Write Your Book in Under 30 Days: Using Your Book as a Business Card

Your Book is a Business Card

Think of the number of times you’ve thrown a presentation or a pitch deck into a recycling bin.

Chances are, it’s a big number.

Now think of the number of times you’ve thrown a book into a recycling bin. If you’re like me, this number is probably zero — or close to it.

Even books people hate or have read until the cover falls off still get donated. For most people, it just feels wrong to throw out or recycle a book.

This means that any books you write will likely find a place of value in the offices, homes, hearths, and hearts of your readers.

The Permanence of Books

The respect for books — and their permanence — is a core value of writing a book to project your leadership.

This permanence allows you to occupy significant pieces of mental real estate in the minds of your colleagues, clients, and competitors to build your visibility as a leader.

Leaders share their stories.

And people value stories in physical books highly, despite our rapid move to digital media.

If you give your clients, peers, managers, or future employers a book you’ve written, they’ll probably put it on their office bookshelf.

Or they might bring home the signed copy you give them and proudly show it to their families.

Authors refer to this dynamic as using your “book as a business card.”

Executives Read a Lot

In my experience writing a book is most effective when trying to make a positive impression on CEOs and other C-suite executives.

People at the highest levels of leadership read voraciously. They consume books for knowledge. And if you share valuable insights with them, it can have a tremendously positive impact on your career.

Of course, as with all forms of leadership projection, you also need to consider the costs of writing a book. And the costs are high in terms of both time and money — especially compared to posting on social media or going on someone’s podcast.

When thinking about the effort of writing a book, I’ve often cautioned that it might take you months or years to complete.

And you might spend thousands of dollars on a great cover, layout, copy editing, file conversion, and proof copies.

But I believe it is more than worth it.

And as for the time component? I am hopeful that the articles in this series help you get your book written and published quickly.

Book as Legacy

You also need to consider that a book is more than just a thick business card. Because by writing a book, you’re adding what’s called a “resume line” that will be on your resume forever.

And a book can be even more important than that. Because it may become part of your professional legacy.

It could be what’s called a “eulogy line.”

Because when you die, people will likely talk about the book you wrote and the legacy of knowledge and vision you shared with the world.

Compared to printing a business card or making another PowerPoint presentation, the costs of writing and printing a book are high.

But the value for your current and future professional career — and for building your leadership visibility — will be even higher!

Write the Future — Previous Articles

In case you are writing along this month with me, here are the articles I've shared so far to help you write your book in under 30 days:

• Writing Schedule on Day 1 — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/how-write-your-book-under-30-days-writing-schedule-day-jason-schenker/
• Publication Schedule on Days 2 to 5 — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-publication-schedule-2-5-jason-schenker/
• Identifying Your Audience — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-identifying-audience-jason-schenker/
• The Audience of One — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-audience-one-jason-schenker/
• The Secret Formula — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/how-write-your-book-under-30-days-secret-formula-jason-schenker/
• Picking a Book Cover and Title — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-picking-cover-title-jason-schenker/
• How Can a 30 Day Book Not be Junk? — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-how-can-day-junk-jason-schenker/
• Building a Team with a Hype Man — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-building-team-hype-man-jason-schenker/
• Outlining Your Book — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-outlining-jason-schenker/
• A Sample Book Outline — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-sample-outline-jason-schenker/
• Publication Schedule on Days 6 to 10 — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-publication-schedule-6-10-schenker/
• You Will be Wrong — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-you-wrong-jason-schenker/
• Fonts, Font Size, and White Space — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-fonts-font-size-white-space-schenker
• Perspectives and Priorities — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-perspectives-priorities-jason-schenker/
• The First Rule of Writing a Book — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-first-rule-writing-jason-schenker/
• The Secret of Second Editions — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-secret-second-editions-jason-schenker/
• Publication Schedule on Days 11 to 19 — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-publication-schedule-11-jason-schenker/
• Footnotes, Endnotes, and Citations — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-footnotes-endnotes-jason-schenker/
• Set Reasonable Goals — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-set-reasonable-goals-jason-schenker/
• Mental Real Estate — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-mental-real-estate-jason-schenker/
• Writing as a Futurist — https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-writing-futurist-jason-schenker/
• Value From Your Book by Speaking on the Lecture Circuit— https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/write-your-book-under-30-days-value-from-speaking-lecture-schenker/

These articles draw on content from Jason Schenker's book Write the Future, which was released on 24 June 2020.

Write the Future is online here: www.WriteTheFutureBook.com

Jason Schenker is one of the world's leading futurists. He is the Chairman of The Futurist Institute and the President of Prestige Economics. Jason is also an instructor for LinkedIn Learning.

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