Achieve your career-related goals

Some people write books because they want to pursue writing as a career.

(Check out “Can Self-Publishing Be a Full-Time Gig?” later in this chapter for

more about this career option.) Others, however, use their work to promote

other aspects of their established career.

After you become a published author, you instantly become a credible

“expert” on whatever topic you wrote about. People respect authors and the

knowledge they share. Therefore, being a published author can help you

-

 Land a new job in your area of expertise

-

 Earn a raise or promotion with your current employer

-

 Launch or expand your own business and earn the respect of customers

-

 Become a consultant or freelancer in your area of expertise

-

 Earn extra money lecturing or teaching seminars on your book’s topic

-

 Be the media’s go-to person whenever a news story breaks about your

topic

-

 Pursue writing as a full-time career, assuming you’re able to sell enough

books or write enough articles for newspapers and magazines to earn a

living

In addition, after your book publishes, it can be used as a powerful marketing

tool for yourself and/or your company. The book serves as a resume or busi-

ness card for promoting yourself as an expert in your field and helps you

pursue your professional goals.

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