Books are powerful. Books inspire people, help people shift perspectives, and are beloved by readers all over the world. Despite being quite an old form of communication, books are still popular and renowned for their effects today—even in the age of other media like movies and Youtube videos (which are also great ways to target and inspire masses of people).
Writing a book is a strong statement, and a classic way to get your voice, ideas, and philosophy into the world. It can help create your brand and personal platform, or grow and change the one you already have. People write books to inspire or challenge future thinkers, leaders, and entrepreneurs. Other times, people write books to tell their story (or the story of a friend or family member). It’s an undertaking that can really pay off, financially and emotionally.
But, authoring a book is an accomplishment that many people don’t see through.
Writing a book often takes much more time and money than many people expect. Not to mention, sometimes an author’s original book idea doesn’t pan out, or their book begins to shift in a direction they don’t necessarily want it to. There are a lot of reasons people chose to write a book or put their pen down. But, there are a few major deciding factors that can help you figure out the right choice for you.
Want a quick, interactive way to explore your publishing options? Take our 90-second quiz to find your book style—and the best writing and publishing strategies for that style!
Do you have the time and money available?
The two major factors of everything we do: time and money. Both are required to write and publish a book successfully, but they can be hard to come by. And, while it’s technically possible to write a book in a few months, it’s not likely to be taken on by a publisher or agent (or to be a book you’d like published.) Expect at least 1-2 years of planning, writing, revising, and querying (which happen to all be part of the services we offer) before your book hits the shelves (or an online sales platform).
“Writing a book is a strong statement, and a classic way to get your voice, ideas, and philosophy into the world. It can help create your brand and personal platform, or grow and change the one you already have.”
How much money you spend depends on the resources you need and acquire for your book. You can certainly write up a manuscript on your own and self-publish through platforms like Amazon in less time than it takes to go the traditional route. But, the book may not sell well or reach as many readers. On the other hand, you can hire writers, editors, a writing coach, and a marketing team to help get your book off the ground. But, despite having a professional and higher-quality book, it will cost quite a bit to fairly compensate everyone involved. Many authors take an approach somewhere in between.
Do you have a book or a blog post?
This is an extreme example that involves your book’s content. You may have fantastic, marketable ideas and a platform to push them through, but different ideas need different platforms. You need to make sure that you have enough to expand on and write on at length to fill an entire business book or memoir. To gauge this, you can start brainstorming ideas for your book and continue adding details and anecdotes to flesh them out. If your details only add a few bubbles to a mind map or under 5 paragraphs, you may need to add to them or look for another form of media.
Will people buy your book?
You can never know the answer to this question for sure. But, you can analyze a few different factors to make an educated guess. If you already have a platform through social media, another form of media such as Youtube or a blog, or through your business, you likely have a good set of people that you can market your book to. These people already follow you and your brand, so they’re likely to want to engage with your book.
Having an existing brand and business means that you also likely have access to adequate marketing. Even the best, most world-changing books will sit on the shelf if no one lets the world know they exist. If you write a book, you’ll need to put time and money into marketing the finished product.
Lastly, you’ll also need to add to conversations—not regurgitate what’s already been said (psst…we have a blog post for that). Your book needs to say something new and interesting, otherwise, readers will have a hard time choosing your book over another, especially if the other has a bigger following.
Writing a book is a huge undertaking.
But, it can also be the greatest thing you do for you, your brand, and your business. At the end of the day, if the book you’ve been dreaming of meets all of your goals for publishing (not anyone else’s), write the book. It’s always better to write the book than to leave it as a what-if.
Luckily, DAS offers a range of services to help you out, whether you need coaching, ghostwriting, or even publishing. We also have a free guide that will get you started and help you figure out your answers to the above questions.
