Will 2010 be the year you decide to write a book to build your brand and establish yourself as the “go to” expert in your field? Now is the time to begin planning for your debut as a published author.
The benefits of writing a book in 2010
The benefits of writing a book continue to far outweigh the work that’s involved writing a book.
One of the very best books that address the benefits of writing a book is Mitchell Levy’s 42 Rules for Driving Success with Books. As the numerous case “real world” author case studies describe, writing a book continues to be the most predictable way you can take control of your future, building awareness for your business, pre-selling your competence, and opening doors of opportunity that might otherwise never be open to you.
A writing strategy based on a published book in 2010 provides a focus–or a hub–for all of your firm’s marketing and social marketing. At the same time, in the same way that teachers learn by teaching, writers learn by writing, as books like William Zinsser’s classic Writing to Learn: How to Write and Think Clearly About Any Topic describe.
The realities of writing a book in 2010
Book publishing is going through an era of exciting change and technological advance. The good news is that, in 2010, there are more options and opportunities for authors than ever before. Several trends are immediately obvious:
- New ways to get published. Book publishing is advancing beyond the “inventory model” which was based on large, up-front, investments in printing, distribution, and warehousing. Today, many authors and publishers are working together to leverage the economic advantages of smaller, more frequent print runs which lowers the barriers to non-celebrity authors writing for specific market segments.
- New respect for shorter, more focused books. Another change benefiting authors is the trend away from “omnibus” volumes that provide a textbook-like approach to a topic. Instead, readers are increasingly responding to shorter, highly-focused, relevant books that address specific reader problems. The 42-Rules series is an excellent example of this, as well as the growing THINKtweet! series which communicates inspiring perspectives in bite-sized, 140-character, chunks.
E-books, too, offer opportunities for authors to expand their reach among broader, more price-sensitive and convenience-oriented readers. Thanks to PDF’s and readers like Amazon’s Kindle, readers can get instant access to professionally-formatted and highly-readable information.
Although technology is changing the way books are written and distributed, the fundamentals remain the same.
Writing for reader change
One of the fundamentals of writing books to drive success is the importance of focusing on reader change. Unlike fiction books, which are purchased for escape, pleasure, and style, readers purchase nonfiction books for pragmatic reasons–to experience change.
- Problem solving. Often the change involves solving problems, like declining profit margins, employee turnover, or out-of-control expenses. Problems keep business owners awake at night; the next day, they search for books to help them solve the problem.
- Achieving goals. Business owners also turn to nonfiction books to achieve goals, like mastering social media marketing, preparing press releases, or learning how to maximize online marketing tools like FaceBook, YouTube, or LinkedIn.
Your book will succeed to the extent it addresses the changes and goals your readers desire. The need for focused actionable, relevant, and timely information has never been higher, and there never have been so many ways to address your reader’s needs and leverage your book to higher profits.
A word of caution, however…
In 2010, however, it’s not enough to just “write a book.” Today, more than ever, writing is just one of the 4 essential steps that define a successful publishing experience.
In the past, authors could just write a good book, and still enjoy success. Today, the current economy and rising reader expectations require more from an author. Success requires a balanced, 4-step approach:
- Planning. Today’s most successful authors recognize it’s “not about themselves” and the book they passionately want to write. Instead, it’s all about the readers, and the change that readers desire. That’s why success today begins with carefully identifying your book’s intended readers, the changes they desire, and the specific information they need to succeed.
- Writing. In today’s time-challenged environment, there’s more emphasis on brevity and conciseness than before. Readers want to go to the heart of the matter, and do a minimum of reading in order to extra a maximum of information. Authors who continue to write comprehensive (and expensive) “textbooks,” when readers want “sound byte” actionable solutions, are risking their future.
- Promotion. Promotion has always been an author responsibility, but never so much as today. Regardless of who publishes your book, it’s essential that you market your book as efficiently as possible. Luckily, although the stakes are higher, there are more low-cost, promotional opportunities available for authors than ever before.
- Profit. In the past, it was relatively easy for authors to support themselves on the basis of publisher’s advances and royalties from book sales. I know, because I did it! Today, it’s a different ball game. Today’s successful authors recognize the importance of identifying where the rewards of a book are going to come from before they begin writing.
To learn more
Visit Published & Profitable to learn more about today’s writing environment where you can dozens of pages of sample content and explore the hundreds of available resources. You’re also invited to download my free Write Your Way to Success 4-step handbook.
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