There are really two separate sets of reasons for writing a book. One set has to do with having a book:
- As a product to sell or give away
- To credentialize you to your clients and prospects
- As a kind of brochure or business card that is relatively inexpensive and won’t get thrown away
The other has to do with the fruits of the book-writing process, whether or not an actual book results from it:
- In the first stages of creating your book, you are forced to structure your expertise. You know a lot, but it may not be well-organized. When you create the structure of your book (in Joel’s BookProgram, structure must precede content), you find out what all the big pieces and the little pieces are, and how they fit together. You may learn that you have several discrete areas of expertise, that can become sources of products and services you never thought of.
- The chapters of your book can become separate products–ebooks; reports; courses; and so on. You can read them, or have them read, and record the reading. You can append them to video recordings.
- You can create a course around the whole book, with text, video, and audio. Use a service like Prfessor.com ($50/month) or build around a WordPress installation using the Wishlist Member plug-in ($97 for the plug-in).
So–consider writing a book, even if you don’t care about having a book.
Questions? Write me.
