Benefits of an Expert Book
If you spend any time around entrepreneurs: coaches, change makers, innovators, you’ve probably heard 
from more than a few that they’ve written at least one expert book. Some may even claim theirs reached “Best Seller” status somewhere.
Behind every book, though, is a lot of hard work, not only to get it written, edited, and published, but to promote it. Because, as one expert I spoke to said, a book without promotion just sits uselessly on the shelf.
So why would you, or should you write your own expert book? Here are some of the most common reasons:
- Lead generation
- Position yourself as an expert
- Boost credibility
- Attract opportunities for partnerships or Joint Ventures
- Expand your market
- Help generate future business ideas (expansion)
- Use as an opt-in to build your mailing list
What’s Holding You Back?
While these are all great reasons for putting your expertise out there in print, there are still a lot of entrepreneurs who have yet to jump on the expert book bandwagon. Reasons for avoiding the entire process might include:
- Lack of time
- Failure to recognize themselves as an expert
- Lack of fondness for writing
- See little to no value
Let’s address these one at a time.
Lack of Time
As entrepreneurs, we all have a lot on our plates. Just juggling the day-to-day work load plus product launches, administrative tasks, and our personal lives is enough work for at least three normal people, right? If you’ve taken the plunge and hired someone to take on part of the work load (preferably the stuff you hate to do), you might have unburdened yourself a little, but is it enough to take on yet another large project like a book? I’m guessing for most of you, the answer would be no. You’ve lightened your load just enough to add 10 more things to it already. You may or may not be willing or even able to add another VA or other professional to your payroll right now. But what if doing so could increase your profits, and more, the number of people you’re able to help?
Failure to recognize yourself as an expert
“Who, me? An expert?” you ask. Absolutely! There is something you’ve learned to do and do well, or you wouldn’t be in business in the first place. And if you’re like most entrepreneurs out there, you have several somethings. You’re already sharing your knowledge in one way or another, through services, products, or maybe a combination of both. Why not bring all that knowledge together into a short book which will pique the interest of those who don’t know you well? Start by making a list of the things you know. You’ll surprise yourself with how knowledgeable you are. People are waiting to learn from both your mistakes and your successes. Don’t be afraid to share both.
Lack of fondness for writing
I get it. Not everyone loves or even likes to write. But I’ll bet you’d love to attract more business with less effort. You wouldn’t scoff at a little passive income either, would you? These days, there are tons of resources, not only for self-publishing, but for writing as well. Do a little research. Run some numbers. Talk to others who’ve published their own expert books and see how most are still attracting business with their book even after it’s been out for a few years and they’re no longer promoting it. Then talk to some people who love to write and would be happy to work with you to create a book showing the world how amazing you are.
See little or no value in having an expert book
This one is kind of a no-brainer. We all want to generate leads. We all want those leads to convert. So we need people to know, like, and trust us. How better than by putting a little of ourselves out there? Once our book is out there, we free ourselves up to pursue other areas of our business. We offer it up on places like Amazon where people we don’t even know will find it. Not only that, others will want to partner with you which expands your reach even further. They’ll talk about you, share your book, point to you as the expert in your area…voila! Free, effortless advertising!
Finding the Best Ghostwriter for Your Expert Book
If you’ve managed to reconcile your reservations at this point, you’ll be asking “how do I get it written when I don’t have time and/or hate to sit down and write?” The simplest answer is to hire a ghostwriter. But not just any ghostwriter. You want someone who feels and shares your passion for the products or services you offer. Someone who is willing to spend as much time as necessary picking your brain and doing the research to get to those gems of wisdom you’ve been taking for granted.
You also want a ghostwriter who will write the book with you, rather than for you. They must be able to write your story in your voice. When people read what you’ve written with your ghostwriter’s help, you want them to hear your voice in their heads and want to hear more of it.
Sure, it means you will still have to invest time you may think you don’t have in order to get the book started, but once the ghostwriter has sufficient material (and not all of it will come from interviews. Assuming you have material available online through websites, groups, blogs, and newsletters), you can go about your business while the writing is done. You won’t have to get involved again (unless the ghostwriter needs clarification) until it’s time to review the draft.
You may have to go back and forth a couple of times, ensuring the words accurately convey your knowledge. It’s never a bad idea to hire an editor once you’re satisfied. Your ghostwriter should be able to hook you up, not only with an editor, but with people who can format your book for print and e-book. Now, all you have to do is promote it and watch, not only the money but they leads roll in.
Keep in mind, you’re not writing the great American novel. Your book only needs to be 120-150 pages long, or roughly 42,000 to 52,000 words. Most writers can knock that out in 3-4 weeks, though to someone who isn’t fond of writing it can be quite daunting.
If you’re even thinking about putting out your expert book but haven’t committed yet, I’d love to talk to you. Use the link in the sidebar to schedule a free, no obligation consultation. Or click here, and you’ll be taken right to my schedule. Whether you decide to hire me or not, I’d love to help you explore the benefits of sharing your expertise on a broader scale.
You can see my Facebook Live video on the benefits of publishing an expert book by clicking this link.
About the Author
Sheri Conaway is a writer, blogger, Virtual Assistant and advocate for cats. Sheri believes in the Laws 
of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. She is available for ghostwriting to help your business grow and thrive. Her specialties are finding and expressing your authentic self. If you’d like to have her write your expert book with you, please visit her Hire Me page for more information. You can also find her on Facebook Sheri Levenstein-Conaway Author.
Be sure to watch this space for news of the upcoming release of “Forgotten Victims: Healing and Forgiving After Suicide”.
