By Karen Newcombe
When people ask me “Should I write a book?” their next question is often “What could I write a book about?”
Underlying this question is often a different question: “Do I really have something to say?” or “Is what I know valuable to anyone else?”
The answer is yes, you should write a book. Yes, you have something to say. And yes, what you know has value. Fortunately, it is easier now to get your book published than at any time in history.
So how do you figure out what to write your book about?
To pin down topics that might comprise your book, jot down some thoughts about each of these questions:
- What knowledge or skills do people pay me for as part of my work?
- What do people ask me questions about all the time?
- What is my unique accomplishment? For example, did you found a firm, invent something, win a gold medal, change your industry or field?
- Do I carry a history or a set of information that will be lost once I am gone?
- Do I want or need to tell a story?
I’ve oriented this list towards business people, but nearly everyone who wants to write is covered by the last question.
My encouragement to you is this: What you know is of value to someone. Putting what you know into book form will create more value from that knowledge. Writing a book will:
- Create recognition for you and establish you as an authority.
- Make your knowledge accessible to more people.
- Bring you more work.
- Expand the opportunities to get your message out through speaking opportunities, workshops, videos, and more.
Once a potential author has some ideas, the next question is usually where doubt creeps in...“Am I capable of producing a book?”
Stay tuned – I’ll talk about that next.