Most people probably don’t think “author” when they imagine an entrepreneur, but in fact, the experiences of entrepreneurs and femalepreneurs sometimes make the best nonfiction reading.
A story of entrepreneurial success has everything nonfiction readers crave: a protagonist pursuing a goal, obstacles to struggle against, lessons learned, and inspiration to pass on. We’ve seen countless businessmen and women just like you write books that help others and garner rave reviews.
Here are the top five reasons why entrepreneurs should write a book.
1. You’ve Got the Skills
The skills that make a good author are the same skills that made you a successful entrepreneur.
It takes hard work and determination to start a business. You likely had to persevere through obstacles, guided by a dream and powered by a dash of faith in your own abilities. The writing process is much the same. It takes time to write and edit an entire manuscript, and you may find the process challenging. You’ll have to trust your vision for the book and work hard to get there.
Starting a business also takes creativity. You have to position yourself in the market, tell the story of your brand, and innovate in response to setbacks. Writing a book is an inherently creative endeavor as well, even if the industry you write about is a cut-and-dry subject matter.
If you survived starting a business, you’re primed and ready to finish a manuscript.
2. You Can Help Others
Someone out there needs your story to help them along their own path.
What helped you in your journey? What was holding you back that you had to let go of? What do you wish you’d known? What steps helped you reach difficult goals? Share these things with readers and help other aspiring entrepreneurs.
Book Professor® author Dr. Peter Wishnie wrote The Podiatry Practice
Brian Marcel wrote an autobiography about his entrepreneurial pursuits, Raise the Bar, Change the Game: A Success Primer for Budding Entrepreneurs Who Want to Change the World. Brian used his book as the launching platform to develop an online course to nurture budding entrepreneurs.
And your readers don’t just want to hear the nuts-and-bolts of how you started or grew your business. They also want to hear about those qualities that helped you find success—persistence, hard work, determination. Help them cultivate a mindset for progress and gently let go of attitudes that hold them back. No one can teach them better than a fellow entrepreneur!
3. Grow a Following
A book isn’t just a book. It’s a doorway into all kinds of marketing opportunities.
When you share expertise about your industry or business, you might get invited to speaking events or conferences where you can talk about your work and sell copies of your book. You may be invited to write a guest blog posts or appear on a podcast, where you can request a link to your book and your personal web site. Book publication can also provide material for your own social media or blog updates. Use your book to raise your profile at industry meetups, your local chamber of commerce, or other groups that have a connection to your topic. Request online reviews of the book from colleagues and ask them to share on their social media.
Book Professor® author Carlo Sanfilippo used his book as the launching platform for a podcast called It’s the Journey. He regularly invites interesting guests to talk about their experiences of chasing what really matters in life. Those guests draw their own audience of coworkers, family, friends, and industry connections.
Even if you’re not ready to start your own podcast, you can brainstorm plenty of opportunities to market your work through your book. The Book Professor® offers assistance with marketing strategy to authors who complete their manuscripts through our program.
4. Establish Authority In Your Field
Readers approach books assuming that the author is an expert on the subject matter, so writing your own book can help establish you as an authority in your field. A book proves your breadth of knowledge and showcases your career success. It offers readers a window into how you approach work and tackle problems. Most importantly, it helps readers associate your name with your industry.
Businessman-turned-author Steven Denny, for example, established his business acumen by writing a book series about the logistics of selling a business. It’s a niche topic, and Steven is the expert. Even the title—You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know: A Step-by-Step Guide For Getting the Most From the Sale of Your Business—implies a higher level of understanding on the part of the author, and a willingness to guide the reader through the subject.
Remember, readers come to you for answers. They want you to know more than they do. Show them what you know and raise your profile within your industry.
5. Now Is the Perfect Time
The post-COVID era is boom time for entrepreneurs. More than ever, we live in a gig economy. People have decided that they no longer want to slave at building someone else’s dream—they want to live their own.
This new wave of entrepreneurs is hungry for guidance from those who’ve gone before them. They’re curious about how you reached your goals and want insight from your journey. Take advantage of this moment in history and tell your story.
Owner of leadership coaching business Bright Side Training Solutions, Tracy Bianco, teamed up with The Book Professor® to tell her story of leaving the “rat race” for an entrepreneurial journey on her own terms. Tracy had never written a book before, but her debut publication The Checklist Life: Breaking Free From a Life of Obligationdrew grateful responses from a large audience of women. It turns out that many people resonated with Tracy’s story of burnout and desire for something better. They wanted to hear from someone who had answers.
It’s Your Moment
If you’ve thought of writing a book about your entrepreneurial adventures, now is your moment. Seize the opportunity to become one of the authoritative voices guiding today’s generation of entrepreneurs.
Never written a book? Don’t know where to start? The Book Professor® can help. Our programs guide you through the process of writing your nonfiction book in about a year.