The subject of writing a book came up during a conversation I had yesterday. During the course of meeting with someone about the possibility of partnering on future projects, my friend mentioned that she’d love to write a book. I mentioned that she should.

Having three books in print provides a platform of experience and dare I say it—expertise. I’ve done it and so can you. It’s not quite that simple, but it’s also not as complicated as some people make it out to be. If you have ideas that you think other people might benefit from, you should consider a book as a tool to leverage, especially if you have the talent and knowledge in your respective field. Even better, in my opinion, if you can demonstrate success from doing, then you have the credibility required to publish a book. My friend has the experience and she knows her subject. I suggested that she start writing her ideas down. These don’t need to be 5,000 word essays. Aphorisms work. So does pithy, descriptive writing, especially if you’re talking about marketing, business consulting, and other similar subjects.

Too often, people that don’t see themselves as writers fear taking that step because they assume that you have to write like Hemingway, or sell books like Stephen King to ever consider taking the plunge and authoring a book.

One of the things that my friend asked me was given that books seem to be less popular, at least in print form, and with more and more people leaning towards e-readers like the Kindle, NOOK, and other digital devices, does it still make sense to think about producing books in print form? I think it does, and others, like Seth Godin, Daniel Pink, and Stephen Pressfield have demonstrated that certain kinds of books still sell and that books provide a shared experience and a way to perpetuate common ideas and themes, particularly related to the realm of business and marketing.

Publishing has no doubt changed. I’m going to do things differently with my next books via RiverVision Press. Smaller press runs, digital formats, and very targeted marketing are definite considerations.

There are many people that I know who should consider writing a book—in fact, I’m surprised that they haven’t included a book as part of their personal brand. Could that be you?

If you’re serious about adding a book to your brand, we should talk about how to make it happen.

Speaking of books, I’ll be launching Moxie: Maine in a Bottle in Lisbon Falls this Saturday, at the Moxie Store, 2 Main Street, in Lisbon Falls. I’ll be signing books from 2:00 to 4:00. Come on out and pick up a book about an iconic soft drink invented by a Mainer that still has a big regional following.