A tough truth landed in my inbox last week.

A former executive – let’s call him Chief – reached out after stumbling on one of my articles. He’d retired three years ago after 35 years in banking. Corner office. Direct reports across five countries. Board seats. The works.

The Triumph of Being an Author

His message was short: “Nobody calls anymore.”

That hit me hard. Not because it’s surprising. But because it’s predictable.

The Expiration Date Nobody Talks About

Your CV has an expiration date.

Your job title expires the moment you leave. Your professional relevance shrinks when you step out of the spotlight. Your network – the one you spent decades building – moves on to the next person in your chair.

This isn’t cynical. It’s structural.

Organizations are designed to replace people, not memorialize them. The machine keeps running. Your successor inherits your office, your direct reports, your strategic initiatives.

Within six months, they’ve put their own stamp on everything you built.

Within a year, people struggle to remember the specific decisions you made.

Within three years, you’re a name in the organizational history that nobody reads.

But here’s what never expires: Your book.

What a CV Does vs. What a Book Does

A CV describes what you did.

A book explains how you think.

Let that distinction settle for a moment.

Your CV is a list: roles, achievements, qualifications, years of service. It’s transactional. It’s a document designed to get you into a room, secure a role, justify a salary.

It’s valuable – until it isn’t.

A book is different.

A book doesn’t list your accomplishments. It documents your wisdom. It captures the frameworks you developed over decades. The lessons you learned failing. The principles that guided your decisions when the stakes were highest.

A CV ages like milk.

A book ages like wine.

The Leaders Who Never Retired

Think about the executives whose influence outlasted their tenure.

Jack Welch retired from GE in 2001. But Winning still shapes how leaders think about talent and performance.

Peter Drucker stopped consulting decades ago. But The Effective Executive still guides decision-making in boardrooms worldwide.

Clayton Christensen passed away in 2020. But The Innovator’s Dilemma still defines how companies approach disruption.

Books like REMINISCENCES by Ben Ofungwu, Up the Organization by Robert Townsend, and TRANSFORMING by Dr. Eniayewun Ademuyiwa continue to drive their narrative, wisdom and values.

These leaders never truly retired.

Their ideas continue to shape decisions. Their lessons continue to guide teams. Their philosophies continue to influence industries.

Why? Because they wrote books.

Not vanity projects. Not fanciful autobiographies filled with name-dropping and sanitized victories.

Books that captured how they thought. Books that showed their reasoning. Books that gave the next generation a map for navigating complexity.

Your Book Is Your Intellectual Legacy

I’ve spent the last 15 years helping executives write books through Book Writing Clinic.

Here’s what I’ve learned: most executives vastly underestimate the strategic value of a book.

They think a book is a nice-to-have. A retirement project. Something to do when they finally have time.

Wrong.

Your book is the most powerful leadership asset you can create – one that outlives your career, your title, and even your lifetime.

Let me be blunt: if you wait until retirement to write your book, you’ve already lost half its value.

The best time to write is while you’re still relevant. While people still care about your perspective. While your frameworks are still being tested in real-world conditions.

Write while the lessons are fresh. While the pain of failure still stings. While the breakthroughs still feel urgent.

Because here’s the brutal reality: the world moves on fast.

The successor who took your role? They’re not interested in your oral history. They’re building their own legacy.

The industry you shaped? It’s already focused on the next disruption.

The protégés you mentored? They’re asking new leaders for advice.

If you don’t document your thinking now, it disappears.

Every Leader Has a Story the World Needs

I’ve sat across from dozens of executives who built extraordinary careers.

Regional bank general managers who transformed risk cultures. Government officials who navigated impossible political dynamics. Founders who scaled businesses from zero to ten figures.

Every single one has wisdom worth preserving.

And every single one hesitates.

“I’m not a writer.”

“Who would read my book?”

“My story isn’t that interesting.”

These objections miss the point entirely.

Your book isn’t about you. It’s about the people who come after you.

The young executive facing the same ethical dilemma you navigated 20 years ago.

The mid-career professional wondering if they should take the risk you took.

The board member trying to understand why their transformation initiative keeps stalling – because they don’t have your frameworks.

The tragedy is: that story disappears the moment you do.

The Question You Should Be Asking

If your career ended today, what would the world remember – and what would it never know?

Not your job titles. Not your LinkedIn profile. Not the awards collecting dust in your study.

What wisdom would disappear with you?

What framework took you 20 years to develop that someone else will now have to figure out from scratch?

What mistake did you make – and recover from – that could save someone else years of pain?

What leadership principle guided your toughest decisions that deserves to be passed down?

These questions aren’t rhetorical. They’re urgent.

Because time doesn’t wait. Retirement comes. Memory fades. Relevance shifts.

And if you haven’t written it down, it’s gone.

One Lesson That Deserves to Live Forever

So here’s my question for you:

What’s the one lesson from your career that deserves to live forever?

Not the sanitized version. Not the LinkedIn-friendly soundbite.

The real lesson. The one that cost you something to learn. The one that changed how you led.

Comment below. Tell me what it is.

Because that lesson? That’s the opening of your book.

Learning how to publish a book is a skill worth learning. You can follow the DIY, DWY or DFY (Do it yourself, done with you or done for you) route; the one that suits you best. When you’re pressed for time, the recommended route is done for you (DFY).

I help leaders turn their wisdom into books that outlast their careers. If you’re ready to document your legacy before it’s too late, let’s talk.

The post Your CV Dies When You Retire. Your Book Doesn’t first appeared on Official website of Paul Uduk.

This is the behind-the-scenes story how Book Writing Clinic (BWC) became a movement.

BWC started as a joke.

A spur of the moment decision.
Just impulse.

Zero grand vision
No brainstorming
Nil strategic planning.

What triggered BWC was Bridges to the Customer’s Heart.

Bridges was well received and before I knew it testimonials and praises poured in.

Chioma Nwagboso, then of The World Bank Group wrote, ‘’It has to be one of the best books I have read and overall
the most succinct on customer service in Nigeria.’’

Richmond Dayo Johnson, the late founder of Richmond Johnson Academy, wrote of me, ‘’Paul Uduk in my opinion, is one of Nigeria’s most authentic experiential writers”.

Bridges had stayed in my drawer for close to five years and I didn’t know what to do with it.

Luckily I travelled to Canada in 2008 to attend Toastmasters International
Convention and that’s how I met Author House, my publishers.

Bridges went on to sell over 5,000 copies.

One day in 2015, it occurred to me that since I’d written a book,
maybe some of my friends would like to know how I did it.

On 15 January, I sent out a WhatsApp message to as many people on my list as I could.

I was scared to death how people would react – that was my first time of ‘selling’ on WhatsApp.

But lo behold, on 31 January 2015, three people showed up:
Kayode T. Oluwasegun-Ojo (ex MD/CE of NAHCO)
Udeme Etuk (ex GM HR of International Distilleries Ltd)
Olatunde Oladiti (a solopreneur house builder)

That’s how BWC started.

As a side note, I’d built relationship with these gentlemen over the years prior.

Today  BWC is a 450+ members strong community with alumni in 6 countries. (Nigeria, Canada Ghana, UK, USA, Sweden).

Along the way testimonials from BWC alumni members started coming in.

Sylvia Etim wrote, “I am blessed to be connected to BWC. I am so elated. Anyone who wants to make it in life needs to attend BWC”.

Binta Ibrahim said, “It’s the best course I’ve ever registered for.”

Phil Maduagwu that I’d spent close to two years cajoling to attend BWC had this to say, “BWC enabled my dormant dreams to come alive.”

Phil’s progress has been phenomenal; she’s so far written three books.

Other phenomenal members include Peter Anosike with 8 books, Kingsley Theophilus with five books and Joel Omeike with two. Peter had written several books before attending BWC.

Joel’s book, FIRE YOUR HR, is a 580-page masterpiece in the mold of Tom Peters’ Liberation Management.

Overall, about 35% of BWC members have breast the tape with their books,

BWC is now a movement to create 100m authors all over Africa.

People sometimes ask me, is 100 million not too BIG a number to gun for?

What they forget is the fact that 100m is less than 10% of Africa’s population of 1.5billion.

Are you ready to join the movement to help create 100million authors all over Africa?

If you’re meeting me for the first time, other than coaching and training consulting, I share practical ideas on how to write books worth reading.

Since 2020 I’ve helped 450 professionals and several C-suite executives move from scattered notes to industry-shaping books.

Reach out to explore how BWC can help you become a published author.

Hope you find value from what I write here. Feel free to reach out on your book project and I’ll do my best to guide you.

Better still, let’s link up on LinkedIn.

Start your BWC journey today.

The post How Book Writing Clinic Became a Movement first appeared on Official website of Paul Uduk.

Joel Omeike wanted to write a book, he attended BWC and wrote Fire Your HR.

Helen Majemite wanted to write a book, she attended BWC and wrote A Letter to All Women

Ejine Nzeribe, Phil Maduagwu, Kuby Uyanga, Binta Ibrahim, Florence Abenemi, Eric Ighalo, Christy Adeyemo, Charles Akoroda, all wanted a book to their name, and they attended BWC.

Yet, I’ve spent years watching brilliant people fail at the one thing they wanted most: writing their book.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: More than 80% of aspiring authors never write a word.

Joseph Epstein, author and book critic, documented this. Only 15% who want to write a book actually begin drafting. Of those who start? 97% never finish their manuscripts.

The culprits:

• Imposter syndrome
• Self-doubt
• Underestimating the difficulty

Steven Pressfield calls this “resistance.” I call it predictable.

Here’s what baffles me:

To become a brain surgeon, you study under professors for years.

To practice accountancy, you earn a BSc after 4 years of training.

To qualify as a nurse, you attend nursing school for two years just to learn injections.

So why do people think they can become authors without training on how to write?

The real reason hundreds fail isn’t lack of ideas. It’s believing you can just wake up and write without education on the craft.

What would change if you stopped winging it and started learning the craft intentionally?

Writing a good book is not guesswork. It is a meta-skill.

That is why I created Book Writing Clinic:
to help aspiring authors move from “I have a book inside me” to “I wrote a book worth reading.”

I created BWC to bridge the knowing-doing gap. I created BWC that has trained 450+ to show you how to move from talking about your book to actually becoming an author with something worth reading.

Hard work without structure is wasted effort.

Ambition without training is fantasy.

Ideas without execution mean nothing.

I help leaders now because I’ve seen what preparation delivers.

Your expertise, your insights, your story deserve to be in print, not trapped in scattered notes.

If you’ve ever started and stopped writing, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Age is no barrier. Benji Ofungwu wrote REMINISCENCES aged 70 plus after building his business empire, ISN Medical.

Work is no barrier. I wrote my first two books, Credit Appraisal & Procedure Handbook and Bridges to the Customer’s Heart while working full time.

More importantly, Dr. Eniayewun Ademuyiwa Benjamin wrote TRANSFORMING while a Permanent Secretary overseeing more than 30 secondary hospitals in Lagos State.

What would change if you stopped winging it and started learning the craft intentionally?

If you’re interested in starting right now, here’s the full BWC, you can start learning right now.

The excuses people like you reading this have not to write a book are just that, excuses. Maybe you have one of these excuses:

• “I don’t have time.”
• “I’m not a writer.”
• “My story isn’t special.”
• “I’m still living my story.”
• “People may judge me.”
• “I don’t know where to start.”
• “I fear it won’t be perfect.”
• “I don’t want to reveal too much.”
• “Books don’t make money.”
• “Maybe next year.”

The last excuse is particularly dangerous: maybe there will be no next year. Make hay while the sun shines.

If you’re interested in starting right now, here’s the full Book Writing Clinic.

Not sure you’re ready to start just yet and require a little more guidance before you jump at it? Lets chat.

The post Writing a book is harder or easier than you think … first appeared on Official website of Paul Uduk.

On May 18, 2009, a book I had carried in my heart for years finally came to life.

That book was Bridges to the Customer’s Heart.

Today, 17 years later, I look back with deep gratitude, not simply because the book was published, but because of the unexpected journey it created for me, the people it connected me to, and the lives it quietly transformed along the way.

I spent over two decades in the financial services industry and became a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria. At the time, banking was my world. But somewhere inside me was a conviction that ideas written in books could travel farther than positions, titles, or office walls.

Writing Bridges was not easy.

It took me five years to complete, including the three years the manuscript sat abandoned in my drawer while life, work, and doubt competed for attention. Looking back now, I am grateful I returned to it.

On May 18, 2009, AuthorHouse USA published the book.

Since then, Bridges to the Customer’s Heart has sold more than 5,000 copies without noise, hype, or aggressive marketing. Yet that quiet book became one of the greatest assets of my life.

When I retired from banking on October 2, 2010, Bridges became a lifeline.

The book opened doors I never imagined possible. It led to the birth of Book Writing Clinic (BWC) in 2015, a community that today has more than 450 members. It also gave rise to Internet Business Mastery Course (iBMC), where we now teach digital marketing and social media strategies to BWC Alumni Members.

What began as a single manuscript became a movement.

The book also opened professional doors to global brands and some of Nigeria’s biggest institutions – companies like Nestlé, Heineken, Unilever, Dangote Group, First Bank, and UBA Group.

Even more meaningful were the relationships it created.

Bridges introduced me to extraordinary people: entrepreneurs, founders, professors, medical doctors, C-suite executives, and nation builders.

One of them was Benji Ofungwu, founder of ISN Medicals, who built his business from a bedroom into a medical diagnostic empire. Benji later became a friend, mentor and an author himself. In the book, Up the Organization, he bought for me in the UK, he wrote:

“To a brilliant author, teacher, leadership counsellor, and someone I consider a friend.”

Moments like that stay with you.

Dr. Eniayewun Ademuyiwa also came into my life through Bridges. His wife bought the book and gave it to him while he served as Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Health Service Commission. That connection eventually led to my serving as consultant for his book TRANSFORMING, for which he graciously wrote:

“Without Paul Uduk, this book would not have been written.”

Then there was Tony Elumelu, Group Chairman of UBA Group, who became a friend and was the highest launcher at the public presentation of Bridges in August 2009.

I was equally honoured that Prof. Anya O. Anya chaired that launch event. For someone of his intellectual stature to believe in my work was deeply humbling.

Along this path, many others supported and encouraged me – UK Eke, Caroline Anyanwu, Kyari Bukar, Dr. Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi, Dr. Richardson Ajayi, General Bola Koleoso, and Prof. Olusola Oyewole (who believed in me more than I believed in myself).

I also remember with gratitude the words of the late Richmond Dayo Johnson (RDJ), one of Nigeria’s most celebrated motivational speakers, who wrote:

“Paul Uduk in my opinion is one of Nigeria’s most authentic experiential writers… Bridges to the Customer’s Heart helps readers shift their focus from what can’t be done to what can be done.”

Seventeen years later, I now understand something I did not fully appreciate in 2009:

Sometimes a book does far more than communicate ideas. Sometimes a book introduces you to your life’s true assignment. Write yours.

Everything I have built since then – the platforms, friendships, opportunities, and communities – can be traced back to one decision: finishing and publishing that manuscript.

To every BWC and iBMC Alumni Member around the world (Aret, Bola, Joel, Fayo, Femi, Funmi, Ijeoma, Igho, Kingsley, Paul, Pearl, etc.) thank you for walking this journey with me.

And to everyone attending this anniversary webinar, thank you for being part of a story that is still being written.

The post Bridges to the Customer’s Heart – 17 Years After first appeared on Official website of Paul Uduk.

Success leaves clues. You just have to follow them.

When Kingsley M. Theophilus first attended Book Writing Clinic on April 23, 2016, I didn’t know he’d become one of our most accomplished alumni.

When MR. SPEAK WELL, showed up at BWC on that fateful day, he didn’t have a book yet. Just a quiet hunger.

Three years later, he came back for “How Experts Build Empire.” Then Internet Business Mastery Course (iBMC) in 2020. In 2021 his Speak Well hit Amazon. He was back to BWC Inner Circle Roundtable in 2022. Webinars? He never missed. Always asking pointed questions.

Most people attend trainings and stop there. Not Kingsley. He implemented. He acted. He swam upstream while others floated.

Today, he is the proud author of seven books – including *Speak Well*, The Wisdom of the Ants, and The 7 Steps to Build Your Own House.

From a humble bank manager to: SPEAKER | FINANCIAL CONSULTANT | COACH | MR SPEAK WELL.

But here’s what humbles me most. Kingsley didn’t start with a fancy title. He was a bank manager with a humble background. He invested in executive training at Harvard Business School and INSEAD. He blended divine inspiration with practical experience and on-the-spot humour.

Now he teaches his generation. That’s what BWC is about – not just training, but total transformation.

You could be next.

BWC and iBMC aren’t just training programs.

They’re about total transformation.

But transformation doesn’t happen by itself.

It happens when you show up. When you implement. When you refuse to quit.

Kingsley has shown beyond reasonable doubt what it takes to win: ACTION.

I’m running a free book publishing training on May 18th to celebrate 17 years of *Bridges to the Customer’s Heart*.

You don’t need seven books. You just need to start with one.

The post From One Training to 7 Books: The Kingsley Theophilus Story first appeared on Official website of Paul Uduk.

You need just one book to blow up. Yes, just one book to multiply your impact.

A book is the ultimate force multiplier.

It works while you sleep.

It speaks when you’re not in the room.

It reaches people you’ll never meet.

That’s why leaders write books.

Look at Simon Sinek with Start With Why.

Look at Brené Brown with Dare to Lead.

Look at James Clear with Atomic Habits.

Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life has sold more than 50m copies and been translated into 137 languages.

The Chicken Soup for the Soul series has sold over 500m books worldwide, while Harry Potter has generated more than $30b in revenue.

Malcolm Gladwell had been writing since the 1980s, but nobody knew his name until *The Tipping Point* dropped in 2000.

Tom Peters was unknown at McKinsey before In Search of Excellence. The same goes for Michael Porter, Tony Robbins, and Alex Hormozi.

Every single one of them needed just one book to blow up.

Their books didn’t just sell millions of copies.

They transformed careers, built movements, and created legacy.

The authors became authorities.

Their ideas spread globally.

Their influence multiplied exponentially.

Here’s the truth: a book elevates everything.

Your credibility? Instant upgrade.

Your speaking fees? They rise.

Your business opportunities? They multiply.

Published authors get invited to stages.

They get featured in media.

They get respect in rooms that matter.

But here’s the problem: most people never write their book.

Not because they lack ideas.

Not because they lack expertise.

But because they don’t know where to start.

That changes now.

I’m hosting a free live training session for aspiring authors who are ready to stop thinking about their book and start creating it.

This isn’t theory.

This isn’t motivation.

This is a practical roadmap.

During this training, I’ll show you:

• How to structure your book in weeks, not years
• How to extract your best ideas without the writing struggle
• How to get your book published without the traditional barriers

And here’s the bonus: attendees get access to free editing, formatting, and publishing services.

Yes, free.

Because I believe your ideas deserve to reach the world.

And I’m removing every excuse standing in your way.

But here’s the catch: spots are limited.

Registration is required.

And once we’re full, we’re full.

Register here: https://forms.gle/GkHtkjRdKAGmcZ1J6

This is your moment.

You have the expertise.

You have the stories.

You have the insights.

What you need is the process and the support.

If you’ve been waiting for a sign to become a published author, this is it.

Don’t let another year pass with your book still stuck in your head.

Register for the free training now and join the ranks of published authors who are multiplying their impact daily.

Your book is waiting. Let’s make it happen.

Register here: https://forms.gle/GkHtkjRdKAGmcZ1J6

The post Want to Multiply Your Impact? Write a Book. first appeared on Official website of Paul Uduk.

Pick any figure you admire. They came to prominence through a book.

Warren Bennis. Michael Porter. Clayton Christensen. Each burst into prominence after publishing. Michael Porter’s Competitive Strategy made him a global phenomenon.

Jim Collins’ Built to Last and Good to Great made him a global citizen.

Rich Dad Poor Dad made Robert Kiyosaki a household name worldwide.

Gary Vaynerchuk transformed his dad’s liquor store and created Wine Library TV. But Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook made him famous.

Tony Robbins is known for Unlimited Power and Awaken the Giant Within.

Without In Search of Excellence, no one would know Tom Peters.

Who would remember Robert Greene without 48 Laws of Power?

Steven Bartlett had 10 million YouTube subscribers before The Diary of a CEO. The book made him a household name.

Russell Brunson’s Secrets Trilogy exploded globally, eclipsing even ClickFunnels.

Alex Hormozi has a $100M net worth. But he’s better known for $100M Money Models – the book that earned him a Guinness World Record.

My little claim to fame isn’t the 20,000 people I’ve trained. It’s Bridges to the Customer’s Heart.

Without a book, you’re lost in the weeds.

Lara Acosta, Jasmin Alic, Justin Welsh – combined 1.5M LinkedIn followers. If each wrote a book tomorrow? Instant celebrities.

You want to scale your impact?

Without a book, you’re busy – but invisible.
With one, your ideas travel without you.

You want to scale your impact?
Write the book only you can write.

What’s stopping you?

I created Book Writing Clinic (BWC) to help my friends become authors.

Read more about BWC and register by following this link – if you want to become a published author in 2026.

BWC has graduated more than 450 and over 80 are now authors.

Not still sure if BWC is the right step for you?

Let’s chat using this link.

The post Without a book, you’re busy – but invisible. first appeared on Official website of Paul Uduk.

May be you have a book idea gathering cobwebs in your mind.

Or may be you even have a full manuscript gathering dust in your drawer.

Unlike James Clear who’s Atomic Habits has sold 25m + copies, you’re scared to death to publish.

You’re scared to be found out as an imposter, a fake and a fraud.

It happened to me too.

After writing 80% of Bridges I left it in my drawer for close to five years.

I was scared Harvard Business Review had not validated my ideas.

Unlike Tom Peters, I’d not written for HBR and The Economist.

I laughed at my ideas.

After two of my colleagues gave the book thumbs down, I surrendered.

I took 7 hours flight (covering 11,300 km) to Calgary, Canada, to seek for an answer.

The Author House book acquisition expert asked me 2 questions:

How far have you gone?

(Answer: 80%)

Can you complete it and send to me?

Answer: Yes

That’s it.

That’s how Bridges to the Customer’s Heart rose from the dead.

It took a word of encouragement from someone who knows what would-be authors go through.

If you’re doubting yourself, you’re not alone.

Imposter syndrome, feeling that you’re not qualified enough, self-doubt, you name it.

But here’s what you must understand:

Only you know the worth of your idea.

If you believe your idea is worthless, you don’t need anyone else to prove you wrong.

If you believe you’re entitled to your idea, move gingerly and share it with the whole world.

Today my fans call Bridges to the Customer’s Heart ‘The Customer Service Bible’.

It has sold more than 5,000 copies.

Bridges has opened doors to opportunities I never could have imagined.

What is stopping you from sharing your idea with the world?

I created a cohort-based system (lasts 4 days) to help you write a book in as little as 16 weeks.

The post After I wrote 80% of my book I chickened out (I’m Not Alone) first appeared on Official website of Paul Uduk.

That regret is not only a personal misfortune but a national tragedy.

Hear me out.

I’m standing at the lobby of the NIM (Nigerian Institute of Management).

Staring down at me are the names of past presidents of NIM.

Established in 1959, the list is carved in marble.

The list reads like ‘who is who’.

Some of Nigeria’s finest executives.

62 of them.

Randomly selected:

1. Prof. Olukunle Iyanda
2. Dr. Christopher Abebe
3. Mrs. Margaret Adeleke
4. Dr. Michael Omolayole
5. Dr. Christopher Kolade
6. Dr. Michael Olawale Cole
7. Major-Gen. Abdullahi Muraina

Sadly less than 5 (out of 62) have written a book on management.

Their knowledge, wisdom, experience, all gone.

Most probably planned to write “someday.”

After retirement.
After the next phase.
After things slow down.

They underestimate one thing:
Memory fades.
Urgency disappears.
Energy shifts.

The best time to document experience is while it’s still alive.

Delay doesn’t improve clarity.

It erodes it.

This applies not only to past presidents of NIM, but every executive.

Delay in documenting your wisdom results in both personal and national regret.

Compare NIM with IIM (Indian Institute of Management).

NIM (established in 1959) is 2 years older than IIM (Indian Institute of Management).

But the two have almost nothing in common apart from being institutes of management.

IIM is decentralized, with 21 autonomous public business schools spread all over India.

Each has a rigorous academic curriculum.

And their books are some of the best in the world.

Books by IIM, Ahmedabad, include the “IIMA Exclusive” series published with Penguin Random House.

Key titles: Day to Day Economics, Managers who make a difference, Being Ethical, Speak with Impact, The Persuasive Manager.

I’ve searched far and wide for NIM books but yet to find any.

What is stopping you from documenting your wisdom today?

I created BWC (Book Writing Clinic) as a launch pad for professionals determined to write a book.

For less than $25 you can begin the journey to becoming a published author.

Busy executives can opt for BWC Intensive (a short masterclass).

And ultra busy executives can go for DFU (Done For You) (with a manuscript in 16 weeks).

Happy to be associated with Prof. Olusola Bandele Oyewole (iBMC Alumni), who  has penned

5 books in the span of three years (including The Courage to be Different)

The post Why delaying book writing results in regret first appeared on Official website of Paul Uduk.

If you follow and implement these 35 ideas that make you an unbeatable author,  you’ll be ahead of

99.99% of people dreaming to become authors.

You’ll become an authority.

AUTHOR = AUTHORITY

A book is one of the most prized assets one can create.

Why?

Because a book is a moving work of art.

The most respected economists, entrepreneurs, intellectuals write books.

• Bill Gates
• Ray Dalio
• Ben Ofungwu
• Tony Elumelu
• Satya Nadella
• Richard Branson
• Sheryl Sandberg
• Arian Huffington
• Stephen Schwarzman
• Dr. Eniayewun Ademuyiwa Benjamin

Writing a book is not complicated.

But writing a book worth reading and becomes an asset takes effort.

Here are 35 ideas that make you an author people reckon with and want to read from always.

1. Catch the desire to write and hold it firm

⇨ A lot of folks remain in the desire phase forever

⇨ They are stopped by inferiority complex, imposter syndrome and self-doubt

⇨ Overcome gravity and start writing if you really want to become an author taken seriously

2. Define who you want to write for

⇨ Have a target audience in mind and write for that one person

⇨ Write as if you’re sitting across a coffee table

⇨ Write as a human not as a machine

3. Carry out ideas audit and pin point one topic to write on

⇨ Don’t be bogged down by so many ideas – pick one out of many and begin

⇨ Ideas audit enables you to do that – pick one idea you’re passionate about

⇨ All ideas are not created equal – pick an evergreen idea

4. Choose a topic that will remain evergreen

⇨ Your evergreen idea becomes your evergreen topic

⇨ Ideas like excellence, character, heroism are always evergreen

⇨ The idea, topic you choose may end up the title of your book

5. Research to know what others have written on the topic

⇨ You’re not likely to be the first person to write on this idea

⇨ Research helps you find gaps in what others wrote

⇨ Those gaps are what you’re going to fill

6. Brainstorm to fill the gaps to make your book standout

⇨ Brainstorming is where rubber meets the road

⇨ Go both deep and wide

⇨ Look at angles that will make your book standout (7 Habits vs Atomic Habits)

7. Write a minimum of one page per day – 365 pages in a year

⇨ Having chosen a topic (idea) start writing – if you really want to become an author

⇨ Write a minimum of 1 page per day

⇨ If you do you’ll have 365 pages of written manuscript in one year

8. Rewrite, as the essence of writing is rewriting

⇨ Don’t write and edit at the same time

⇨ Write, revise, rewrite until there is nothing more to add or remove

⇨ Is your manuscript worth telling home about? If yes, stop

9. Proofread the best you can before handing over to the experts to do the rest 

⇨ Proofreading is the first stage in the editing process

⇨ Proofread your manuscript at least 3 times before handing over to the experts

⇨ You job stops at writing and the, handover the real editing to the experts

10. Look for cover designer and publisher concurrently

⇨ Smart authors discuss their book project with experts

⇨ One of such experts is the cover designer

⇨ Your publisher is your best bet to get you a good cover designer

11. Kick-start the editing process also using the right experts

⇨ Once proofreading stops editing starts

⇨ There are several levels of editing – but don’t be overwhelmed

⇨ As a first time author, focus on typos and grammar

12. Commission interior formatting also using top experts

⇨ Editing and formatting are two separate things

⇨ Some editors also have formatting skills

⇨ In big publishing outfits, two people handle each (be mindful of cost)

13. Negotiate to get a win-win-win with a publisher you’ve settled on

⇨ Excellent publishers put the interest of the author first

⇨ Ask the publisher to explain everything about the process to you

⇨ Don’t be shy to ask ‘stupid questions’ like how to get a Library of Congress number

14. Track the publishing process – don’t surrender everything to the publisher

⇨ A good publisher will carry you along in the process

⇨ (Big publishers are not likely to do that so choose wisely)

⇨ Your publisher will review everything – crosscheck one last time before ‘publish’

15. (Publishing is different from printing)

⇨ Printing converts your book in Word, PDF, E-Pub into a physical form

⇨ You can sell PDF or E-Pub but physical books still rule supreme

⇨ Choose your printer carefully – colour separation, layout, everything

16. Scout for a good printer as printing can make or mar your effort

⇨ A poorly printed book is worse than no book – nobody will buy it

⇨ If you pinch on anything, don’t pinch on printing or printer

⇨ Monitor every stage of the printing process – lean on your publisher

17. (Spy on great authors and their books to model – steal – their style)

⇨ Some books have sold millions of copies – don’t reinvent the wheel

⇨ Check their finishing, interior formatting, page style and layout

⇨ What can you model, copy or steal – you’re stealing a style (not a crime)

18. Pick a suitable printing spec – 5.5 x 8.5 are great for most books (next is 6 x 9)

⇨ Books come in different sizes and forms – ask your printer to explain

⇨ The most popular specifications are 5.5” x 8.5” and 6” x 9”

⇨ The number of pages determines the spec – don’t print a notebook

19. Think about marketing as all these are going on

⇨ Marketing (and selling) a book is far more difficult than writing one

⇨ It’s better to build an audience before you even start writing

⇨ Start thinking about marketing your book before even writing

20. (Marketing has two planks – marketing the book and marketing the author)

⇨ Few people will buy your book if they don’t know you

⇨ Big publishers have marketing advantage but you’ll not attract a big publisher

⇨ Market yourself and market your book – enlist an expert in this regard

21. Create ironclad sales strategy

⇨ Marketing and sales go hand in hand – both are processes

⇨ Marketing creates the awareness, sales executes

⇨ One of sales key functions is distribution – make you book available

22. Realise that a key pillar of sales is distribution – seed your book in every channel

⇨ If people can’t find your book they can’t buy

⇨ Carry your book everywhere – including the booth of your car

⇨ If you don’t have a car, carry in your computer bag or any bag at all

23. Move heaven and earth to get your book on top sales channels (Amazon, Ingram, B&N)

⇨ Having your book on Amazon gives you credibility – but it may not lead to sales

⇨ To sell you have to advertise, create your Amazon Author Central account and more

⇨ For more credibility get people to review you book on Amazon

24. Embark on massive publicity to let the world know about your book

⇨ Don’t be misled by the word ‘massive’ – think of scale and your budget

⇨ Do simple flyers, call cards with your book’s images on them

⇨ Talk about your book on social media and on your website and at conferences

25. Engineer media reviews as part of your publicity strategy

⇨ Get your book reviewed in local newspapers

⇨ Befriend journalists in top publications to review your book

⇨ Ask credible people to write about your book objectively

26. Grab more attention by appearing on TV, radio, podcasts (also CNN, Channels, NTA)

⇨ Some TV and radio stations have book segments – know the editors

⇨ Ask to be invited on small podcasts while aiming for BIG ones

⇨ Learn platform mastery – join Toastmasters, Lions, Rotary

27. Put up a website early to presell (Coming Soon – is a common strategy)

⇨ This is as simple as ABC – coming soon is a good way to announce your book to the world

⇨ For $100 to $150 you can get a simple website up and running

⇨ Don’t spare money on this because it’s the cheapest way to engineer publicity

28. Selling a book is harder than you think (sell everywhere – from the booth of your car)

⇨ Don’t be shy to carry your book about and announcing to everyone you’re an author

⇨ Attend conferences, seminars and conventions – buy or rent a stand

⇨ Join Book Clubs, do everything to maintain the selling momentum

29. Get your book into top sales outlets in your area (Paradise, Roving Heights, Selar – for Naija)

⇨ While Amazon reigns supreme globally, in Naija Selar.com is where to pitch your tent

⇨ Choose physical bookstores carefully (Paradise, Roving Heights, CIBN, Glendora are my pick)

⇨ Don’t give out your book more than 25 km from where you live

30. Recover your investment by launching the book

⇨ The easiest way to recover the investment in your book is to launch it

⇨ Invite 250 to 350 people who know you

⇨ Prepare and execute properly – don’t invite strangers, mind your cost

31. Embark on strategies to sell the book at scale

⇨ The end of one book should be the beginning of the next one

⇨ You need 5 books to move the needle in your favour

⇨ So, write more books like Chimamanda Adichie, Malcolm Gladwell, Seth Godin

32. Move to expand your social media footprints

⇨ If you’re not big on social media, don’t beat yourself up

⇨ The masters build audience first before writing a book

⇨ The best time to have started was 20 years ago, now is the next best time

33. Create a TPOV (Teachable Point of View) – to position your personal brand

⇨ For lack of TPOV authors perish – without a TPOV you’re soon forgotten

⇨ When you think of ‘Habits’ who comes to mind? (James Clear, right?)

⇨ A TPOV is what sets you apart from all other authors

34. Adopt strategies to ensure your book remains evergreen

⇨ Books die fast when not nurtured and can remain evergreen if supported

⇨ Think and Grow Rich was first published in 1937 and people still buy it today

⇨ Different covers: 5, 10, 25, 50, etc. year anniversary editions, revised edition, etc.

35. Tweak, optimize, adjust, research, form alliances, speak about your book – and pray.

⇨ Times change, trends come and go, and people come and go

⇨ Your book and strategies has to evolve with time

⇨ And last of all, PRAY constantly about your book until you win

Appears daunting but it’s not

How do you eat an elephant?

Anne Lamott lays it out in her book, Bird By Bird.

You needn’t master all ideas in one go.

Just take one at a time.

Once you start writing, half the battle is won.

I started with one 58-page flimsy book.

Now I have 8.

You too can start.

I’ve helped hundreds of my friends get started.

Some travel thousands of kilometers to attend Book Writing Clinic (BWC) in Lagos.

Today, and for the next 168 hours you can have BWC absolutely free.

(N75,000 value).

Below is the link. Follow the instructions. The fee is set to zero.

https://selar.com/6s022o7277

Book Writing Clinic (BWC) in Lagos.

Today, and for the next 168 hours you can have BWC absolutely free.

N75,000 value)

Below is the link. Follow the instructions. The fee is set to zero.

https://selar.com/6s022o7277

The post 35 Ideas that make you an unbeatable author first appeared on Official website of Paul Uduk.