Should I Write a Book?

A reader writes:

So I am starting research to begin writing a short book on the economic history of [name of place removed by TW]. First of all I want to ask if you think that this subject is a worthy one to write about, and second, do you have any general advice for a beginner/first time writer as myself? Thanks again.

My reply wasn’t intended to be discouraging, but to ensure he understands what he’s taking on:

Sure, it’s a worthy project. I would make it a short e-book rather than going the traditional publishing route. The market for books on this subject is low, and few publishers are really going to push a book on this subject for you. So you may as well go your own way, be able to sell it for cheap, and keep a decent percentage of the revenue for yourself.

If you don’t have a blog, get going on one, and use the blog to promote the book and vice versa.

Be sure you are a decent writer. Compare your prose to that of anyone whose writing you respect. If your prose is clunky or pedestrian, work on it.

And finally, do not think you are going to earn money on this. The money will be negligible. You should do it because you are motivated by other reasons: you find the subject inherently demanding of a study, you find the subject interesting, you want to position yourself as a writer in the liberty movement, you want to position yourself as a free-market intellectual, you want to build an audience for yourself, whatever.

I closed by linking him to my article “Nobody Sells ‘Millions of Copies,’” an article I recommend to writers and non-writers alike.

http://www.facebook.com/jeremy.r.hammond Jeremy R. Hammond

Tom, I acknowledge you in the About the Author of this short book I self-published (available in paperback or Kindle versions): “Ron Paul vs. Paul Krugman: Austrian vs. Keynesian economics in the financial crisis”
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007QHMEUO

Your resource page on Austrian economics was the beginning of a journey of enlightenment for me. I had known about the role of the Fed for a long time, and also had admired Ron Paul for a long time, but learning about the Austrian theory of the business cycle in just the last couple of years opened a whole new world for me in terms of understanding. I also made a 3 minute promo video for the book, here:
http://youtu.be/924tOs-FStU

Lew Rockwell and Economic Policy Journal both featured it, which gave it some great exposure. It hasn’t sold millions of copies, needless to say, but I’m happy with what I’ve managed to do with it.
John Doe

Well, since you ask, I’d prefer it if you run for office instead. Ron Paul has more or less retired, and we desperately need knowledgeable people to fix the government.
Anonymous

With all due respect, I don’t think it CAN be fixed. I think that TW is so effective as an educator outside the system, it would be a waste for him to endure months in Congress. RP chose the political route, but that was before the internet.
jaffi411

Great advice, Tom.

All of us want to be great at something, but not all of us can. However, that shouldn’t stop you from pursuing what you really want to do. If you really want to write a book, just do it. Don’t worry about anything other than doing the best job that you can, and if that turns out to be extraordinary, then the benefits will become reality. If it turns out to be just okay, then you write it up as a learning experience, practice, or whatever. It is still an accomplishment either way. However, financial success should not be the goal. The goal should be doing what you love to do regardless of the ancillary benefits.

If you’re only doing it to please other people or other false notions of success, then chances are it won’t be a great work. Great works come from a passion for the work itself, not a passion for acceptance of the work.

I am a musician and I write a lot of songs. It’s a passion for me. I would love to make a living doing it, but I realize that may not ever happen. However, that doesn’t stop me from doing what I really love. The more that I do it, the more I appreciate it and the better I get at it. I will still write and play music regardless of whether anybody will listen, because that is just what I do. As long as at least one other person besides myself (and my mother) enjoys it, then I feel that I’ve accomplished something real. It’s very satisfying. However, at the end of the day I do it because it is a part of me.
http://twitter.com/LibertyLarge Richard McGuire

I feel a new course in Liberty Classroom coming on!! “Be the next Thomas Paine or Tom Woods!” I do understand the inspiration to write and video blog about the knowledge the liberty movement has to offer. I don’t know many topics that have individuals looking up sources in the book on Amazon, so they can pick those titles up to advance their knowledge even further.
http://twitter.com/LibertyLarge Richard McGuire

You should read Doug Wead’s blog post on Ron Paul 2016, he is not done with us!

It has to be fulfilling for those such as Ron Paul, Lew Rockwell, Tom Woods, and many others seeing a generation of people learning Austrian Economics and the principles of Liberty. In time, we will fix it.
http://doctorysquirrel.tumblr.com/ Yahya M.

If Dr. Paul will run again in 2016, I think the grassroots should all decide not to give money to the official campaign. Only enough so Dr. Paul can go around and speak wherever he needs to. but everything else should go to the Revolution PAC and similar others.