Have you ever been to a conference where you started to tune out a few boring speakers, but then you perked up at the mention of the fact that the next speaker had published a book? You’re not alone.
There’s no denying that writing a book elevates your status in your field of work or expertise. So, why don’t more people write books if the rewards are so high?
Expertise on Display
In 1985, a young Tommy Hilfiger was struggling to get his fashion noticed when he met legendary advertising director, George Lois. Tasked with introducing Hilfiger to the world, Lois took out a billboard in New York’s Times Square, just blocks from the city’s fashion district, that read “The 4 great American designers for men are,” followed by a fill-in-the-blank list that showed only the first letter of each designer’s first and last name.
Savvy New York fashionistas easily filled in the names of Ralph Lauren, Perry Ellis, and Calvin Klein. But the identity of “T H” was a mystery. Though Hilfiger was uncomfortable with the campaign, it was a huge success and launched the young designer from a relative unknown to a national sensation seemingly overnight. Lois’s bold campaign garnered attention, and Hilfiger says the campaign made him work harder than ever before to not let anyone down. Today, Hilfiger sits atop a vast fashion empire, and it all started with a bold declaration of expertise on a billboard.
Try Platform University!
Want to give Platform University (your one-stop shop for building an online audience) a spin? Get your first week of Platform University for just $1. Cancel anytime. Try Platform University for Just $1Something similar happens when you write a book. Many professionals may feel like an anonymous cog in the machine of their chosen line of work. But when you put a book on the table, people perk up. Suddenly, your opinion has more impact and more authority—even with people who haven’t read your work.
What Stands In Your Way?
Nearly every person on the planet wants to write a book in their lifetime but less than 1% ever finish that and get it published. Publishing a book can be an amazing catalyst for your platform; you gain instant credibility and set yourself apart from 99% of the world.
Why haven’t you written it yet? For most people, it comes down to overwhelm from the amount of work and uncertainty involved. The average nonfiction book is made up of roughly fifty thousand words—that’s quite a lot when you’re starting from zero. Add to that your busy work and family life and it’s a lot. We get it.
Let’s Push Through This Together
Platform University has some good news. It’s simpler to write a book today than ever before, but if you’ve never written a book before than that doesn’t do you much good because all you know is the difficulty of today. While we will dive deeper into the process more in other posts, know that writing a book is well within reach. If our founder, Michael Hyatt, can write 10 books while being a busy CEO, you can certainly do it too.
Here are four reasons why you should consider writing a book:
- A book signals commitment. Anyone can write a blog post, but a completed book signifies that you are in this for the long haul. A book tells people you are willing to do the hard work.
- A book gives you authority. Writing a book signifies that you are seriously invested in your expertise. To be the person who literally “wrote the book,” you establish valuable authority.
- A book creates opportunity. By establishing your expertise, you will open doors to speaking engagements, consulting opportunities, and in-person meet-ups with your tribe.
- A book expands your platform. The content of your book can easily be the seed for new blog content, an online course, or even your own conference.
From where we sit, there’s really no downside to writing your own book. The increase in respect and prestige it brings far offsets the time you’ll devote to writing it.
