Why you shouldn’t write a business book
There’s this story going around that every coach, speaker, expert or consultant should be writing a book. And for some of you it’s true, you should.
But it’s not for everyone, and here’s why.
Hold your hosses
Many people think that publishing a book is a great way to launch a business. And it can be, if the circumstances are right. But for most who are just starting out, it can hurt your chances of your book’s success.
When you’re launching your coaching or speaking career, you’re yet to build up the success studies which will enrich your book. Every book needs examples and stories to help it along. They make it memorable, meaningful and personal. If you don’t have enough of those yet, your book will be the poorer for it.
The exception to this rule is when your new business is built around successful work you’ve been doing for many years, but it’s only now you’re officially calling yourself an expert in your field. Or, if your book is based on your personal story, it might be that you have all you need. In either of these situations, your pre-existing experience may be enough to get you through.
Even then, your book would be more credible if it contained recent, real life evidence that what you do really has an effect.
Recently I chatted with a woman who was launching a coaching business, and one of the items to cross off her list in her first year was her book. When I asked her why, she said it was because she loved writing and it would give her credibility for her expertise. Both excellent reasons, apart from the fact that I could see that writing her book was going to be a massive distraction for her at that point. Because she knew she’d enjoy the writing, it was easier for her to plan to do that than to tackle all the other start-up tasks which were less familiar. So I advised her to wait, which I’m glad to say she is, and I’m excited to see how her book will pan out when it’s finally done.
Which brings me to the other reason for delaying your book until you have more experience. Is your coaching or training solution robust enough yet? Have you road tested it on enough clients to know it’s as good as it could be? We all learn more over time, so it’s worth giving yourself the chance to grow as a professional before you commit it all to a book.
It takes a lot of time and energy to write a book, which is why my clients love my coaching and ghostwriting help. As a start-up in your first year, you’re probably better off doing things like building your email list, generating word of mouth via social media, and networking.
How about this instead?
Write a regular, weekly blog. Without fail. That way, you’ll get your thoughts in order AND write the basis for your book at the same time.
Spend time considering your audience niche, clarifying the goals you have for your book, and keeping a note of any case studies and stories that will be great for it. This is so important. If you’re like me you’ll stumble across a gem of an example, and 24 hours later you’ll have forgotten it. So write it down and keep a record.
And finally …
Prepare yourself for the great day when it IS the right time for your book. Download my free guide: How to Stand Out as an Expert With Your Own Book. It will inspire you, as well as helping you to get ready for becoming a fabulous business author.
