If you’ve never considered writing a book, it might be a good time to start. I say this for two reasons. First, with the help of today's technology it’s never been easier. Many people are now able to self-publish their own books without going through the hassles of finding a major publisher. Options like print-on-demand also make it easier on your checkbook. You don’t have to invest in thousands of copies upfront with the risk of not knowing how well your book will sell.

The second reason is that it allows you to promote yourself and your business. For example, best selling author Jay Conrad Levinson has said that the royalties from his first book, Guerilla Marketing, came to $30,000. Not bad for writing one book, right? But here’s the best part. Aside from the royalties, Levinson says he’s earned well over 10 million from that book!

Levinson used his book as a vehicle to promote his own career as a marketing expert. From that one book, he has built a brand empire known as Guerilla Marketing Inc. He is now one of the highest paid marketing consultants and speakers in the industry simply because of his perceived expertise in the field of marketing.

If you were to compare Levinson with lesser known marketing consultants around the country, there would probably be little difference in their ability and knowledge of the field of marketing. However, Levinson is perceived as one of the best because of his best-selling book!

Now let’s take someone who is a landscape architect competing against several others in his field. Often, it’s difficult in businesses like that to separate yourself from the rest of the pack. What if the landscape architect wrote a short book entitled 8 Simple Tips for a Greener Law. Not only will people buy this person’s book, but his value starts to go up, as he is now perceived as an expert.

I recently released my e-book, Shoestring Startups: 50 Businesses you can Start for Under $500! It’s a simple e-book, but my first start into the writing world. I have used this book as a way to promote my site by giving it away to new subscribers. I am currently planning on larger book projects that will be released within the next year.

I recently purchased Dan Miller's new tele-conference program, Write to the Bank and became very inspired to pursue additional e-book and hardcopy book projects. Dan’s teleconference is incredible for anyone who is interested in publishing their own work. It’s a great way to market your business and separate yourself from your competition.