There are two things people are always saying they’d love to do; open a restaurant and write a book. Of course, if they’re in the culinary field they can do both.

The closest I came to learning about opening a restaurant was writing a book on how to get started with your own food truck. However, I do know quite a bit about writing a book and the excited feeling of getting published. When my first book came out in 1987, my wife Carol and I would see it in bookstores (yes, they still had bookstores) and if the books were not facing outward, we’d turn them – when nobody was looking – so the cover would be facing forward. Once as I was turning a few of my books from having only the spine facing out, to the cover facing out, someone asked me if I was the author – I admitted that I was. He said he was an author too and did the same thing.

There are a number of reasons for writing a book, and oddly enough making a fortune in book sales is not high on the list. Unless you are a celebrity, or the next James Patterson or J.K. Rowling, don’t count on making the big bucks. I once had someone call me about helping him with his novel. He asked if I could assure him of 20-million in sales. I asked him if he was Stephen King.

So if it’s not money, why are so many people eager to get a book deal or self-publish? Here are the top 5 reasons – in no particular order:

1 – To share their expertise: We learn from experts; which explains the tremendous success of self-help books. As an expert, you can not only display your knowledge, and provide guidance, but you can become a “go-to” person for the media. It’s also a boost for business if your expertise is in your chosen field. If for example, someone is choosing between two contractors, and you’re the contractor with a book (or e-book), they will more often choose you.

2 – To tell a story: Most of us have at least one engaging story to tell. It is often a personal story, which describes some aspect of their life – a personal struggle, a great learning experience, an awakening, or a turning point – something that will resonate with readers. This is often the impetus for a book.

Of course a story can also be a researched, documented, true account, or a complete work of fiction (a novel), or sci-fi focused on the experiences of original characters (sometimes based on real people, other times straight from the author’s imagination). Truth is; people simply love to read a good story.

3 – To motivate or inspire: Whether this ties into a story, as mentioned above, a series of stories, or delves into research on how to move forward when you are “stuck” personally or in business, you can have a significant impact on other people through your book. Not only can readers learn from you, but you can touch them emotionally or even spiritually – which is especially rewarding to an author.

4 – To market your business: If you are an entrepreneur, a book is the best business card you can have. Many business owners appreciate the benefit of having a book to draw in new customers. Whether you charge for the book or hand it out, customers can connect with your company by reading about how you started and grew the business, what products or services you offer, and how you can meet their needs. Books make great marketing tools.

5 – To amuse or entertain: Now, more than ever, we need some humor. Satire, funny stories, cartoons, silly cat or dog photos, or “an irreverent look at,” all make the list. These books are typically short, and should (obviously) be enjoyable. I started my career as an author with 5 humor books, one of which sold 100,000 copies. Go figure. The internet has not cornered the market on humor and entertainment.

As a ghostwriter, I now help people with all of the above. We talk, establish a rapport, and chapter by chapter, or story by story, create a book. And usually the author (my client) enjoys the process very much. Then he or she also enjoys that great feeling of being a published author.

So, why not write a book, it’s cheaper than opening a restaurant.

Rich Mintzer
Rsmz@optonline.net
Website: https://yourbookyourway.net

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