Why Are So Many Entrepreneurs Writing Crappy Books?

Why Are So Many Entrepreneurs Writing Crappy Books? Guest post by James M. Ranson

Why Are So Many Entrepreneurs Writing Crappy Books? Guest post by James M. Ranson


Let’s get the tough love out of the way up front: there are a lot of entrepreneurs out there writing what I refer to as “crappy books.” If you don’t believe me, go ahead over to Amazon, do a topic search, then start scrolling. It likely won’t take long, a half page to two pages tops, before you start to see them. Sloppy, unprofessional, sleazy, salesy books that are just not really well put together. If they have any reviews at all, they’ll have reviews about how they weren’t edited well or how they aren’t really that helpful.

Why is this?

Well, there are 17 Mistakes That Will Kill…

(Just kidding! A little recently-published author humor never hurt anybody.)

https://amzn.to/2CgECBo
But seriously, there’s a combination of several things that contribute to the crappiness of a book written to support a business. Authors make mistakes without realizing that they’re making them. They get guidance from people who either don’t understand those mistakes themselves or who understand them but still don’t help their authors avoid them. Sometimes there’s an ego thing involved, where a writer feels like they are so good at the writing that they don’t actually need to get help or guidance. And sometimes there’s just an overarching desire to get a book done as quickly and cheaply as possible. (If you’ve ever studied project management, you know something can be quick, cheap, or good, but you get to pick two. So if you’re picking quick and cheap, then the quality of the book is going to fall off a cliff.)

All of these factors work together to create a compound situation where each mistake an author makes or each issue an author runs into exponentially increases the crappiness of the book they will write. And if they don’t know that they’re making those mistakes, or if they’re not getting the best guidance that helps them avoid those mistakes...they’re going to do their best work, but what they don’t know can and will hurt them.

The solution? Learn the mistakes that authors unknowingly make. Find guidance from people who know those mistakes--and know how to avoid them. Get your ego and your desire to be done already out of the way. And then write a book you’re proud of, that connects to your audience, and that has the best professional help you can afford. A book like that will keep you out of the crap pile--and actually help you grow your business.

James Ranson, The Master Wordsmith(TM), is a Wall-Street-Journal-bestselling editor, ghostwriter and book coach who has helped over 200 consultants, coaches, speakers and other thought leaders create high-quality books. Clients of his have gone on to sell thousands of books, receive book deals from publishing houses, and be featured in regional and national media outlets. In addition to his own clients, James is a writer and book doctor for Thanet House Books, and is on recommended professional lists for Scribe Media(formerly Book in a Box), My Word Publishing, BrightFlame Books and Authors Unite. His second book, Don’t Write A Crappy Book!, will be published on October 1, 2018. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, James lives in Atlanta, GA, with his fiancée and a very needy cat.

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