You heard that right. You should probably write a book. Maybe not now, but I’m a firm believer that you absolutely should. Yes, I know it sounds crazy but before you roll your eyes, I think there are a lot of good reasons why you must write one.
Right off the bat, I know there are usually two schools of thought when I tell people “Hey, you should write a book!” The first one is the group of people who think they’re too busy to write because running a business is way too time-consuming in and of itself. The second group is usually full of people who believe that even if they wanted to write a book, they wouldn’t have many, if any, substantial things to say.
And to both of those people, I say that your worries, while valid, are tiny compared to the real benefits of writing your own book. As an author myself, with several books under my belt, I can say firsthand that I’ve experienced those same anxieties, but writing a book was a one-of-a-kind experience that took all those fears away and brought out a truly confident me.
If that sounds good to you, here are some other reasons every entrepreneur should write a book:
1) It Makes You More Credible
As an entrepreneur, I’ve sat in many listless and boring seminars (yes, even CEOs can find seminars as boring as anyone), and a lot of the time, I’ve found that I’ve been at my most bored and judgemental when I feel the person talking has zero expertise to them. I know expertise can come in many different forms, but you can also kind of tell when somebody doesn’t seem trustworthy in their field, and that you might be better off not taking their advice at all.
But when you write a book, you immediately seem more credible. Because if nothing else, you have the legitimacy of taking your time and effort to really research and put words onto blank sheets. Of course, this necessitates that you actually do put well-sourced research and do have knowledge and wisdom to offer, but writing a book makes you credible because it shows the effort you put into your beliefs and theses. Plus, it makes you accountable for every word you put out, which is a big sign that somebody is responsible enough to own up to the things they say.
Credibility goes a long way in entrepreneurship, and writing a book is a simple step you can take.
2) It Lasts
Naturally, we all want to create something that lasts. And in the world of business, we can rarely count on that happening. If the pandemic has shown us anything, it’s that even the strongest of businesses can be brought down immediately. There’s mortality in business, and as entrepreneurs, our only job is to evade it for as long as possible.
But this crushing succumbing to fate isn’t true with a book. A book is a lasting imprint on your legacy. It’s something that will always be a positive note attached to your name. Even when you die – as we all do – your book will still be available to other people, even if it’s out of print.
You can remove people from the world, but you can’t remove ideas. And writing a book is one way to make sure that your ideas will never be erased.
3) It Helps Foster Connections
One of the more obvious benefits of writing a book is that it serves as an extra stream of income. The more you sell your book, the more extra money you make. But while that is a huge plus, you shouldn’t be writing a book just for the money, but more so because you have something you want to share with the world.
Besides, at the end of the day, the true income you can make is from the connections you have. Connections in and of themself are the most valuable assets in the world, not just because of the networking aspect, but because of the value of connecting with other people. And writing a book can definitely help facilitate building those relationships.
When you write a book, you build bridges with other people through the messages you give. When someone receives that message and responds to it, you know that’s a strong connection you share with that person. And with that connection comes the ability to throw ideas at each other, to collaborate, and possibly start on new projects together.
You need to value the connections you make, and having a message that reaches a wide number of people in the way a book does is one of the best ways you can do that.
4) It Manifests Your Meaning
All that being said, books need to have messages behind them. Who honestly likes reading a book that has no purpose? I’d rather flip to a romantic movie on Netflix and get my fix of fluttery feelings than read 200 pages from somebody who doesn’t know what they’re talking about because at least the romantic feelings are real!
You need to have sincerity when you write a book. The same way you have to have sincerity when you start a business. But that’s why those two things actually go hand in hand. The same vision that you built your business on is the vision you can express through your book. It is your way of verbalising the purpose you are trying to accomplish in entrepreneurship and in life. And when you manifest this message, no doubt other people will want to hear it. In writing a book, you get to solidify the message you and your business have for the world. And if you don’t have that message fully ironed out yet, well that leads me to my next point.
5) You Learn More About Yourself
Finally, we’ve reached what I believe is the most important reason you, as an entrepreneur, should write a book – you learn more about yourself than you could’ve ever imagined.
Circling back to the two biggest hesitations I’ve found with entrepreneurs and writing a book – I’ve been both kinds of people. I’ve been both somebody that felt they were too busy to write, and I’ve also dealt with the impostor syndrome of feeling like I have nothing to say.
However, in writing a book I’ve found that it taught me immense discipline and time management despite running my businesses. I’ve also learnt that my impostor syndrome went away because the book gave me more confidence and self-assurance. I’ve always considered myself kind of a workaholic, but the patience, diligence, and humility it took me to write a book were things that I found along the way. And they inspired me to keep going and share the lessons I’ve learnt about myself with the world, so that other people can find that confidence too.
To your success,
Mario
[Visit www.mariosingh.com now to enjoy a FREE e-book of my latest “37 Essential Principles for Massive Success” when you subscribe!]