Every entrepreneur who has something to say should write a book. My business changed dramatically when my now award-winning book, Step Into The Spotlight! : A Guide to Getting Noticed was released.

But you don’t want to be a dope about it do you? We’ve got Idiot’s Guide to This and Dummies Guide to That but you don’t want to be an idiot or a dummy do you? So here are 9 ways NOT to write a book.

1. In a Weekend. If you think you’re going to write a phenomenal book in a weekend, you’re a dope! You can, however, write an amazing outline and even a really rough first draft (if you don’t eat or sleep) and then spend the next few months making it publish-worthy.

2. With a Ghostwriter. If you think you can write an amazing book without actually writing the book, you’re a dope! You can, however, record your incoherent ramblings on paper or audio tape and then dump them on the desk of a spectacular editor to filter your thoughts and add structure. Or if you don’t even know what you want to incoherently ramble about, you can engage a coach to help pull it out of you, help you find your message and help you get started. But ultimately the book must be in your (hopefully unique) voice for it to be a useful tool for your business.

3. As a Memoir. If you think you can write a book that more than just your family and friends will read, unless you’re Nelson Mandela, Simon Cowell or Madonna, then you’re a dope! You can, however, use your personal story to add color, depth and context to your “how to” or inspirational message. But remember if you add too many dramatic or fictional elements to make your story more compelling, you might find yourself being torn into a million little pieces on Oprah. I’m just sayin’…

4. Sharing Everything You Know. If you think you can dump everything you know into one book, you’re a dope! (Or you don’t know very much.) The only way to pack a ton of wisdom into your book is either to make it about one thing you understand better than anyone else in the world or to take everything you know and see what it all has in common, perhaps a unique perspective or filter or framework. Even then, you’ll have to pick and choose what you include the way a movie made from a book has to pick and choose what to dramatize. And by the way, make sure there’s an audience hungry to learn what you know.

5. As an Ebook Only. Yeah, I know Borders and Barnes and Noble are suffering, soon to be dinosaurs. But if you publish your work of art as an ebook only, you’re a dope! There’s nothing as credible (or readable) as a real hold-in-your-hands book. Kindle/Shmindle. If your audience is over 20, by page 167, your book will be more readable on paper. Have you noticed that ebooks don’t make the New York Times Bestseller lists? have you noticed that they don’t give Book Awards to ebooks? If it’s really just a marketing piece, call it a “manifesto” and distribute it online for free. (No better example than Rich Schefren for manifesto marketing.) That’ll help build your audience for when your real book comes out.

6. Over 400 Pages. Are you kidding me? Unless it’s a textbook or you’re Kitty Kelley suggesting that Oprah may not really be as altruistic as she appears to be, publish a 400 page book and you’re a dope! Keep the chapters cute and consumable–there’s nothing as satisfying as getting to the end of a chapter. If you’ve got a lot to say, save some for the next book or add a free bonus to the book online. See #4 above.

7. Without a Brand Attached to It. Your book should be intimately related to your brand and what you’re selling or else you’re a dope! Why waste all that time creating a book that doesn’t support your visibility & credibility with your audience? Ideal if the name of your book is the name of your business or your course or your signature line like Joan Rivers’ “Can We Talk?”

8. In a Weekend. Did I mention this before? With all due respect to those industrious coaches teaching “Write a Book in a Weekend” workshops, do that and you’re a dope! You can, however, take their course to get you off your butt and in motion (great idea!) but make sure it doesn’t get published, either by you or anyone else, until it’s fabulous!

9. If You Have Nothing to Say. If you write a book without having something to say, you’re a dope! Yeah, I know this sounds obvious but I coach authors to step into the spotlight and you’d be shocked how many approach me with books that weren’t ready to be written. Ideally, you should have something original to say but if it’s true, as many claim, that it’s all been said before, then at least you gotta find an original way of saying it.

10. With Your Grade 2 English Teacher as Your Editor. Yeah, I know I promised your only 9 rules, but make this mistake and you’re done! If you get your second grade English teacher to edit your work, you’re a dope. Robert Kiyosaki tells the tale of having his grade 2 English teacher edit his first Rich Dad Poor Dad book and she took his unique voice out of it. Result. As he loves to claim. It’s not the best written book, but it is a New York Times Bestselling Book!

Writing a book is one of the best ways to get known as an expert or guru or star. We all know that. But violating one of the rules above is just dopey! ‘Nuff said…

Author Bio: Recently featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, TSUFIT is the author of the hot award-winning book, Step Into The Spotlight! : A Guide to Getting Noticed. Tsufit coaches entrepreneurs, authors & speakers to get noticed. www.stepintothespotlight.com For 11 Free tips go to www.secretsfromthespotlight.com

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