I’m constantly asked this question. You see it often on the NSA Facebook page. This post is geared more towards newer speakers. People just starting out in speaking asking for advice about a book – should they do one, do they need one and will it propel my speaking business? Answer – yes, not now and maybe. Shall I expand??
Too often well-meaning people advise newbies to quickly write a book so they have something to build their business around, and so that they have product right away. I think it’s a horrible idea!
I feel you need to live with your material, your expertise for a while before writing a book. What you should seek to do right away is start writing a blog. That is a way to get your intellectual property to the marketplace small pieces at a time. The magic of being effective on social media is to have great information to put out. Blog posts allow you to do just that.
As you grow your business and get more and more platform time with your expertise you will have stories, examples and a deeper understanding of your topic. That is what you need to have in order to be ready to write a book.
Writing a book can be a daunting project! I’m reminded of the saying “How do you eat an elephant? One bite a time”! The same can be said of writing a book. Write it one blog post at a time! Blog posts that are 500 to 800 works can be expanded with examples and stories from your clients. Then you have more than a post. You have a chapter!
So concentrate on getting a content rich blog established. Not a book. There is plenty of time to write a book, and the book will be a better product if you live a while with our expertise!
The next decision you need to make is to seek out a publisher or self-publish. I always ask clients “What is it that you want to accomplish with a book?” Simply put, if it’s for exposure, you may want to see a publishing house. Not an easy prospect at all. If your answer is to gain exposure and make money, consider self-publishing. Your clients could care less who published your book as long as it is helpful to them!
There are lots of decisions that need to be made as you grow your business. Writing a book makes sense later than sooner to me.
What do you think?
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Copyright 2014, Lois Creamer. Lois works with professional speakers who want to book more business, make more money and avoid costly mistakes! She can be reached in the following ways:
Lois@BookMoreBusiness.com
Twitter: @loiscreamer
Phone: 314.822.8225
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Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/loiscreamer
For more information on Lois’ business check out http://www.bookmorebusiness.com as well as http://www.bookmorebusiness.tv
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