I’m proud to host Candice L. Davis as a guest blogger here on Love People + Make Money. Candice has spoken at my content marketing event and at Beachpreneurs Beach Camp in the last couple of years and never fails to inspire action in the audience.
Lately, it might seem like everyone you know has written a book. But I can promise you that’s not the case.
With the rise of self-publishing (thanks largely to Amazon), lots of business owners have recognized the value of becoming authors.
Unfortunately, many people who want to grow their business by writing a book haven’t done it yet. They (and maybe you) are missing out on some amazing advantages.
Everyone has a story worth telling and knowledge worth sharing.
For business owners, putting those stories or that knowledge in a book can take your business to new levels.
It’s not too late to write the book that becomes a platform for your business.
By becoming an author, you can:
- Get recognized as the expert—because author still equals authority.
- Speak on bigger stages and/or get paid to speak.
- Land media appearances.
- Leave people with more than notes to remember you by after a talk or workshop.
- Create a new income stream with book sales.
- Develop a product or program based on your book.
- Make the book an exclusive benefit of your course, challenge, or program. (Kelly McCausey does this brilliantly in her Stretch Yourself Challenge.)
- Create a lead magnet people pay you to get.
- Get your not-yet-ideal clients ready to work with you or buy your products.
- And get better at what you do by honing your processes, philosophies, and ideas.
But you probably already know all that.
So why aren’t you an author yet?
The #1 reason most business owners give for not writing a book: A lack of time.
That might be true, but let’s face it. We make time for the things that matter to us. As real as it may be, a lack of time is usually an excuse.
Being “too busy” means never having to take on the challenge. Being busy lets you avoid the possibility of failing.
I get it. Avoiding a project like writing a book is totally understandable. It can be a scary task to take on for a lot of reasons—all of which are valid. And all of which can be overcome.
Maybe you had a bad experience with your ninth-grade English teacher.
Maybe you don’t think you have enough to say to fill a book.
Or maybe you just don’t think of yourself as a writer.
The good news: You don’t have to be a great writer to become a successful author.
3 Easy Ways to Become an Author without Writing 30,000 Words
You can become a successful author without spending months or years hunched over your keyboard. Here’s how.
1. Hire a ghostwriter. Many expert writers would be glad to write your book for you or with you. If you want your book to represent you to the world, there’ll need to be some of you in it. Your stories, your ideas, your philosophies, your case studies—they’re a large part of what sets your book apart in a crowded field. Work with a ghostwriter who’s willing to interview you and capture your voice on the page.
2. Dictate your book. As someone who loves the physical act of writing, dictating has never been my favorite way to write. But several of my clients have dictated whole books. These experts know their stuff, but they prefer to do live video, record podcast episodes, or speak from the stage. They have no desire to write. But get them started talking, and it’s hard to get them to stop. (That’s a good thing.)
Lay a solid foundation for your book before you start recording. Do a little research and see what other books in your category cover. Understand who will want to buy your book. Draft an outline. And finally, create a series of questions for each chapter so you can interview yourself—or have a friend interview you—to draft the content. The transcripts will, of course, be a rough draft of your manuscript, but if you’re a talker, dictating can be a great way to write your book.
3. Participate in a collaborative book. When you’re one of ten or twenty authors in a book, you carry much less weight on your shoulders. You may only have to write 10 to 20 pages instead of 100 to 200 pages. As a contributing author, you still get that author cred, and you can use the book as a tool to reach a new audience and achieve your business goals.
When the collaborative book is well managed, the editor or project manager makes it easy for you to participate. They choose the theme and help you get your chapter ready to publish. And they take care of the cover design, interior layout, copy editing, and more. It’s a win for everyone involved, including your readers who get a wide variety of experts in one book.
(Note from Kelly: I have a collaborative book project going on right now!)
Don’t Try to Write Your Book Alone
No matter which path you take to write your business-building book, don’t try to go it alone. Consider hiring an author coach to help you create a solid plan and outline for your book. Someone who will give you feedback on some or all of your content is ideal. Or find a course or program that walks you through the process, step by step.
Finally, budget for and invest in a copy editor. Even the most brilliant writer needs an expert set of eyes to catch typos, inconsistencies, and errors. A great copy editor will bring out the best in your writing.
Becoming an author is still one of the very best ways to become the go-to expert in your niche, get visibility, connect with new audiences, and attract new clients. Hiring a ghostwriter, dictating your book, or participating in a collaborative book are all easier ways to reap those rewards.
About Candice
Author Coach Candice L Davis believes everyone has a story worth telling and knowledge someone else needs. It’s her mission to help entrepreneurs capture their brilliance in books that help them grow their businesses.
With almost 20 years of experience in the publishing industry, Candice has ghostwritten, edited, and coached clients to write dozens of books. Connect with her on Instagram or Facebook. Or join Short Books: Big Results, her step-by-step group coaching program to write your business-building book.