It’s the day before Thanksgiving in the U.S., and whether you celebrate the holiday or not, we all have something to be thankful for. Today, I’m going to briefly express my gratitude for “the act of forming letters and words to communicate ideas and thoughts” in this blog post. And because I’m feeling jazzy, I’m going to do so by way of an acronym.

Today’s blog post consists of a simple checklist for educators and leaders who are looking to self-publish a nonfiction thought leadership book on Amazon. But first, let me try to make the process less overwhelming by saying that publishing is just sharing. That doesn’t mean that it’s easy. And it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be intentional with presenting excellent work.

Today’s blog post is dedicated to educators, specifically teachers. But before we get into it, let me say, “Happy Back-to-School Season!” This is an exciting time for teachers because we typically have a fresh boost of energy to carry us through the rest of the year. Some of us even have the motivation needed to follow through on our goals…like writing a book. 

Writing a book can be overwhelming. You have to consider the genre(s) and a book title, chapter titles, word count, and book cover design that aligns with said book genre(s). Not to mention the investment factor a.k.a. money for the editor, the interior designer, and more. Whew! If you’re an aspiring author who hasn't thought about all of this, I'm sorry I’ve added extra stress to your writing journey, however, I’m pretty sure you’ve given this brain space. In fact, these factors could be the reason why it's taking you so long to write and publish your book…

Failure is inevitable, just like pain and death. Okay, let me dial it back and not be so morbid. But seriously, there is no getting around failure, especially if you want to be successful. Book writing is no different. It comes with its share of failures. And notice I said book writing and not book publishing. Some people fail before they even publish their words for the world to see. I know “fail” is a strong word but I want to reframe the negative connotation by encouraging you to accept it. Failure is simply an indicator that someone was neglectful or unsuccessful in a pursuit. It can be damaging or fatal in other contexts, but in the context of writing a book…not so much…

Are you an author or a book influencer? Let’s talk about it. Today’s blog post is inspired by my current social media news feed that is centered around meeting half-year marks. A lot of aspiring authors are still working toward their goal of becoming a published author before 2024 ends, and I’m saddened that a lot of people are not moving toward book influencership. But what’s the difference?

In my last blog post, I shared three reasons why I think it’s beneficial for leaders to become non-fiction authors. Well, today’s blog post is a continuation of last month’s, but it’s a little elevated. It is also a response to a question I get asked often, “Nailah, what do I write my book about?” And my answer to that question is to write about what you know about it. More specifically, write about a niche problem that you solve in your business or career—something that you can create a framework for. If you don’t have a business, no problem. You likely have a polished skill set. That said, I want to encourage you to write about your business and/or skill set because of these three reasons…

No matter the time, day, month, or year you come across this blog post, I want you to know that your experience is worth sharing. Now that that’s out the way, let’s move on to today’s topic, “Why You Should Become a Non-Fiction Author.” And by non-fiction, I’m not necessarily referring to memoirs or autobiographies, I’m referring to the professional development genre, the self-help genre, and the education genre. I’m referring to informational books—leadership books. Because let’s be honest, we are all leaders in some form or fashion…