24 Feb 2015
Once people hear of my onematchstick
story to date, and get what I am trying to do with trading up in value, the question
that they most often ask me is: Are you going to write a book?
And if it’s not a
question, it’s the statement “you should write a book”.
And I do believe I will. I will write a book.
Since I started out
holding that single matchstick in my hand and writing my first blogpost, I've had
an amazing few years. And it’s not over
yet.
And when you are open to
a possibility, it’s amazing how you start to see and find the resources you
need to make that possibility a reality.
One such resource is the
book “APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur--How to Publish a Book” written by
Guy Kawasaki and Shawn Welch.
I was recommended the
book by my friend Mongezi, and we ended up interviewing Guy Kawasaki about the book (as part of my show, Let's Talk Possibility), as
it is such a useful and worthwhile read – especially for any would-be author.
APE helped me to feel that I could not only write a book, but also that I could self publish it. Guy and Shawn shed some interesting arguments about the pro’s for self publishing, as the debate around Traditional Publishing vs. Self Publishing can be a confusing territory to traverse.
A lot of people have
very little to say about Traditional Publishers that is good, because they
appear to be very controlling and take all the profit. Yet, Self Publishers have a bad name too, for
poor quality and they are tarnished by the thought that their book wasn't good
enough for the traditional big publishers.
APE not only works
through all those points, giving clear and practical guidance on how to go
either route, but it also introduces what the authors call “Artisanal Publishing” and also a “Plan C” that involves both options.
A valuable part of the
book too is the section on the “Entrepreneur” aspect of writing a book, which I
found most stimulating. Most people
believe their book is the next big thing, and that publishers will fight over
the book to publish it, and then people will buy and read it. Guy and Shawn advocate that marketing of
your book starts before it’s even been written.
And so, after having
read APE and recommending it, I am applying what I have learnt, and letting you
know now that I will be writing a book about the onematchstick story – so watch
this space!
For more info check out:
http://apethebook.com/
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