“Writing means sharing. It's part of the human condition to want to share things – thoughts, ideas, opinions.”
Paulo Coelho
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Speakers for this year's 3PUK conference have been announced…
… and they include 3 of the mentors from the Clarity Trainer Training programme (Mark Howard, Dicken Bettinger and Chip Chipman), as well as many other dear friends and colleagues. You can get a 10% discount when you book before April 20th and use the code clarity201510% (we're not taking an affiliate fee, btw, just keeping track of how many people book). You can see the full speaker list and book your place here: http://bit.ly/3PUK2015
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People often ask me how things have changed for me since my first book – CLARITY – was published in 2013. The curious thing is that, while some of the changes I expected never ended up happening, becoming an author has also brought blessings I never dreamt of. In this article, I’m going to reveal 7 reasons you might not even have anticipated to get your book written and out into the world.
Reason number 1 – You can unlock a powerful source of leverage
If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a team to write a book. I discovered how much help I needed, and how many people were willing to lend a hand if I was willing to ask…
– The thousands of people who signed up to read and give feedback on a chapter per week as I created the first draft of the book
– Nikki Owen and the team at Jamie Smart Ltd who kept the wheels turning while I holed up writing for weeks on end
– The friends and mentors who helped me “get clarity”, clearing obstacles and nudging me back on track when I wobbled
– The clients who gave permission for me to use illuminating stories from our shared history
– The colleagues who wrote endorsements for the book once it was ready for publication
– My publisher who helped me realise that, while I knew my subject, I knew very little about choosing a title, designing a cover, naming the chapters and about 100 other aspects of the publishing process that were a mystery to me
The huge lesson is that the team can create something bigger and better than you can create on your own. Personally, this discovery is now having leverage in every aspect of my business, but it started with the book.
Reason Number 2 – You can get clarity on your message
We’ve all had the experience of looking at the cover of a book and thinking “I have to have it!”, as if the book was written specifically to help you with something you’re trying to solve, change or achieve. One of the keys to writing a non-fiction bestseller is ensuring that your book speaks directly to something that your audience highly values; something they’re already on the lookout for. My publishing team helped me (literally) get clarity on the core promise of the book. Once we chose CLARITY: Clear Mind, Better Performance, Bigger Results as the title, it gave me a focal point to shape the book around, and a promise I could aspire to in my writing.
Reason Number 3 – You can build your strategic platform
As it turns out, CLARITY wasn’t just a great title for the book; it’s become central to our brand and a foundational element for our organisation. The book has been like a touchstone that has allowed a tribe to form around the CLARITY message, as well as for people to get involved at a deeper level. It’s also provided a logic for sharing the principles behind clarity with a variety of audiences (for instance, the Certified Clarity Coach Training Programme, the #WorldClarity project and a variety of new ventures have all grown from the book.)
Reason Number 4 – You can establish yourself more fully as an authority
I was already well aware that a book is a powerful “business card” because of the increased credibility and authority that comes with being an author. But it turns out that it’s no coincidence that the word “authority” has “author” at its root. While I already had well-rehearsed content that evolved through my work with clients, it’s almost as though the process of creating the book is itself an act of leadership. After all, when you decide to become an author, you have to take a position. You step forward as a leader, signing up for conflict and criticism (something very few people are willing to do). Because so many people are afraid of criticism, people intuitively know that those people who invite it have managed to connect with a source of courage, creativity and boldness that we admire and value.
Reason Number 5 – You can massively extend your reach
Your book is like an ambassador for you and your business, working 24 hours a day. When people want a solution for free, the search engine they use is Google. But when they’re ready to start paying for a solution, the search engine they use is Amazon. Once your book is listed on Amazon, people all over the world can find it at the exact moment they’re ready to use your solution to the challenge they’re facing. When you become an author, you massively extend your reach. And while you may already know that intellectually, it really starts to hit you when you start getting reports of how your book is finding its way around the world.
Reason Number 6 – You can have an impact at a distance
Of course, once people can find you from a distance, you can start having an impact at a distance. I’ve been amazed at the people who have been impacted by my books when they needed them, from Liverpool FC striker Daniel Sturridge to Geordie Shore star Holly Hagan; from people on the other side of the globe who say the book has changed their lives to business leaders who say they love the book and want to hire me to work with them. You’ll get emails from places you didn’t expect (like the photo above from the folks at Gulf Breeze Recovery who are using CLARITY as one of the resources to help their clients recover from alcoholism and drug addiction) and messages from people you would never have met in person.
Reason Number 7 – You can start creating your legacy
As an author, you’ll always remember the day you submitted your first manuscript. The feelings of accomplishment, excitement and relief (“Finally, it’s finished!”). The sense of hope, anticipation and curiosity (“How’s it going to be received?”) But there’s a thought that didn’t occur to me until over a year later: “This is the start of your legacy!” The sudden arrival of this thought changed the frame-size and time-scale of the game I was playing. Think about it: what are some of the books that have really impacted you in your life? While some of them may have been recent bestsellers, I’ll bet that some of them were written decades or even centuries ago. Books have a strangely magical quality that means people struggle to throw them away or destroy them. Even when they’re finished with them, people go out of their way to try and ensure books find their way to a good home. And the best books win their places in hearts and in history, sending powerful messages across vast stretches of time. Think about that for a moment: your book has the potential to share your insights with and have an impact on people who haven’t even been born yet!
The thing that characterises these 7 reasons is the fact that I wasn’t even aware of them when I first submitted my manuscript. But it turns out that getting your book published isn’t the end of the journey; it’s the beginning, and that’s something worth knowing. By the way, if you’ve got a book in you and you’re keen to get it out into the world, check out the PS below for something you may find intriguing.
To your increasing clarity,
Big love
Jamie
PS. I’m looking for six super-specific people for my next pilot programme. Here’s what I’m looking for:
– You are an experienced and successful coach, trainer, consultant or change-worker (E.g. Management Consultant, Transformational Coach, Platform Speaker, Workshop Leader etc)…
– You've been in business and seeing clients *professionally* for at least 2 years, and have been developing your understanding and approach for quite a bit longer than that (i.e. you’ve got your own way of working, complete with "war stories”, your own insights and a proven track-record of engaging and impacting your clients in ways that they pay decent money for)…
– Chances are, you came to the conclusion quite a while ago that if you had your own book, it would further establish you as an authority in your marketplace, and make a big difference to your business in terms of visibility, credibility and cash-flow, HOWEVER…
– You simply don’t have the time, patience or inclination to spend years developing a unique writing style and furiously word-smithing between 25,000 and 35,000 words of hard-wrought, non-fiction goodness. In fact, if you’re the person I’m looking for, you’re probably too busy hustling (growing your business, serving your clients and bringing home the bacon) to embark on an extended literary write-a-thon…
– You have a book in you, but you haven’t written it yet, and you may be starting to wonder if it’s ever going to get written…
– You have a coachable spirit, and are willing to step out of your comfort zone if necessary…
– You’re decisive and effective; you love getting things done and making things happen…
– You’re aware that your expertise has limits, and are willing to accept high-quality guidance / support where necessary…
– You’re an enthusiastic, friendly people-person, and…
– You can keep a secret.
If that’s you, then send an email to info@jamiesmart.com letting me know where you’re located and a little about yourself and about the book you have in mind (if you don’t know what to tell me about, look at the list above for inspiration). Make the subject line “Project Dynamo”. I’ll be drawing up a shortlist in the next few weeks. Talk to you soon! J