It’s Time for You to Write YOUR Book!

By Carl Pritchard, PMI-RMP®, PMP®

You need to write a book. 

I’ve told dozens of friends, students and family members that writing a book should be a priority for them.  I’ve written ten.  Eight went through conventional publishers, one through what’s called “vanity press” and one through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).  I really don’t care which approach you use to create your manuscript, but I feel like a lot of people don’t craft their dream text because they’re frightened by the publishing process.  Don’t be.  Amazon KDP has taken this down to a very simple level, so if you just want to get something in print, the hurdle is only inches high.

Why write a book?

You are an expert.  You’re a mom, and you watch other moms make the same mistakes over and over.  You want to stop them, but you don’t want to insult them.  Write a book.  You’re a consultant and want your clients to believe you and trust you as sage counsel.  Why should they?  Because you’ve written the book.  You don’t want to chase your Masters’ or Ph.D. degree, but want academic-level credibility.  Write a book.  You have a family, and you want them (and their heirs) to know who you were in the family tree.  Write a book.

My latest book, The Stage Four Cancer Project, fell into the last category.  My other nine were primarily project management texts bordering on the academic.  It was the first (and only) time I’ve used KDP, and I was thoroughly impressed.  I’ll explain the opportunities and challenges of each approach below:

Traditional Publishing

If you want high credibility, go through a traditional publisher.  But be aware that the hurdles are high.  You have to write a proposal (which they will rewrite if they like it) explaining who the audience is and why they’re going to buy your book.  You’ll face a gauntlet of editors who will have a distaste for your writing style and will change every clever idiom you incorporate.  Be prepared.  The final product will look amazingly professional, but you’ll be drained by the experience.  Also, they control the price points, in some cases, pricing you out of being able to afford your own book.

Vanity Press

Vanity press is similar to traditional publishing with one major difference.  If you have the money to make it happen, they’ll print it.  The sales pitch is easy on your part, but it is a wallet-draining experience.  Your initial outlay will ultimately be between $4,000 and $10,000, even though they advertise as being able to publish your book for under $1,000.  There are a LOT of add-ons along the way that are difficult to avoid.  The plus side?  They do take on some of the editorial effort and reviews.  The downside?  They do take on some of the editorial effort and reviews.  Blessing and curse.

Amazon Kindle Digital Publishing (KDP)

Some very dear friends of mine recently published a very professional-looking classroom text, and I asked them about their publisher.  They revealed KDP to me.  Wow.  I had written most of the book, but hadn’t formatted it or thought through the structure of the book.  I really just wanted to get it in print.  KDP offers bells and whistles, but you don’t have to buy them.  If you’re willing to do the legwork, get a proofreader, use your own photos and art, the cost of entry is time and time alone.  Since I had already written the text, and I had the photos I intended to use, I was largely ready to go.  All I had to do was to cut and paste the text into the KDP Word document format and proofread until I couldn’t stand to read my own words anymore.  (Then my wife and in-laws became my proofers).  I ordered a half-dozen galley proof (pre-publication) copies to ensure everything looked right.  And when I was satisfied, I punched a few on-line buttons, and a few days later, it was up and running on Amazon.  I had chosen the topics, the price tag, the royalties and how much promotion I was willing to dedicate to it.  I even had my choice of the paper on which it is printed.  All of that started with a journey to kdp.amazon.com.

How’s Your Work of Art Selling?

I’m not moving hundreds and hundreds of books, but I seem to be able to maintain a book-a-day pace.  I don’t know if that’s better or worse than my other books, since I get these Byzantine reports from my publishers that make discerning how many books have been sold for how much to whom almost impossible to get through.  But I don’t care. 

I’d love to be a best-selling author, but if I just move one book a day, it means my messages are getting out.  And it’s time to get your message out, too.  Whether it’s a professional message, artistic message, or the great American novel, seize the day.  By writing just two or three pages a day, you can finish and publish your book by the end of the year.  (And if you’re scared of leaping into the process, make a pact with someone you genuinely trust and do it together).  I’ve written nine books alone, one book with another project manager, and contributed to seven or eight other compendia.  It’s time.  I realize my paper legacy will one day be so out of date that it’ll only be found on antique book sites.  I’m OK with that.  And you should be, too.  It’s a way to let others know where your passions were, and why it should matter to them.

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Carl Pritchard’s latest book, The Stage Four Project: A Project Manager’s Game Plan for Dealing with Cancer, is available on Amazon.com    He welcomes your insight and comments at carl@carlpritchard.com