The Mystique of the Book

I noticed today I currently have FIVE clients (one pro bono) in the throes of producing books. Something of my own writing karma in that, no doubt. (jonwardwrites.com)

What strikes me is the irrational power of the book as a source of authority and charisma. At the foot of an article (in Nexus magazine) I saw the journalist cited as "author of an e-book..." and realized how lame that sounds. Using print-on-demand, she could produce a hundred print copies, put it on Amazon and become "the one who wrote the book..."

Why the difference?

The physicality of the book is important. It exudes a magic our forebears must have felt when they first beheld an inscribed clay tablet. In a printed book, thought — our most powerful but ephemeral attribute — becomes solid. Something you can hold in your hands.

I have never got used to the miracle of flying in airplanes. And I've never quite gotten past the miracle of writing. No matter what your field of expertise, consider how writing a book would contribute to your market and invest you with a touch of mystique. (Yes, I'm working on mine.)