What’s the difference between being an author and becoming an authority?

On 9 May 2019, I made the decision to write my sixth book, Becoming An Authority.

90 days later, I finished the first draft. At the time of writing this blog, I had sent out the book for peer review and had started getting feedback. An email I received inspired this blog.

One of my peer reviewers said to me: “Thank you for sharing this with me – a very enjoyable read and very useful for someone like me who has had a part-written book sitting somewhere on a memory stick for a number of years!”

She also said… “As a newbie author, I recognise that there’s an awful lot to do”.

So, I thought it was worth dissecting the difference between BEING an AUTHOR and BECOMING an AUTHOR-ity, why I chose this as the title for my new book, and why I’d like to make it easy for you to become an authority!

What’s the difference between being an author and becoming an authority?

In my view, anyone can BE an author.

You can write anything you like, upload it to Amazon and sell it.

It doesn’t matter if it’s good enough, whether it’s been proofread or whether you’ve designed the cover yourself or got someone else to do it for you.

I’ve seen too many people do this.

They write a book but it does nothing for them and their business. Or worse still, they write a book that has a detrimental effect on their business and their brand. Or even worse, they write a great book that is amazing, and do NOTHING to promote it!

BECOMING an AUTHORITY is a more considered approach.

It recognises that you’ve taken time to write your book.

You’ve got experience and knowledge about your area of expertise. You’ve carefully researched what you’re writing about and how it’s relevant to you and your audience.

You have a plan, a structure and know the journey you’ll take your readers through before you start to write.

You’ve linked your book to your business, and you know how you’ll get a return on your time, focus and investment.

And you know what you want people to do after reading your book and you tell them this (without being overly salesy).

The word BECOMING is particularly important to consider as well.

My favourite dictionary definitions of becoming are: ‘any process of change’ or ‘the act or process in which something becomes’.

I see it as being a journey of stepping up. It implies movement and action.

In my book, I’ve included dozens of client examples of the success they have achieved with their books, and it’s humbling to see what they’ve achieved.

But they are also on a journey. And not all of them are achieving success in every area I mention. In fact, if you were to do everything, you’d be exhausted.

So it’s important to choose those things that work to get the outcome you desire.

The -ITY may be three little letters, but the shift in mindset and attitude you have when you decide to become an authority will transform your results.

What do you think?

What’s the difference between being an author and becoming an authority?

Please leave your comments on the blog below.

When you’re ready to write your book and become an authority, click here to join all the other authors self-funding their progress in a way that pretty much guarantees their future readers will love the content.