Secrets You Need to Know Before You Write and Sell Your Book

If there's one question that I consistently get from friends and online acquaintances, it is one for advice on writing a book. It seems that everyone wants to write a book. People write books for different reasons. I think I was born wanting to write a book, I majored in English Literature for that reason. For other reasons, I ended up in marketing, but the need to write a book - to help people - never went away. The most common reasons I hear from people are:

• Establish themselves as an expert in their field (does that really work?)
• Get more speaking engagements
• Satisfy a heartfelt need
• Fulfill their ego to be a "published" author

Writing and selling my books is my main job (along with constantly researching my topics), it comes before everything else, even social media and speaking. I have been writing books since 1998 and sold a million by 2007. I don't count the numbers anymore, what counts to me is hearing from my readers. I am lucky to have been writing long enough to see the impact my books have made on my reader's lives.

Wanting to write a book and actually finishing the project are two vastly different things - just ask anyone who has written one. You also need to know, writing books are not for everyone. "Long form" content takes on a completely new meaning when you're expected to write not just 1,500 words - but over 300 pages on a topic.

Want to Write A Book? Guy Kawasaki's APE Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur-How to Publish a Book is a must read

As one who makes a career as a book author, people come to me with a book idea. They ask a bevy of questions: Should I write it? How do I write it? Do I need an agent? How do I get a publisher? Although folks think I am a fount of knowledge on the subject, these questions cannot simply be answered in a one hour phone call.

Guy Kawasaki’s new book, APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur - How to Publish a Book, answers every query and more. Guy’s words mirror my own experiences and add actionable tasks and tools to guide you through the process of writing and publishing.  I will no longer dodge requests from budding authors; I will just recommend they read his book. If you want to be an author in today’s digital world, this book is a must have.

As Guy points out, writing is a very personal endeavor.  It is not an easy art; not for everyone. Writing a book takes discipline and organization -- on top of creativity. The prolific story-teller, Paul Gallico, best known for “The Poseidon Adventure” (although my favorite of his is "The Silent Miaow”) said “It is only when you open your veins and bleed onto the page a little that you establish contact with your reader.” Even with my non-fiction I feel responsibility to the reader; I bleed to be sure my words are clear and engage the reader along the way.

By reading APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur - How to Publish a Book, you may not avoid the bleeding, but Guy keeps you from making rookie mistakes. His top notch tips on producing a book and self-publishing are worth the read. So much so, that reading this book has convinced me to update and self-publish my great aunt’s French Normandy cookbook (a solid old time seller in Europe).

If you’ve ever thought of writing a book, you must read Guy’s latest work.