Why It’s Time to Write Your Book and Share Your Unique Perspective
Many books on a particular topic are outdated, and each person has a unique perspective, making it possible for a new book on your topic to be published and connect with a specific audience.
You’ve always dreamt about doing a book to demonstrate your thought leadership, your knowledge, and your experience to attract new clients, new speaking, new income, and new fun.
Here’s the rub: every time you look at your office bookshelf, visit Amazon, or check out a neighborhood bookstore (if you can still find one), you notice that there are stacks and stacks of books on your topic.
So why bother, right? I’ve got great news.
Just because other people have written books in your field doesn’t mean that you cannot or should not. Or, to say the same thing with a more positive spin, to quote my running shoe, Nike, just do it.
Here are three reasons why.
First, many, if not most, of the books in your field, even if they were published not that many years ago, are already out of date. The world spins so quickly today that the leading edge becomes a bleeding edge seemingly overnight.
In fact, these days, all books are either B.C. or A.D.—Before Covid or After Donald. What book about finance, business, politics, health, foreign countries, media, or practically any other topic published before Donald took that escalator ride still has relevance in today’s world?
Books show their age so quickly today that they might as well be magazines.
In short, practically everything that hasn’t been published in the last few years is outdated and, therefore, all but useless and unappealing to readers. There’s plenty of room for a new book on your topic.
Here’s another reason: not every book addresses every single reader.
In case you haven’t noticed it, the world is niche. There’s practically no mass market for anything these days. The Super Bowl and the Oscars used to be must-see TV for the broad swath of the American public. These days, more than two-thirds of Americans tune out the Super Bowl, and it’s hard to find anybody who schedules his or her life around the Oscars telecast.
Those are just two examples, but the reality is that practically everything today is aimed at a niche audience, and that includes books.
Sure, someone might have written a really good book that covers some of the same ground that you might cover. But that author is connecting with his or her niche, not yours. There is still tons of people out there who need to hear from you and will benefit from your unique perspective.
Seth Godin introduced the concept of “tribes”–the manner in which people organize themselves into interest groups, both in real life and online. Tribes need tribal leaders. There may not be a book—there probably isn’t a book–that speaks directly to your tribe nearly as well as yours will. Maybe your tribe is geographic in nature. Your people live in the Midwest, and they don’t connect with pushy New Yorkers (like me, for instance). Or it is socioeconomic–there are books written on your topic for folks who have different levels of income and wealth from the people you serve. Or your tribe might be ethnic, religious, racial, or some other entity. Whatever your audience may be, they need you to step up as their tribal leader. Otherwise, their wishes and dreams are likely to go unfulfilled.
Finally, others may be able to write books about a given topic. But no one can match your uniqueness, your experience, your knowledge base, your point of view. This is not to denigrate other people’s books. It is to suggest that you have wisdom and guidance to offer that likely no one else in your field can match.
So please do not be put off by the fact that others have written books in or around your topic. Those books may well be out of date, may not speak to your tribe or niche audience, and could not possibly reflect the uniqueness that you bring to the table.
It’s time to write your book. Your tribe is waiting.