17 Ways a Book Can Sink Your Credibility
I met with a small business owner this past weekend and she said it seemed like everyone was writing a book for their business right now. I laughed and reminded her that ten or so years ago, it seemed like everyone was writing a book for their business. “These people are late to the party.” But that’s not necessarily bad news.
I was around for the first wave of business people writing books as “the new business card” and saw first-hand a lot of poorly produced books. Writing a book is an accomplishment, for sure, but many of the books that have been published as credibility builders have had the opposite effect. As a book coach, I have written extensively on how writing a book can help you and your business.
Now it’s time to look at the dark side: How a book can destroy your credibility. (Cue: Evil laugh.)
Surface-Level Problems (First Impressions Matter)
1. The physical quality of the book
Low-quality paper, poor binding, or obvious print-on-demand issues can make your book feel cheap and amateurish, even before someone opens it. Fortunately, print on demand has improved over the years and you can choose better quality paper and cover material than in the past. It makes a difference. And some POD platforms are better than others.
2. Cover design
Your cover sells the book. The cover catches someone’s eye, whether it is online, in a bookstore, or across an expo aisle. Simple as it sounds, your cover should fit your genre. An acquaintance recently wrote a memoir with a dash of self-help and the cover screams “thriller.” Actually, dark thriller. They are publicly complaining about the lack of sales. (Never publicly complain about sales. Seriously.) The cover is just the tip of the iceberg for that particular book.
A badly designed and/or cluttered cover doesn’t just signal “DIY.” It conveys the message that the author didn’t care enough to invest in a professional cover or couldn’t—bad when you’re trying to convince people you can show them how to be successful.
3. Formatting
Too many or inconsistent fonts, bad spacing, odd margins, or layout issues can make reading difficult and distract from your message. Widows and orphans (a single line or word at the top or bottom of a page, separated from a paragraph) are one of the most basic and easily avoided mistakes. And yet…
In nonfiction books, bullet points or numbered lists, charts and other graphics, break up the text and make for easier reading. Professional formatting takes into account the value of white space.
4. Printing errors (often out of your control, but still noticed)
Smudges, cut-off text, or misaligned pages can damage credibility, even if the author isn’t directly responsible. In addition, books are often damaged in shipping. Again, this is not your fault, but it takes away from the reader experience. If you’re ordering books in bulk for events, most of the POD printers will replace books that are badly printed or damaged in shipping. But you want to order your books early enough to receive replacements or have stock on hand.
Mechanical Mistakes (Red Flags for Carelessness)
5. Poor spelling, grammar, and typos
Frequent mistakes suggest a lack of attention to detail and can quickly undermine your authority. (That’s a nice way of saying poor spelling and grammar make you look stupid.) There are typos in every book, self-published or traditional. I have found typos in books published by the “Big Five” publishers that have been edited to within an inch of their lives. It’s the nature of the beast. The idea is to find and fix as many as possible. Your brain corrects as it goes along, filling in missing words or glossing over a hear that should be a here. Spellcheck only catches so much. We all need a good proofreader.
6. Poor or nonexistent editing
A lack of developmental or line editing can result in clunky prose, repeated content, or logical inconsistencies. I have a tendency to write convoluted sentences. (Really, Barb?) I know this and intentionally work through my content, breaking sentences into two and sometimes three. Other times I leave it, just for fun. But I KNOW when I am doing it.
I have found entire chunks of repeated content in relatively short self-published books. It’s jarring to read a paragraph (or entire section!) and think, “Wait. Didn’t I already read that?” Yes. Yes, I did. A good editor will pick up on this, determine which is the better place to put the information, and cut the other.
Structural and Stylistic Weaknesses (Signals of Inexperience)
7. Lack of structure or coherence
A disorganized or rambling book can make the author seem scattered or unprofessional. One of the first things I work on with my book clients is organization and structure. You need to know where you are going with your book; it should lead your reader to their and your desired outcome. A disorganized book will frustrate your reader and cause them to lose trust in your ability to solve their problem.
8. Inconsistent tone or voice
Shifts between formal and casual, or salesy and reflective, can confuse readers and make the book feel unfocused. It’s easy to keep your tone consistent when you remember that your author voice should sound like you. If someone takes two to four hours (or more) to read your book that is written in your voice, they will feel like they have gotten to know you, which creates trust and a comfort level. Changing voice or tone within the book leaves the reader uncertain as to who you really are. Writing in a me-to-you style creates an intimacy and bond with your reader.
Many people feel like their writing style should be formal and cerebral. That is fine if you’re writing an academic book or explaining the intricacies of quantum physics to experts in the field. Most business books are written to a specific audience. If your book is aimed at the general population, know that the average American reads at an eighth-grade level. Simpler is better. Write so your audience can understand, not to flatter your ego.
9. Too much fluff, not enough content
Padding the word count with filler shows a lack of depth and wastes readers’ time. A short book filled with useful information and new perspectives is appreciated. If you can give people all the information they need in a hundred pages, that’s fine. I once bought a book on branding that stretched to 175 pages by using full page images that added nothing to the book, as well as several sections where a sentence was printed one very large word at a time per page for… impact? Nope. The author was obviously filling pages. It would have had more value as a coloring book.
10. Over-reliance on jargon or buzzwords
If readers can’t understand your message, or if it feels trendy-but-empty, they may tune out fast. Again, think of who your audience is. If your book is intended for people who are experienced in a particular industry who will know the jargon, then fine. But a book filled with acronyms that are unfamiliar and require people to stop and go back to see what the acronym stands for, takes them out of the reader experience.
Substance Issues (Where Credibility Really Crumbles)
11. Unclear communication or underdeveloped thoughts
Half-formed ideas make it seem like you don’t fully understand your own topic. The problem we have as expert authors is that we understand the concept and don’t break it down enough for the reader to understand it. We may think, “Well, everyone knows that.” No, not everyone knows that. I love to play “Louie the Dunce” with my book clients. I’ll ask questions about the information in their manuscript in order to draw out the basic information that the reader will need to understand concepts.
12. Nothing new to say
Rehashing what’s already been said a thousand times without adding a unique angle positions you as a follower, not a leader. While there may be nothing new under the sun, someone still manages to come up with something new every now and then. That someone should be you. If you haven’t made a revolutionary discovery, you may bring a new perspective or a new application. Sometimes saying something old in a new way makes it easier for people to understand and apply. If you have nothing new to add to the conversation, there’s no reason to write a book.
Spoiler Alert: That new angle or application will most likely be your USP.
13. Failure to back up claims
Unsupported statements can come off as careless at best—and dishonest at worst. Big claims require citation. The best books include surveys and studies. Some of the bigger, traditionally published authors conduct studies themselves. Most of us don’t have that kind of research budget. Cite studies that are conducted by credible sources and are peer reviewed. Check to see if there are conflicting results from other studies. Backing up your claims gives people the proof they want and builds trust in you.
Pro Tip: Do not make up an expert by creating an acronym of your name. It does not work out well.
Let’s add to this overblown or misleading claims. Promising unrealistic results without evidence is the fastest way to ruin your reputation. People want to believe that something will work and most of us want the solution to be fast and easy. You can make a quick buck selling hope. People do it every day. That’s not the side of the line I want to fall on. Most of life’s successes are not fast and easy and responsible adults understand this. If you’ve been in business for more than a year, you should have case studies or testimonials you can use to back up your claims.
14. Incorrect or outdated information
Have you ever watched a movie or read a novel where something happens that you know is just stupid-wrong? From that point on, your BS detector is on high alert.
That happens in business books, too.
If you live long enough, many of the things you learned in school and your early career are disproven. Or they are given more context. (Yes, I am still a bit salty about Pluto.)
Often, “facts” that we have taken for granted for decades are proven wrong. Question your facts. Question what you’ve always known. Factual mistakes or old data can make readers question everything else in the book.
15. No clear audience or purpose
A book that doesn’t seem to know who it’s for—or what it’s trying to do—feels aimless and forgettable. In my initial consultation with prospective clients, I ask three main questions:
- What do you want this book to do for you and your business?
- What do you want this book to do for your reader?
- What action do you want your reader to take after finishing your book?
These questions will clarify why you’re writing your book and give you a clear direction to take.
16. Contradicting your online presence
If your book says one thing but your business or online persona says another, it creates confusion and distrust.
Let’s face it: Our personal social media accounts are probably a lot “looser” than our business accounts. But the closer you can keep your business persona to your real personality, your perspective on business and life, your degree of formality or casualness, the more likely you are to attract clients that resonate with you and that you love to work with. I like to have fun and I think people should enjoy writing their books—it shouldn’t be a struggle or a slog. I like to work with fun people. Can I be serious? Of course. I’m very serious about helping my clients and putting out quality work. But the work goes a lot quicker when you’re enjoying it.
17. Obvious self-promotion disguised as content
If your book is just a long-form ad for your services, readers will feel duped—not impressed. Yes, we build calls-to-action into the book and we use case studies to show the type of clients you work with and the results you get. But if you can’t give people actionable information, if you don’t deliver solid content, people won’t like you and they certainly won’t trust you.
This goes for speaking gigs, too. I once watched an audience turn on a speaker who was supposed to give a full day of training. He was selling a package at the end of the day, which was fine, but the agreement with the event promoter was 80% content, 20% selling. He spent the first couple of hours giving very little content and every question was answered with “That’s in my gold-level course” or “That’s in the bronze course.” People were actively heckling him. I left at lunch and was privileged to see the event promoter yelling at him in the parking lot. I was told the speaker gave a bit more content in the afternoon session, but by then, the damage was done. The event promoter, who would have earned a commission on every sale, stood up at the end and said, “Don’t buy his course.” That kind of integrity is rare. The event promoter’s credibility went through the roof. A couple of years later, the speaker declared bankruptcy. Karma is fun.
Don’t Embarrass Yourself
People write business books to showcase their expertise. A well-written book can increase your credibility and authority, lead to speaking engagements, bring in clients. You’ve heard that time and again in marketing circles. What you don’t hear is how much and how quickly a half-assed job will kill your reputation. (Yeah, I said half-assed.) I have worked as a “fixer” on business books that were slapped together on the advice (and usually high-priced coaching) of marketing gurus. The client ended up paying twice, which is still better than putting out an embarrassing product.
Writing a book is hard work. It takes time and care. You want your book to make you look good and to reward you for that time and hard work. You want a book that you can be proud of. I can help you create a professional, content-driven book with yes, marketing hooks built in, that will establish your authority and credibility, and attract your ideal clients. Set up a free consultation with me today. Let’s talk about your book. https://barbaragrassey.com/book-coaching/
