Have you ever considered writing a book? If so, maybe you've already established firmly in mind your exact purpose for becoming an author. Your reasons may match one or more of those below. Or perhaps you could add yours to the list. Nevertheless, with some 65,000 books being published in the United States yearly, there is overwhelming attraction to joining the ranks of authors.
Reason 1: Renown- Did you know that Martha Stewart ("Entertaining"), Harvey McKay ("Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive"), and Tom Peters ("In Search of Excellence"), were virtually unknown until they became authors? It's no wonder. Authoring a book heightens your credibility, elevates your prestige and dubs you an expert. It could open the door to television, radio, and newspaper interviews. (You will, however, have to get out there and stimulate media attention). Having a book with your name on it may also attract public speaking engagements and other business opportunities. It affords you a chance to bask in the spotlight!
Reason 2: Wealth- Certainly not every book brings its author riches, but some do. In his book, "Damn! Why Didn't I Write That?" Marc McCutcheon lists 71 titles that sold 1 million or more copies, some many more, not to mention the multitude of books that sold tens and hundreds of thousands of copies. Yours could be added to the list. Of course it's going to take a hot topic, an attention-grabbing title, a well-written book and some strategic marketing, but the effort is going to be worth it.
Reason 3: Legacy- Depending on how good your book is, it may be read by generations to come. Your descendants, whom you may never see, may come to know you by your work. Family photographs are fine. They show the person. A book, however, shows what's inside the person: their knowledge, findings, experiences, and beliefs. Let your book be their heritage ? and a legacy for readers everywhere.
Reason 4: Heroism- As a result of having read a book, people have saved their marriages, improved their health, fixed their finances, boosted their self-esteem, beautified their homes, gotten their souls redeemed, lost weight, roared with laughter, become better lovers, developed their computer skills. Books have improved businesses, inspired dreams, polished parenting abilities, brought history to life, and incited million dollar ideas. The list goes on and on. Your book is undoubtedly going to make a contribution too and it's no telling the impact it is going to have.
Reason 5: Personal Fulfillment- God put each of us here on earth for a purpose. That is, we each have unique gifts and abilities for which we cannot truly feel complete until we have used them. In setting out to have a book written, you have almost certainly developed a passion about whatever it is that you want to communicate. Good. Your passions reveal something about what your talents are. But until you actually get those words out, you may continually have that nudging. You are a unique being with something that only you can say. Have a book written and you will be well on the way to fulfilling your life purpose.
Reason 6: Adventure- Even if you, as a collaborator, are only casually involved in producing your book, the experience is an exploration into uncharted territory. It's quite likely that you and your ghost may come across amazing facts about your chosen topic that you were previously unaware of. You may unexpectedly meet people who could be valuable to your research or to the sales of your book. Even in the process of marketing a book, your tour may lead to exotic places. Being an author could very well be -- in a nutshell -- fun.
Reason 7: Economic Boost- Because a horde of people will be involved in the writing, publishing, sales and distribution of your book, you can take pride in the fact that your book is contributing to the wealth of the nation. That's especially significant in times of mass layoffs, rising taxes, and poverty. I applaud you!
There you have it ? seven surefire reasons to become an author, a worthy investment in your business, your career, your life and the lives of your readers.
About The Author
Michelle McGee-Jones is a freelance business writer, marketing consultant and workshop conductor. She is the author of "The Art of Hiring Someone to Write Your Book: A Step by Step Guide to Successfully Collaborating." The book is available for $9.95 plus shipping by calling toll free 1-800-673-5771 or by ordering online at Amazon.com. Copyright ? 2004 Michelle McGee-Jones. All rights reserved. This article may be freely reprinted provided this entire byline is included.
green cleaning service Glencoe ..Do you love someone very deeply? A spouse, son, daughter,... Read More
1. What Is A Premise?A premise is the point you... Read More
So you've decided to crown yourself with a title that... Read More
William Faulkner, the great Mississippi writer, said, "The tools I... Read More
Writing engaging articles and energizing ad copy takes... Read More
On my first newspaper assignment as a critic, I was... Read More
Technology vendors often contribute bylined articles to trade journals. The... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?I have said above that if a... Read More
The decision to publish a book is very exciting! It... Read More
Connectors -- conjunctions, punctuation, and transitional phrases -- allow readers... Read More
Over the past eight years or so, I have tutored... Read More
So you want to learn to research well, and not... Read More
I hate to admit this, but I rarely get an... Read More
One obvious question that can get overlooked in the process... Read More
If you dream of turning your book into a best... Read More
I've just come back to work after nine glorious, sun-drenched... Read More
When attempting to understand Creativity and Innovation, it pays to... Read More
These are some of the snapshots I carry with me:... Read More
You have a new website, or a new business, or... Read More
How do you describe a scene without slowing down the... Read More
According to one of my previous articles, whenever a Southerner... Read More
Writers are an insecure lot.It's easy to understand why. You... Read More
One day in the mid-1970's a young man stumbled into... Read More
A few magazines refer to their written idea sources in... Read More
"This is just brilliant. The whole interview is incredible? I'm?... Read More
house cleaning company Bannockburn ..Sometime one must coax the words out.Each day is a... Read More
Freelance writer STANLEY BURKHARDT has a passion for animals. He... Read More
There are so many ways for writers to make good... Read More
Back in my school days, if the teacher demanded a... Read More
First drafts are for getting down the ideas. Anna Jacobs... Read More
Great business writers combine narrative skills with sound judgment to... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?When an idea comes to us for... Read More
If a writer considers writing to be a task, he/she... Read More
ESSAY 3Writing an autobiography involves a matching up of a... Read More
PASSED, PASTPassed is the past tense of pass. Past means... Read More
Every hero has a seminal insight - the apotheosis. Once... Read More
A good white paper is a paper that makes you... Read More
Do you love someone very deeply? A spouse, son, daughter,... Read More
For many authors just starting out, it can be a... Read More
Punctuation, when used creatively, is powerful. Note, however, that when... Read More
We writers are a powerful lot. We control time. We... Read More
Building a new website can be extremely exciting. Seeing your... Read More
Started a book and then got bogged down? Like many... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?Whichever theme you choose, all the elements,... Read More
Arrogance has a bad rap. We think of arrogant people... Read More
Every part of your book can be a sales tool.... Read More
There is a lot of confusion about recommendation letters.Recommendation letters... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?How we usually begin the preparation stage... Read More
If you want to be a writer, then you must... Read More
It's a good idea to use TextPad because all opt-in... Read More
Writing |