding certainty and the right opportunities in life. My new water-feature business book, Pond Passion to Profit, aims to provide significance to others in the water-feature industry and people in the landscape industry who want to profit from garden water features.

Starting with a vision

My book-writing process all began six years ago at an airport. I delved deep into my motivations for wanting to write a book. Ultimately, I wanted to prove to the world that I was not unintelligent. Despite being dyslexic and having ADHD, I believe that these perceived weaknesses can be excellent for the right people. In fact, they have come to be two of my greatest strengths. I can concentrate with fanatical focus when needed, forgetting everything that could distract me from my goal. As humans, we can only ever have three things on our actual to-do list — but sometimes I struggle to decide where to direct my focus.

This book would allow me to channel my energy into a specific goal despite my challenges. Writing down the words and spending time to boil down the experiences has helped me break down the business of water features. It’s very easy-to-understand in these segments: branding, marketing, customer relationships, project management and personal and professional growth.

Chapter-by-chapter preview

In the first chapter, “The Pond Professional’s Mindset,” I emphasize the importance of adopting a resilient mindset and cultivating performance, passion and purpose as a pond professional. Overcoming doubts and fears is highlighted as a crucial aspect of this mindset. The ultimate benefit is gaining the mental tools necessary to approach the business with confidence and clarity.

Next, in “Unlocking Your Peak Performance,” I explain how we are dedicated to honing our technical skills and ensuring top-notch project delivery. We are committed to utilizing efficient and robust methods. We constantly strive to raise and maintain exceptional standards. “Understanding Your Passion” centers on the fact that your passion lies in creating stunning and sustainable water features through thoughtful design and construction. You will find great personal satisfaction and joy in crafting beautiful projects that enhance your surroundings.

Creating a sustainable environment through ecofriendly initiatives, community well-being and local ecosystem protection is the main theme of “Driving into Purpose.” Seek to establish a lasting legacy that embodies personal and professional values. “Intersection of Performance, Passion and Purpose (Success)” centers on striving to build a fulfilling and successful career by bringing innovative and impactful projects to fruition. Work toward ensuring the long-term sustainability of your business and personal growth.

I go on to explain the pond industry as I know it and how to build with excellence. To fully grasp the pond industry, it is essential to be mindful of market trends and opportunities. Sustainability and ecofriendly practices are pivotal in this industry, so aligning your practices with current environmental standards is essential. By identifying and implementing such practices, you can contribute to environmental conservation and uncover profitable opportunities within the industry.

I emphasize core elements such as site analysis, design consultation, technical skills and project execution, while highlighting the significance of balancing artistry with practicality to create beautiful and sustainable projects. The overall benefit is to enhance technical and creative skills to elevate the quality of work in this field.

Building a business than matters

The book provides valuable insights into developing a unique personal brand that captures attention. You will also discover effective digital marketing and social media strategies to elevate brand visibility and drive business growth through meaningful customer interactions.

Understanding how to manage finances is crucial for any business. I learned the importance of pricing services for profit and diversifying revenue streams through complementary services and strategic collaborations. The real profit optimizes pricing models and explores additional income avenues to ensure financial robustness. Recognizing the need to manage finances effectively has been instrumental in sustaining and growing my business.

The end goal is to build a business that matters. This involves impacting your community and supporting local ecosystems. By aligning your business practices with your values, you can create a legacy reflecting your commitment to positively impacting. This approach ensures that your business contributes meaningfully to the community and the planet, promoting sustainability and social responsibility.

Lessons on how to write a book

Writing the book was not without its share of learning experiences.

Navigating the writing process with dyslexia and ADHD required innovative solutions. I used multiple tools to help me dictate and transcribe my thoughts. Text-to-speech software was invaluable in reading my manuscript back to me. These methods were crucial in achieving my writing goal of producing my book in 2024. Without the support of my team, I might not have continued pursuing this book-writing goal.

Using dictation software built into my notes section on my iPhone allowed me to express my thoughts quickly. I was not worried about the spelling or grammar to start with. I also used a couple of different software packages to help me process conversations and Zoom calls. The text-to-speech tools on the iPhone enabled me to review my work by listening to it. This helped me catch errors and refine my writing. Additionally, tools like Grammarly improved the grammar and readability of my manuscript, ensuring a professional finish.

An AI discovery

While writing my book, I did not want it to be solely about me; however, I wanted to include real-life examples from my experiences and find the facts to back up my claims. At one point, I faced a significant challenge with writer’s block while trying to identify aquatic entrepreneurs who had capitalized on specific market trends to grow their water feature businesses. I know thousands of entrepreneurs in this space, but I struggled to find suitable examples that fit the criteria. Feeling isolated and stuck, I turned to artificial intelligence, or ChatGPT for help.

I entered the prompt, “Who are some entrepreneurs who capitalized on specific market trends to grow their pond business?” To my surprise and delight, ChatGPT came up with a list of five entrepreneurs — including me! Initially, I questioned this inclusion, thinking my search history might have influenced the results. However, it turned out to be a genuine recognition of my contributions to the industry. The recognition meant a lot to me, as the industry sometimes feels lonely, with many people and companies striving to get noticed. This acknowledgement validated my efforts and reinforced the impact of my work.

Realizing that my passion, dedication and knowledge were inspiring others and driving forward creative solutions was a breakthrough moment. It highlighted the importance of continuing the journey of building communities, pushing boundaries and creating meaningful advancements. Although this section didn’t make the final edit of the book in this form, the experience helped me overcome my self-doubt. It reminded me why my voice and experiences matter and why writing this book was necessary.

This experience exemplified how technology can provide practical assistance and, more importantly, emotional and professional validation. It empowered me to continue sharing my journey and expertise, knowing my work was recognized and valued.

Practical tips on how to write a book

If you’re interested in writing your own book, start by structuring an overview of your work. Then, break down the structure into parts, chapters and sections. Outline the main topics and key points that you want to cover. Your book outline will give you a clear road map and make the writing process much more manageable.

Remember, the book is for your readers. Focus on them, identifying their pain points, questions and needs. Tailor your content to guide them from point A to point B, providing actionable insights they can implement.

Find a realistic writing schedule that works for you and suits your needs. While some writers benefit and prefer writing a little every day. I discovered that dedicating entire days to writing worked better for me. A full day allowed me to fully immerse myself in the writing process as I found myself repeating myself or going over the same ground, forgetting I had said or mentioned the point before.

My goal was to write 12 chapters and complete it within 12 weeks. I planned to write a chapter a week with the help of one of my mentors. The whole publishing team agreed in early February that my 12-week period would be extended until mid-May, with a planned break in mid-March for our company’s big in-person event, Aquatic Art Live.

After the 12-week timeframe, I allowed for a couple of additional weeks to complete the first draft, write an introduction and conclusion and conduct a thorough, complete reread with my book-writing mentor. This was before handing the manuscript over to my book editor. The editing process required an additional two weeks. We reviewed the final draft with the editor’s comments. I rewrote a few sections and moved stuff around as suggested to flow better. Once I finished, the manuscript needed to be formatted for digital publication. I had to sign off before I could get my hands on the first writer’s copy. It was at this point that my book truly began to feel real.

Dictation software can help you express your thoughts quickly; transcription software can process Zoom calls and videos. I used text-to-speech tools to read my manuscript back to myself. This helped me catch errors and refine my writing and language. Tools like Grammarly can help improve grammar and readability.

Consider what legacy you want to leave through your work. It’s now about creating a sustainable, impactful business that supports my passion for projects and my desire to learn about fresh water. Your business legacy involves recognizing the need for a business manager (or carving out the time to put that hat on) to handle business aspects, working on your business instead of in the hole. If you want to be in the hole, it’s fantastic, and you can create the ideal role for yourself; however, you need to join forces with an agent or manager to focus on their areas of expertise and passion while ensuring fair compensation.

The power of connection

My book offers more than practical advice; it provides a platform for connection. I wanted to do something very different with my book for people trying to buy a physical copy. I will ethically bribe my readers who wish to support and the chance to purchase merchandise with a signed copy of the book. Within this group, you will also get instant access to the images and videos I have and will create to help people who want to change the world.

These group members will also be the first to get access to the audio version of my book and join a Facebook group and a book club for connection and support. In this group, my book readers can ask questions and receive extra assistance from me, providing the most significant impact for the people who take the time to do the work, experience personal growth and make a positive impact through their legacy contribution.

The Facebook book club mentioned that it lets readers connect, ask questions, and receive extra assistance. This community support can be a game changer for a solopreneur seeking prosperity and fulfilment in the water-feature industry. The power of these groups is impressive, and everyone has a common goal of making a profit from garden water features.

A transformative journey

Overall, writing this book has been a transformative journey. It taught me the value of getting people’s attention, collaboration, the secret to writing and getting stuff done fast, the importance of embracing my unique strengths, and the necessity of staying true to myself. By sharing my experiences, I aim to inspire other solopreneurs to pursue their passions, overcome challenges and build businesses that bring joy and fulfilment, whether you’re a single-person operation, an owner-operator with help, an employed landscaper who feels stuck or someone who loves aquatic gardening.

If you have always wanted to feel the thrill of starting your own business but have found yourself anticipating the entrepreneurial adventure for too long, this book could change your life. Use it as a guidebook for constructing sustainable, impactful water features and achieving your financial potential. Everything starts with a ripple!

If this article has inspired you, I would like to invite you on a journey. But first, grab a copy of the book to understand better where you want to end up. Let’s build something remarkable together!

About the Author

From a very early age, Mark M.J. Wilson was fascinated by the aquatic world and knew that it would eventually become his life’s work. Through his academic training and varied commercial experience, M.J. has built up a unique knowledge of aquatic design and husbandry, which, combined with his artistic flair, enables the construction of garden designs that work in the real world.