What Is A Book For?

Over half of my clients in the last five years wanted to write their book in order to make the next step in their public speaking career. The finished manuscript was not the goal. Instead, it was the lantern they let fly to show that they were there.

Some had a podcast and wanted to expand into events and other podcasts. Some already spoke at conferences or events but wanted to make the next step to a bigger stage. Others were corporate leaders with aspirations to do more speaking and knew a book would help open that door. It would be a light to draw attention to their expertise.

This perspective was important– the book itself is not the goal. The book is an investment in their journey.

The other shift this thinking brings is that it shows you that much of the material for your book is already there. It’s in your speeches already. It’s in your podcasts. It’s in your blog copy. The book is not everything you’ve written or spoken but it’s curated from this. The book distills your philosophy and point of view, your career and vision, and illuminates where you are in the dark of the landscape.