Why You Should Write a Book

There was a time when a writer had to go the traditional route (agent, publishing company) to get their work published. Those days are long gone. I’m certain that there are still aspiring writers out there pursuing a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) or similar degrees in hopes that they can make a lucrative career out of publishing books. With our increasingly distracted society, most of us will not make careers only publishing books. For many, we still need to hold down a day job, have accessible wealth already and/or work as an entrepreneur to keep income flowing. Publishing a book could be an extension of that as another source of revenue. 

That said, a few reasons why you should consider writing and publishing a book. 

Writing a book raises your public profile.

I co-wrote a memoir with Cleveland reggae pioneer David Smeltz, co-founder and lead singer for the group I-Tal. Already pretty well known in the reggae music scene, the musician and author derailed his own career in the 1990s when his abuse of drugs and alcohol interfered with his home life (his wife divorced him and moved out of state with their girls) and his band went on to enjoy much bigger fame without him. By 2001 though, David was well on his way to recovery. At my sister’s suggestion, I reached out to him after a performance in 2011 to discuss the possibility of writing a book together. With more than a decade of sobriety under his belt, he and I embarked on this writing journey that ended up being one of the best projects of his life. It took us two years to complete it, with David diligently spending time each week to writing.  CLEAN: From Reggae to Recovery was inspired by an article written about him in a local publication. The book premiered at Hessler Street Fair in 2014 and was positively reviewed by Michael Heaton in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. We did several reprints and sold out each time. As part of his recovery, the book allowed David to make amends to his family, bandmates and many others who didn’t understand what was going on with him at the time. (It pains me to say my dear friend David passed away due to complications from Covid-19 in 2021.)

Writing a well-researched book can help you be seen as an “expert,” and will allow you to multipurpose your content for use on social media.

Journalists are often looking for sources for stories. If they need a source about a particular subject that you have written about, they may reach out to you as an author/expert. Being a published author lends a person a certain amount of credibility when it comes to being vetted for stories or to appear on programs and/or podcasts. What’s more, you can use the content of your book as a basis for your brand, blog and social media posts, eliminating the need to do double work. Social media is a bottomless pit hungry for content and your book can provide endless nuggets for you to share. And, if they really like your social content, there is a good chance they will purchase your book. And of course, listing your book on Amazon makes it available for anyone in the world to buy. 

Writing a book can advance your career.

According to Inc. magazine, a book can be a powerful tool to advance your career and establish you as a brand and industry leader. In order for it to work for you, there is planning and research involved to make your book – and your career – a success. We’ve probably all heard that you should “write what you know,” and while that’s good advice, oftentimes you can write about things you don’t know. A thirst for knowledge and thorough research go a long way to creating a successful book. Early on, you should decide what path you wish to take for publishing (traditional, self-publishing, ebook, etc.), and be prepared to spend a lot of time promoting your work after its complete. 

If you consider yourself a writer or have always wanted to be an author, publishing a book can not only fulfill a lifetime goal but it can open up your life in unexpected ways.