‘It might have been done before,
but it hasn’t been done by you!’
~ Elizabeth Gilbert, in ‘Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear’
Imagine: You, an expert in your field, armed with a finely honed purpose, a carefully-selected audience and a little bit of resolve, could single-handedly propel your career. Whether you’re an employee or business owner, publishing your own non-fiction book could be what your career has been missing for years.
You may even decide during the book planning process that it is time to change careers, establish your own consultancy, or change your business model completely. You can quietly write the book that will launch your new direction while you stay in the safety of your current role.
Here’s what publishing your own non-fiction book can do for you:
- The process of researching and writing your book, whether it is in your current field or a new direction, will add a stimulating project to your life, sharpen your intellect, awaken you to things you weren’t even aware that you didn’t know, and by default cause you to become an expert in your area. It may even be more effective than plugging away at a general degree because you think you should.
- Writing and researching a book gives you a perfect reason to connect with other experts across the globe, whose work you admire, and who you might like to quote or include in your book. Doors truly do open that way.
- Publishing a book will extend you through various steps, from the excitement of the idea to the interesting research, to the hard (but manageable) slog of synthesising knowledge through writing, to the creativity of design and layout. To hold the well-constructed and professionally designed end product in your hands is one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever have – and a great source of pride and kudos.
- Your book can be the start of a greater body of work that provides a gateway to greater numbers of people, by integrating your intellectual property into such things as various book series, online learning materials, live events, in-depth coaching, implementation, advanced training, teacher certification and more.
If you have a lifetime’s treasure of knowledge and experience, writing and self-publishing your own non-fiction book in your area of expertise may be just the thing you need, whether you are:
- in the early days of a new business or expanding
- looking for a way to leave a legacy and a footprint before or during retirement
- seeking a way to stay active in your industry, on boards and committees
- looking for a meaningful project in retirement
- looking for a transformative experience (because, believe me, writing a book is just that).
A conversation with a book coach is the perfect place to begin.
This is the first of a series of articles taken from the book, ‘Smart Women Publish – Write the book that expands your world’ by Bev Ryan. Each article in this series will present the key ideas in its 15 chapters, from what a book can do for you, through planning, writing, publishing and leveraging your published book.
Bev is a certified non-fiction book coach (including memoir with a message) and book production manager, working with accomplished individuals and small business owners as they write and self-publish their best books. Bev’s book is available here. Her low-cost book plus kick-starter coaching package is here.