Have you thought of becoming a speaker? What if you had a book you could sell at the back of the room after your talk? As a small business owner writing a book will increase your exposure across the country. Imagine a guidebook of generalities about your business, a handy volume of tips and tricks or an entertaining memoir of the CEO.
As a speaker, your topics may vary, yet your book subject matter should fill a need or void of information for your reader. Your book will help advance your ideas, maybe call attention to a new idea, or serve as a tangible representation of your experience. Your book will establish you as an authority on the subject.
Interestingly the words “author” and “authority” come from the same Latin word. To be an authority, you need to be an author. As an author, you are an authority. In a study cited by Forbes and BusinessWeek, 96% of surveyed business authors “realize a significant positive impact on their businesses from writing a book and would recommend the practice…”
A great example is national speaker Jen Mueller, CEO of Talk Sporty to Me, Seattle, Washington. Her book Game Time has gone through multiple printings, including custom orders from other venues to give away as gifts.
A published book under your arm as a speaker will increase the effect on your audience, elevate their respect for your knowledge whatever the topic. With the wonderful concept of short-run book printing, you can start with fifty to a hundred copies of your book to gauge reaction. Once your schedule starts filling up with speaking engagements, you order runs of books to be ready when you are. Are you ready?
