I have several prospective clients who contact me from time to time saying they want to write a book. At least three of these people first contacted me over five years ago. So far, they are still “getting ready” to write their books. Maybe you, too, are still getting ready to write your book.
Like you, these are all successful people – coaches and speakers – who have both a need and a built-in market for their book. It’s not something they might need in the future; it’s something that could have been working for them over the past few years.
So why aren’t they ready to write a book?
1. They’re busy people, so maybe it’s understandable. Until I think about my clients who have completed their books – every one of them is busy, too, and in basically the same business – speaking, coaching, and training. And how many people are too busy for five years straight?
2. They are moving along well enough without having a book of their own. I do understand this one. Their business is at a level that meets their needs. They’re not scrambling to get clients; they are comfortable. They’re also not motivated to take their business to the next level. Until something stirs them to change up their business, there’s no real reason to write a book.
Nobody Calculates the Opportunity Costs
I don’t know what not having a book has cost them. People tend to ignore opportunity costs. How many more clients could they have attracted, how many more speaking engagements could they have had, how much more money would they have made if they had their book done and published? It is money they never had so they don’t miss it. And, if they really thought about opportunity costs, they probably wouldn’t want to do the math – it would hurt too much.
Writing your book is a large project that takes true commitment of time and effort. If you’re not a writer, either as a pro or hobbyist, you need to have a strong motivating factor to push you through writing your book. Most of my clients have a combination of two motivating factors: a calling to share their story so they can help others and a strong desire to up-level their business. Writing your book signals a new, higher level of commitment to your business. It also signals a confidence in yourself: you have something important to share.
So, Do You Have Something to Share?
And maybe that’s the biggest deterrent to writing a book. Deep down, you don’t feel like you have anything of value to share, anything “book-worthy.” I suspect that is the problem for those prospective clients who contact me every few months about writing a book. They may never be ready. Their business will stay at the same level it’s always been until they give up and close shop.
That’s a shame because they do have knowledge and experience to share. They do help people.
The coaching and training industry is all about helping people overcome their limitations and barriers. That’s why it is so ironic that all too often we are our own stopping point; we create our own obstacles and barriers. It’s time to apply a little of what we give to our clients to ourselves. If you have knowledge that can help others, then yes, you do indeed have something worth writing about. More importantly, because you have walked your own path, you have unique experiences that you bring to the table, a perspective no one else has. It’s time to lift those barriers and limitations and move up to the next level of your calling.
It’s Time to Write Your Book
If you’ve been on the fence about writing your book, let’s talk. Set up a one hour Strategy Session and find out how to get started.
