Why You Should Write A Book About Your Business and/or Skill set

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: 

It's low-hanging fruit. 

If you have at least five years of experience in your field and have been working diligently in your business or career to refine your skill set, I think this is a good amount of time dedicated to one industry to qualify you to teach others, especially if you've been performing a skill set on a daily basis. You can teach your experience by way of a non-fiction, informational book. Keep in mind, what comes easy to you may not come as easily to another person.

For example, I taught English in South Korea in 2012. While there, I focused on grammar. And when I came back to the States, I continued to teach English in K12 classrooms. I also taught it online via social media, and again, I focused on grammar. Like my students, I noticed some adults were unaware of certain grammar rules. “Thank you for sharing this, Nailah.” It was then that I realized that this subject matter was easy for me because I taught it every single day. However, most adults have been out of the classroom for years. They needed a refresher. Those messages prompted me to write a book about grammar, Look Better In Writing: A Quick and Easy Guide to Punctuation. I literally packaged my prowess as it was low hanging fruit. 

What is low hanging fruit in your business or career? What is a skill set that you’ve mastered over the years? Whatever it is, consider writing a book about it. Your experience can trim the learning curve for someone else in your field.

It positions you as an authority in your industry.

Becoming an author establishes your authority in your industry. As I stated in last month’s blog post, you can’t spell the word “authority” without the word “author.” Back to the example above, I became the go-to girl for grammar in my circle of colleagues, friends, and online supporters once I published Look Better In Writing. I was the person that people would go to for help with editing social media copy, college essays, professional emails, and anything that required proper punctuation. And guess what? This brand alignment helped me niche down and build my book-editing business as I already had a built-in audience. Now, I treat my book as a lead magnet for my editing service. But it started with me writing a non-fiction book about a topic I was knowledgeable in, and I encourage you to do the same. 

It helps you expand your influence.

There's an audience there for you. No matter the industry. If you’re in tech, there is an audience for you. If you’re in the beauty and wellness space, there is an audience for you. If you’re in sports, there is an audience for you. Again, no matter the industry, there is a group of people who’d benefit from your expertise. I would argue that the benefit is mutual as teaching people how to achieve a desired result is a leadership quality. And in my opinion, non-fiction authors are teachers, and teachers are leaders, and leaders are influential. 

While traditionally teaching in the K12 classroom, my reach was limited to about 25 students per class. When I wrote and published my Look Better In Writing book on Amazon, my reach broadened. Between book sales from across the globe and university library catalogs, my impact is now limitless. My influence has expanded. That's the power of strategically writing about what you know about. 

To my industry leaders, thought leaders, and educators looking to make an impact, consider writing an informational book about your business and/or skill set. What subject-matter expert doesn't want to be influential?!

P.S. If you need help organizing your expertise into a manuscript, then check out my latest workbook, Book-fluence: How to Write a Book to Position Yourself as a Leader in Your Industry. 🙂

Until the next blog post,

Nailah