The write stuff
With the advent of self-publishing, business owners who have something to say are looking to books as a way to spread their word and in turn, establish credibility as a resource in their industry.
Mindy Gibbins-Klein of Greenwich is the founder and director of Real Thought Leaders, The Book Midwife and Ecademy Press business publishing house. Gibbins-Klein, who splits her time between the United Kingdom and Greenwich, has helped authors write and publish more than 300 books.
“After my first book came out I found other business owners started looking to me for ways to get their own thoughts across in books,” Gibbins-Klein said. “Most people think about it, but won”™t approach it because it”™s too daunting. That”™s good, it makes it a special thing.”
Douglas Campbell, owner and executive coach at The Success Coach in Darien, said books from great business leaders such as Jack Welch have shown that classic stories from great businesses have a market. Campbell released his newest book, “Where To Go From Here,” last year.
“You have to essentially figure out who and what you need to help you,” he said. “The publishing side is a lot easier today ”¦ The message should be clear, thought provoking, reflective and internalized. The rise of the entrepreneurial story is something people want to hear; how you got there and what messages you have to share from your journey.”
Gibbins-Klein said writing a book can be one of the best ways to establish yourself as a credible resource in an industry.
“It becomes part of the resume,” she said. “For speaking events and symposiums, it”™s almost expected. Everybody has a website, brochures, but not everyone has a book. When people see that you”™ve taken the time to write one, they know that it”™s taken some thought and planning.”
Gibbins-Klein focuses on helping business owners, professionals and prospective speakers bring their thoughts together and plan for the eventual goal of a finished book.
“Not everyone uses it to have a sellable book. Some people just want to get their thoughts together.”
Gibbins-Klein said when writing a book about personal experience, “people want to see under the surface and the human aspect. When we show that, we connect; and that”™s when you engage an audience.”
Gibbins-Klein said self-publishing has allowed more individuals to slap books together, but finding a cohesive, strategic product is a different story completely.
“The game has changed,” she said. “It”™s no longer so much about having the pages and cover; it”™s about what”™s between.”
Gibbins-Klein said writing a book can help a professional stand out as different and even innovative.
Ann Greenberg, a child psychologist in Westchester County who lives in Cos Cob, wrote her book, “How to Keep Your Child out of Special Education,” with the guidance of Gibbins-Klein.
“I”™ve wanted to write a book for years,” Greenberg said. “It never reached a point where I was really satisfied. Having someone like Mindy was great, she has a system; it was a very pleasant and encouraging and positive experience.”
Greenberg, who does a fair amount of speaking, said she feels more confident and more able to reach her audience with a book in hand.
“There are people who give their book away and they win lots of clients from them,” Gibbins-Klein said. “It can be a calling card if it”™s a good book. Others can use it as an alternate form of income and they can compete.”
Gibbins-Klein said the average business book sells 2,000 copies in its lifetime.
“I don”™t want people to have delusions of grandeur,” she said. “It becomes a tool. There are some of my clients who have sold 20,000 copies. Most people use it for credibility.”
Gibbins-Klein said for business she typically limits the page count to 150 and 250 pages.
“That gives you a decent enough range,” Gibbins-Klein said. “It is arbitrary, but you do have to think about who you”™re giving it to and how it will be looked at, you don”™t want it to be scary. The trend is toward the slimmer books.”
Gibbins-Klein said writing a book in the business world is about getting an idea across more often than entertaining the readers.
“The people who tend to step forward are the consultants and trainers,” said Gibbins-Klein. “Every industry has a chance for someone to stand out as the real thought leader, if you don”™t someone else will. It”™s not very crowded in many industries.”