This is a an amusing and informative blog entry about book writing. Scott Berkun is a Microsoft refugee, a writer, a public speaker, and an entertaining and informative blogger.

I guess that depends — on several things. Why am I writing a book? How is it supposed to serve me? Am I planning to sell it or to give it away?

If you’re writing with the intention of selling the book to make money from it, your topic had better be one that will help readers deal with economic challenges in one way or another, or it is likely to fall low on the scale of discretionary expenditures. You might think about publishing in digital form only, to keep your costs down, while you test the waters.

If you’re writing to let people know what you do or know, and how it can help them, then get cracking and get that book out there! A book can be one of the least expensive ways to express your uniqueness to your clients, and lock out your competition. (I have a for-pay product to help you do this; click here for details.)

If it’s a memoir or family book, keep at it. You’ll find plenty of inexpensive ways to publish it on this website, and it may be just what your family and friends need to put the current situation in a larger perspective.