11 Reasons to Write a Book

When people think about writing, they generally envision a fiction book.  How fun to write a mystery or a romance novel, or an inspiring book for children. But nonfiction makes up half of all books published.  Nonfiction allows us to explore topics that are important to us and can make a positive and meaningful difference in our lives. 

It is said that there are three reasons to write: to inform, to persuade, and to entertain. For me, there are 11 reasons to write a nonfiction work, especially when it is written to show what you do professionally.

1. Amazon Author Profile. As a published author you have an author profile on Amazon with your books listed under your name. Close your eyes and imagine your book listed on Amazon and under it see the link to your author bio page.  It gives you confidence for your voice to be heard even more!

2. Writing Opportunities.Becoming a published author of your own book opens many opportunities to write for other publications such as blog posts, newspapers, and trade journals.  All of these get your brand in front of the public. 

3. Lead Generator.  When you write your book as a lead generator, it can be a source of new clients. Potential clients are looking for solutions to their problems. They are drawn to and influenced by people who are confident about what they do.  Your book is a statement of confidence. With your bio and contact info at the back, readers often book sessions for additional work once they’ve read your book. It can draw new clients right to you. 

4. Business Tool. Your book can also be used as a tool in your business.  It can be required reading saving you time going over the same material with each client. It can be broken down into sections for course curriculum leading your clients through standard steps. 

5. Multiple Revenue Streams.In addition to making money from book sales, you can have revenue coming in from other avenues as well.  Repurpose your book into articles, speeches, webinars, videos, and course content. Each of these can be an additional revenue stream.

6. Authority and Expertise Opens Speaking Gigs.  Your nonfiction book often requires research and often interviews with experts.  This research makes you the authority and opens up opportunities to land being on podcasts and booking speaking gigs on your topic.  Speaking gigs is the best way to make a bigger impact and bring in more clients.

7. Credibility and Influence. Being a published author alone gives you credibility. Just putting the titleAuthorbehind your name, in your bio, and email signatures says a lot.  It also gives you the ability tomake more money. Being a published author raises the bar in your business. Clients begin to see you in a whole different light, and this gives you the ability to raise your prices for the things that you're doing.

8. Pursue Your Passions.  If there is something you really love doing, you can take that idea, hobby, or interest and make it a marketable book.  All the books on zentangle art are great examples. How would it feel to immerse yourself in writing on something you love and are passionate about?

9. Co-author.  Consider co-authoring a book with a celebrity or another expert in your field. The synergy of combining your expertise, contact list, and marketing efforts could be a big win-win.

10. Collaborative or Compilations.  Participating in a collaborative book with many other authors has many added benefits. 

    1. If there are  few well-known people writing pieces of the book, your credibility rises just by association. 

    2. You will get publicity and marketing exposure to the followers of every contributing author, not just your own. 

    3. It isn’t as much work; you only have to write, edit, and proof one chapter rather than the whole book. 

    4. The expense of producing the book is significantly reduced for each contributing author. 

    5. Collaborative books are a great networking tool in that your photo, bio, business name, and website link are in the book.  Any one of the people reading a chapter by another author can read yours and find you. You might be exactly who they have been looking for! 

    6. You can use the book as follow-up for prospects/networking, or as a gift to clients.

11. Make an Impact.Being a published author allows you to reach more people than you could in person. Your voice is carried in your book and can motivate, educate, inspire readers. It gives you an opportunity to solve problems, answer questions, make an impact, and transform lives. You can even start a movement.

I’m sure you could add to this list. I’d love to get any additional reasons why you would write a book. Email[email protected]with your thoughts and comments.

The bottom line is that being a published author is about being seen and heard.

Close your eyes and imagine this scene.  You go out to the mailbox and see that a package just arrived in the mail. You open it and hold your book in your hands. You look at the front cover, then turn it over and read the back cover even though you’ve done it 50 times already.  You thumb through the pages several times and hold the book to your heart. What are you feeling?

Then imagine a reader holding your book.  They just turned the last page and are reading your final words. What impact did your book have on them? What do they have to say to you? 

That is why you write a book.