If you are curious about the life of an author or what it takes to write, check out my recent conversation with Tyler Wagner on his The Authors Unite Show.
You can listen to our conversation HERE.
I’ve long believed that one should be an expert first; a speaker, author, coach, etc. a distant second.
Books for me are never a destination; they’re always a journey. It takes me roughly four years to think about, ask a lot of questions, interview executives, socialize an idea with people I like, respect, and trust to finally come up with the right mix of content to capture in a book.
At some point, you’ve read enough, spoken enough, thought enough, consulted, and coached enough about a topic that you feel like you have something to say.
Once I have my Table of Content (TOC) of key ideas that are interesting to me, I begin researching social science references, write, edit, rewrite, reference, insert case studies/examples, work with talented graphic artists to visualize key ideas, and put the finishing touches on a book such as a book cover design, the index, and jacket info.
If you go the commercial publishing route with the recognizable imprints (Wiley, McGraw-Hill, etc.), get ready for a painful if not lethargic process – your ideas MAY actually come out in 12-18 months; publishing, unfortunately, is one of the last remaining antiquated industry sectors ripe for real innovation if not disruption.
If you go the self-publishing or even the hybrid (self-publishing with a more recognizable imprint), you’ll get your ideas out sooner without the cache of a globally recognized imprint.
In either case, don’t expect much marketing or support, a great “customer experience,” or the misperception that people will be breaking down your door to engage you.
After ten books, I’ve learned that writing a decent book is half the battle. The other half is promoting the heck out of it.
If you’re interested, HERE are some FREE tools associated with some of my books.
Enjoy.
Best,
Nour