In today’s guest post coach and author Karen Williams shares her knowledge and experience in:

Why Writing A Book Is Good For Your Business

by Karen Williams

I believe that to stand out in your business and be different from everyone else, a great place to start is by writing a book. They say we all have a book or two within us, but why is it so hard to get started or know how to finish?

Here are 3 reasons why you need to write a book:

• You can differentiate yourself from others in your field
• You can get noticed in your industry and be recognised as an expert in your subject
• You can change the lives of more people by having a wider reach

Sounds easy?

Writing a (good) book will be great for business. But you may see it as an expensive business card, or you’re not sure where to start and what to do first. You may wonder whether you are ready to share your message with the world and what people may think.

So let me help. In chapter 11 in my second book, How to Stand Out in your Business, I shared my strategies for writing a book.

Like many people I learnt the hard way when I wrote my first book. In 2009, I didn’t have a clue where to start, how to structure the book, let alone get published. So it’s not surprising that it took me eighteen months to get The Secrets of Successful Coaches out into the world. At that stage, I vowed that if I ever wrote another book it would be so much easier. I had the chance to model what I’d done, take the things that worked and ditch the stuff that didn’t get results.

This is what I learnt from writing my first book:

• Focus on the reason why you want to write the book, as this passion will keep you on track.
• Get clear on your target reader, and ensure your business is aligned to this person. Having the foundations in place first is essential to your success. Plus you can check what else has been written in this subject or genre.
• When you plan the book, it makes it so much easier. You can pick it up and start writing each day with ease as you know what’s next and what you’ve written.
• Don’t edit as you go along as you’ll get so caught up with getting it right at an early stage, and you’ll neglect putting new words on the page.
• There are lots of different publishing options out there and do what’s right for you. The proof is in your reader’s opinions and fourteen 5 star reviews on Amazon must be a good start!
• You’re unlikely to make millions from writing a book, but positioning yourself as an expert is good for your business and will help you to get more clients.
• Go out with a bang! Having a book launch is a great way to get noticed and an excuse for a party, and brings your current and prospective clients together.

Now there’s more to it than this I assure you, but having a blueprint that worked made the second book easier to write. From conception to publication, my second book took just 6 months and it reached #1 in the book’s categories on Amazon earlier this year.

To be successful, you do need to get the building blocks in place in your business first, and then you will be crystal clear that you are sharing the right message with your reader, and get noticed by your prospective clients!

This year, Karen Williams is collaborating with Book Publicist, Helen McCusker from Booked PR, and they are running Author Workshops to get your book off the starting blocks. If you are ready to write your book, join them for their pilot event on Sunday 21 April 2013 in Hampshire. Find out more and book your place here.

About the Karen

A business coach, author, speaker, and fire walk instructor, Karen Williams, from Self Discovery Coaching, works with coaches and solopreneurs. She helps them to develop the foundations for a successful business, stand out from the crowd and enjoy every step of the way (including writing a book).

Karen is the author of The Secrets of Successful Coaches, which reached #1 in the Business charts on Amazon and released her second book, How to Stand Out in your Business, in January 2013. She has just started her third!

You can sign up for her free EBook’30 Ways to Stand Out in your Business in 30 Minutes or Less’ here.