It most definitely is. However … and there is a big HOWEVER attached to my response … the book you write should fill a genuine gap in the market, truly add value to your chosen readership audience and provide the catalyst for change or new ways of thinking.
There is absolutely no point in churning out a business book that does not provide a valuable forum for advancing your thoughts and ideas and taking them beyond the confines of your company or community to the greater ecosystem.
If your book fails on this front and is simply parroting what everyone else is saying out there or is little more than a lead generator or extended business card, you’d be much better off developing a business guide or e-book.
Don’t throw your money at something that will simply gather dust on someone’s bookshelf and never get read!
That said, for those of you who have something truly unique and really worth-while to share, writing a business book is absolutely fundamental to your thought leadership aspirations and is one of the best ways of rapidly establishing yourself as an acknowledged expert in your field.
Perceptions are powerful!
Also keep in mind that the very act of writing a business book is one of the best ways of improving your knowledge and further bolstering your expertise. You might think you know everything there is to know on your topic but once you begin writing a book, like it or not, you very quickly realise that there are gaps in your knowledge which means more research, discussions with people and generally having to delve much deeper than you originally anticipated.
However, by the time you’re finished and done, you will unquestionably know more than when you started out.
I am a case in point. After over two decades of dispensing public relations and publicity, I thought I knew everything there was to know about publicity until it came to writing The Ultimate Guide to Publicity. I was stunned to discover there were plenty of issues I was a little hazy on and was forced to put my pride in my pocket, and get down to the hard work of doing some research. I am happy to say that penning the guide has left me considerably more knowledgeable on the topic than I had been in advance of doing so.
Award-winning author and nonfiction writing coach, Anne Janzer, also believes the act of book promotion helps develop thought leadership. She says regardless of whether you’re being interviewed on your book or attend conferences or book launches to discuss it, your book and your ideas will constantly be ‘put on trial’.
“In doing all of these activities, you’ll bend and stretch the ideas in the book for different audiences: defending the ideas in one situation, expanding them to cover a slightly different perspective in another.
This is where it gets interesting – and where you think even more deeply than before.”
Anne also goes on to say that that development of your ideas does not stop when the interviews are done but continues for some time after as you continue developing those thoughts and ideas.
In fact, this could result in the creation of a second edition, if not third edition of your book!
Finally while I’m a massive proponent of business books as a platform for thought leadership, it is vital that would-be authors understand that a book is just one part of the thought leadership process.
It is just one piece of the puzzle and needs to be supported by speaking, blogging, networking, publicity, training and so on.
Remember, the thought leader has a mission outside the book. The book exists to support that mission!
If you are interested in writing a business book and need someone to help you kick-start the process, Parker Public Relations provides business book coaching and mentoring.
Also for those keen to become a subject matter expert or thought leader, we provide ongoing mentoring and coaching or alternatively you can book in for a three-hour strategy and planning session which will enable you to rapidly get started on your thought leadership journey.
To get in touch, contact Wendy at wendy@parkerpublicrelations.com.au
