The recent boom of interest in self-publishing has led to an explosion of books being created. While there are positives to this new market, it could also have negative impacts on book quality.
Writing a book can be a daunting, time-consuming task. However, it is one of the best things you can do and leave as a legacy. There are many benefits to writing a book. Writing helps you better understand your thoughts and who you are as an individual. It also allows you to contribute to the world by adding to the vast body of knowledge that already exists on the subject. One of the most common reasons people write books is to share experiences, teach lessons or inspire others.
That said, not every idea will make it into books. Some ideas and write-ups are best kept as blog posts and articles.
Blog posts and articles are the perfect media for publishing content on a given topic. Blog posts are a great way to share insights and tips for readers, while articles provide in-depth analysis of specific topics.
Sometimes these articles and blog posts serve a better and more timely need than if they were written in books.
As much as I advise people to write books, I also place a caveat that not everything can turn out as a book – or for that matter a great book.
This is because the task of writing a book has several pitfalls that need to be avoided. For example, some people don’t have the time or discipline to write a book. Others have an idea that isn’t likely to sell well in the market.
The first governing principle on writing books is the reason for the book. Now, it may seem like an obvious starting point, but many people forget about or neglect to consider it. If you don’t know what your book is about or what you want your readers to get out of reading it, then how can you expect them to buy and read your book?
That serves as a precursor for publishing. It informs the options of the right audience, the market and the specific need.
In my book-publishing classes, I always assert my belief that authors should clarify their reasons for writing a book before beginning the publishing process.
This will give them a clear vision of their goals and what they want to achieve. If they would like to write a book for profit, they can use this information when choosing how much time and effort to put into writing. For authors who are not looking for monetary gain, it helps to know if this is something they are willing to sacrifice their time, energy and money on.
It is clarity that will set the direction of the book-publishing project. People write for so many reasons – either to make money, inspire, educate or gain social status.
In a recent Facebook post by the Zimbabwean telecommunications mogul, Strive Masiyiwa – who also founded and presides over Econet in Zimbabwe, Canada and Zimbabwe respectively – he had this to say: “I wanted to reach people who don’t usually read books. I ended up reaching more than 100m according to Facebook!” He believes that a book would have limited him in reaching out to a large number of people.
Additionally, he didn’t want people paying for his content, he said: “I did not want people to pay for this material”. So he resorted to using Social Media as a means of sharing his content. He’s the go-to guy for entrepreneurs seeking to learn more in the field. He offers deep insights and openly engages with his audience on Facebook. I highly recommend every young entrepreneur follow his page on Social Media to learn more.
His ‘why’ was crystal clear, so he chose the appropriate channel that would help him achieve his goal.
There are some people just like Strive – experts in their various fields without a book in their name yet they share insightful, long post content on social media. Perhaps, they may write a book someday; something I always encourage them to do. However, for now, they believe the best medium to reach their audience is through their blog or social media posts. Take a look at the following people in my social media circle and get some insights from their content:
Selorm Branttie is an ICT Business Specialist; Raymond Ablorh is a Communications Specialist; Nana Kwame Snr. is a Chartered Banker and Entrepreneur; Big Godwin is an IT Entrepreneur; and Kojo Akoto Boateng is an Entrepreneur and Broadcast Journalist.
I have benefitted a lot from the content of these people.
So, for upcoming writers and authors be guided by your ‘why’, once you are convinced, then do it!
Remember that why you do what you do is more important than what you do.
The question is, is a book the best medium for you?
Think through again!
To conclude let’s look at some benefits of writing a book:
Increased Income: As technology makes advances, there are new ways to make money. One of these ways is through self-publishing an e-book on sites such as Amazon. When you self-publish a book you can earn up to 70% royalties per sale of the book. This is a great way to make money without having to go through the hassle of submitting your book-idea to traditional publishers. Your book may become a source of residual income. You write and publish it once, then its returns keep coming.
Increased Exposure: Some people think that writing a book is a waste of time, but in reality writing a book increases your exposure. This is especially true for authors who are just starting out. The more books you write, the more people you reach. As people read your books, they will often be interested in finding out more about you and your other work. So, if you have been considering writing a book, don’t hesitate. I remember how my first book got me to host a radio show in Accra, Ghana.
Increased Speaking gigs: Another benefit of writing a book is that it can also lead to opportunities to speak at events, which can be great for your personal brand! If you get published, speaking opportunities will become available. For example, a client of mine was published and she now gets invitations to speak at events on the subject of her book – which has become another stream of income for her.
Increased authority: Writing a book helps you establish your authority in your niche. It can help make you an expert in your field and establish you as the go-to person for information on that topic. It can also provide an ongoing source of revenue to earn passive income, or it may enable you to start a new business. You can get my book ‘On becoming an Authority’ to learn about the strategies of using a book to establish your authority.
Now, are you ready to get published?
If you are ready to write, hey, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I would be glad to help you get started.
The best is yours!
Bernard is an Author, Speaker and Corporate Trainer; Africa’s foremost authority on Personal Branding and Digital Book Publishing; An Amazon bestselling author of over 50 published books. As a speaker & trainer he has been known to simplify complex ideas about branding and life, and present them to audiences in clear, actionable steps.
He has over a decade’s experience in digital publishing and has globally consulted for entrepreneurs, pastors, and people like you to write books and build brands. He hosts the number-one ranked Career & Business Podcast in Ghana. Bernard is a brand strategist at BKC consulting and runs the monthly Branding & Publishing Masterclass. visit www.BKC.name
