Speakers will always benefit from having a book to sell at their public events and on their websites. It's one of the most significant things you can do to jumpstart both your career and your earning potential.

Traditional publishing houses buy nine out of every nonfiction books on the basis of a proposal by the author. A proposal generally consists of an introductory letter describing yourself, your book, and how you plan to promote it, as well as a couple sample chapters.

However, if either you don't feel competent enough to write a book or are simply too busy with your speaking engagements to write, you can still create a book to sell at your events. In fact, you have a couple of very good options, depending upon your time and expertise.

First, you could collaborate with someone in your field, which would allow you to partner with a person who is also interested in creating a book, but may be in a similar situation and unable to write their own book for whatever reason. If you collaborate, each of you only needs to write half a book, or you can bounce ideas off each other and create a jointly written book using the ideas you generate.

If you hire a ghostwriter, you'll have a number of options, as well. You could dictate the book, you could put it down in outline form, or you could write a rough draft. A ghostwriter's fees will vary, depending upon expertise, amount of time needed for completion, and the amount of actual writing or rewriting that will be required.

You'll find many ghostwriters to choose from, but make sure to shop around. Ask colleagues and associates for references, and interview several possible ghostwriters before you make a decision. Ask to see samples and ask for references. It's important to know that they can do what they say they can do, because you want your book to be the best it can be. After all, your name will be on the cover, and a large part of your future earnings and reputation will be at stake.

As a speaker, you've got a wealth of information on your chosen topic to share. You also have several special advantages that a large majority of writers don't have. You have a built-in audience that's vitally interested in your material and you have regular venues at which to sell your book to those people who are most likely to buy. Those are tremendous advantages, especially if you choose to approach a traditional mainstream house with your book proposal.

Mainstream publishers love to see proposals from writers who are also public speakers, because they know that those writers will be out there every day, pushing their books to a specifically targeted audience. They also know that public events are one of the most effective ways to sell large quantities of books.

If you're a speaker and you want a book to sell at your events (and you SHOULD, because it's a terrific way to further your career, enhance your credibility, and make more money), don't let the fact that you're not a writer hold you back. You have excellent options available, and a great deal to gain for your time and effort.

Jeanette Fisher
http://www.writertoauthor.com