Search for advice about sales, marketing, growing a business, or even installing new windows and almost certainly one of the hits on Google’s first page will be a book on the subject written by an expert. At that point, you might check it out, peruse the reviews, read some sample pages, and possibly purchase the book. If the book tells you what you need to know and the author comes across as an expert, you might reach out to them for more advice, or hire them to assist you in your business, or with a project.
Why? The author established themselves as an expert on the topic and, in your eyes, became a credible authority. You gained a level of trust in them, far greater than if you had simply looked at their paper credentials. Everyone has a degree, but how many can write a book? An MBA proves someone attended classes, but a book demonstrates they know how to put what they learned into practice.
A book confers status better than just about anything else. Authors get invited to talk at conferences, they are interviewed by the media and called upon by anyone looking for expert advice.
I have a client who refers to his book on setting up professional corporations, as a $50 business card. Since becoming an author, he has been invited to write for Huffington Post, speaks at dozens of conferences a year and has seen his business grow beyond his wildest dreams. His books have made him an industry expert – the go-to guy in his field.
In many ways, a book is a subtle sales pitch. It outlines your theories, opinions, and general expertise on whatever you are writing about. It implies you know more than is in the book, potentially far more valuable stuff and what’s more, you can help the reader implement the strategies you expound.
People are drawn to experts. It’s a trust issue as much as anything – a book makes you a known entity. Plus, books confer celebrity status. For instance, I once wrote a book about a small city, it was certainly not high-profile, nor full of ground-breaking advice like some of my other titles. However, a year or so later I attended an open house in the city and the realtor’s assistant offered me a copy of my book. I smiled and said that I already had copies as I was the author. You would have thought that I’d just said I was Bono – I was immediately treated like a celebrity and asked to sign copies of the book, one especially dedicated to the young assistant.
Being the author of a book can be a powerful thing – it can catapult you to new heights within your industry and help grow your business and personal notoriety like nothing else.
If you’re thinking, I don’t have time, or I’m not a writer, don’t let that stop you. You can use the services of a ghostwriter like me who will help you conceptualize, structure and write your book.
Contact me and I’ll show you how easy it is to become an expert author.
Yes, yes, yes! This idea that writing a book can take your career or profession to the next level needs to be shouted from the rooftops. Maybe one of us should write a book about the benefits of writing a book. . . .