Authorship: Writing Columns and Books (Self-published vs. Publishers) The Art of Writing and Getting it Done

Roundtable with Michael Podolinsky CSP 2008

Don’t waste your time or money taking a ‘creative writing course’. Instead, take a journalism course. It will teach you to be economical with your words and hard-hitting. 

It is a good idea to write for a newspaper or magazine. Start with a few stories and then write a regular column. When you write regularly, you are a member of the press. As a speaker or trainer, it is sometimes hard to get the appointments to see HR, VP sales or C-Suite people. As a journalist, you get invitations. 

Author books for publishers or self-publish: both make sense. If you want to make cash from your book, self-publish. If you want credibility and to make more money fromyour speaking, get a big name publisher. 

Self-publishing is not that hard today. Elance.com and Guru.commake it easy to find an editor, text designer and cover designer (3 different jobs). Get several quotes on your printing as well. To print 1000 to 2000 books will cost you $3k to $12k or $2 to $6 a book. I suggest you start your own publishing company (2 hours and about $50 in Singapore) with a url. Include the bar code so you can sell in bookstores and get Market Asia (Johnson Lee) to get it in all the bookstores for you. 

Publishing with a big name publisher is not that tough. If you say to them, “I’ll buy the first 1000 books”, they are HAPPY to publish you. As they will charge you about $10 for a $20 book, your $10,000 ‘contribution’ pays for the initial print-run and they love speakers as they will help to sell the book. Selling 2000 books in Singapore is a successful book. 

They key is to start the discipline of writing every day. The morning is a great time to write and shoot for 90 minute blocks.