The Art of Co-Authorship

Co-authorship or not, there have been days when I stared at my computer trying to figure out what to do next. Sometimes, hours went by and I had to work on other projects while I waited for "IT" to come to "ME." That happens to authors all the time, though.

Co-authoring a book with someone else is a beautiful thing--especially when you find a great match. It is an ART worth exploring. We've all gone through school, as a kid or even as a college student, working with others on projects. Often, I worked with slackers or overachievers--representing both sides of the "work ethic" spectrum--you know . . . those who didn't lift a finger and didn't care OR those who took everything that was brainstormed with the group, shoved it in their bag, and came back the next day with a masterpiece that everyone slapped their name on in order to collectively receive an "A" grade.

Then, there are highly functional teams of workers and writers. Those who see eye to eye. Those who "get it." Those who are equally invested in writing, working hard, revising, editing, and marketing. Those who are creative enough to make it happen. Those who have either lived a similar story or felt the same story plotline within their bones at one time or another in their lives. Those who simply "gel."

When I met Rebecca Coda by a really cool grace of God (see the "About" page on our Dunk Tank website for "Our Story"), we worked on Escaping the School Leader's Dunk Tank and had a complete and powerful manuscript in about 8 weeks. We scratched our heads and wondered how we churned out such an intense manuscript in such a short amount of time. Then, it hit us: We just "clicked" because we knew about the same fuses and circuit breakers that were sewn in to our own stories and lives.

See, co-authoring isn't really about two writers who simply come together and generate a ping-pong back-and-forth chapter-by-chapter book agreement. It's about finding a writer who is just as passionate about your topic as you are. That's the art. It's about finding a fellow soldier who has either lived a story similar to yours or who believes and supports your story 100% and can enhance your work above and beyond your most creative chapter. It isn't about e-mailing or contacting an author or writer whom you think will make you famous if you latch on to their fame like a parasite; it is about creating your own legacy, from scratch, with a forecast or dreamcast that is intoxicating for both of you--one that pushes you to be the best that you can be. THAT is how co-authorship works and it isn't a secret, either. I invite you to start looking for your own soldier right now and begin writing the story that you both will become obsessed with.

Coming SOON from Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.: Escaping the School Leader's Dunk Tank: How to Prevail When Others Want to See You Drown. Get ready! This one is sure to knock your socks off no matter where you sit in education!