Tuesday, August 18, 2009

So, Why Did You Write Your Book?

So, why did you write your book?



If you are an author, you have probably been asked that question, or have asked it of yourself.



Why did you bother to write your book?



Writing a book is not easy - and selling a book is even harder.



So, why do it, unless you are an established author with a loyal following?



I wrote my book "Don't Let Your Dream Business Turn Into a Nightmare" for five reasons:



1) I felt that I had a story that people would find interesting



2) I wanted to challenge myself to take a lot of information and distil it down into a cogent, compelling narrative



3) I wanted to add another dimension to my professional arsenal - as an author



4) I believed that my story could help other entrepeneurs

and



5) I felt that if the book caught on, it could reach a wide audience and make money



Last night, I received an email from a wonderful friend named Tom Berend, a very successful entrepreneur and one of the smartest people I know. This is what he wrote:



Hi Alan:



Just read your book cover-to-cover. It's been on my desk for weeks, but I had only read the first chapter, and it kinda made me cringe - like that horror movie where you watch Jack Nicholson driving through the forest to accept a job at a hotel, and you KNOW it's going to end really badly...



I've got a small venture running in my basement - it's a REALLY GREAT IDEA. There's an angel-finance guy pushing me to accept some investors and build a company. He's got about $500K lined up for me, ready to go. I drafted and redrafted a business plan 7 times before he was happy enough with it to present it to them - and each time, it got better looking. Of course, we are still figuring out who our market is and what our product is, but that's OK, everyone does that.



But now that I've read your book. Hmmm. I realize that I have a REALLY GREAT IDEA and a really wrong business plan. Add money, and investors looking for fast results, that's a recipe for disaster. I've put the finance on hold, will keep running on a shoestring until I learn the business.



Thanks for a really great book, it probably saved my life.



Tom Berend



So, why did you write your book?



Now, you know why I wrote mine.
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2 comments:

  1. David KingAugust 18, 2009 at 5:35 AM

    I'm using same trepidation as Tom to approach our new business, we've been offered VC but are holding off until we have our product cobbled together in some fashion in order to really test the idea!

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  2. Nathan HogleMarch 12, 2010 at 11:56 AM

    Hello Alan,

    You had just recently came to Trent, for our business presentations on your book, and you asked me if I would let you know what I think about it. I thought it was a great idea for a business. I just want to send my regards and respects as I think that it was good of you to take the next step and press forward with a business that you thought would be a great success. So many people now-a-days think of ideas like this and do nothing about it. I am glad you at least attempted.
    Your book was great I enjoyed reading it. It was a really easy read.
    Thanks for coming to Trent, it was great having you.
    -Nathan Hogle

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