Advice for enterprising speakers
The Blessing and Curse
of Book Publishing
Like most speakers, I dreamed of publishing my first book when I first got into the business. It took six years and 25 rejections, but my first book, Focus on
the Good Stuff, was published by John
Wiley & Sons in 2007. Two years later,
Wiley published my second book, Be
Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken.
Over the past five years, I’ve learned a
few things about the book business. And
while I probably still have just as many
questions as I do answers about the whole
publishing world, it seems clear to me that
writing, publishing and promoting books
are a blessing and a curse.
Here are a few things to think about as
you embark on your next book
promotion processes. Your professional
“tribe” consists of your fans, who will
carry the message and, ultimately, sell the
book. Even with all the technology and
media in the world, books still sell best by
word of mouth.
As you walk down the book publishing path, do not take yourself and the
process too seriously. It will be filled
with blessings and curses, which are all
part of the journey.
Mike Robbins, CSP, is an author, speaker, and coach. His clients include Google, Wells Fargo, Stanford and the SF Giants. He is the author of Focus on the
Good Stuff and Be Yourself, Everyone Else is
Already Taken, which have been translated into
12 languages, and a regular contributor to the
Huffington Post and Oprah.com. Visit www.
Mike-Robbins.com.
IT’S A BIG DEAL.
Getting a book published—your first or
your thirtieth—is a big deal. Whether you
self publish, work with a small house, or go
with a big publisher in New York, pitching, writing and promoting your book is
no small thing. It’s important to remember the enormity of this endeavor, and be
mindful regarding the amount of energy,
effort and focus involved in each step of
the process.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE.
Like most important things in your life or
business, you can’t do this one alone. In
addition to all the people involved with
producing and promoting your book, the
real “village” is composed of the people in
your personal life and your professional
tribe. You will lean on friends and family
when you get “crazy” in the writing and
