I don’t think there’s a better PR tool than writing your own book. But writing (and completing) a book is an interesting and uniquely challenging project.
I used a writing consultant to help me write my book, which just came out this past June. Since it’s a blend of technical and business topics, I wrote the copy and had the professional writer review and significantly edit and challenge the content. We would write and re-write until we had the wording to the point where it was understandable to her— and it was professionally written.
With self-promotion and Amazon.com, the world of publishing is very accessible today. So after the book was complete, I self-published. I had one opportunity to publish with a technical publisher but felt the book would be better served if I could control the process.
The consultant was extremely valuable. She helped me stay on schedule and provided active criticism throughout the process. Her fees were only US$10,000, and the total book investment was approximately US$15,000 to get to print.
It was well worth the investment, both personally and professionally. In addition to gaining credibility in my own field, I now feel a strong sense of accomplishment for having created a product that represents my personal belief system. I had the opportunity to publicly espouse my ideals and my perspective, and taking advantage of that opportunity is starting to pay off.
How long did the whole process take? Longer than it took to have my son— about 10 months. I started writing around the same time my wife and I conceived, so it was a race against Mother Nature, and Mother Nature won.
My life plan had me writing my first book after I sold my first company and had time to sit at the beach looking for my next gig. I would be focusing solely on growing and building companies to create leaders for the world, and that would use up all of my energy. I never intended to focus on my company and a book simultaneously. But after hearing Verne Harnish speak at EO’s recent Entrepreneurial Masters’ Program (formerly called Birthing of Giants) at the MIT Endicott House in Massachusetts, USA, I realized that I didn't necessarily have to write a general book about business. Verne inspired me to be an expert in my own industry, and the best way to do that was by writing my own book. I also realized that I actually have two books in me: the one I just wrote and the one I’ll write someday soon.
Once the baby starts sleeping throughout the night.
Ron’s book, Better Be Running!: Tools to Drive Design Success, is focused on helping companies get products to market faster and under budget. Read more about it here.