Hey Modern Authors,

Ok, this one… it’s a topic I’ve been wanting to write for a while, but it took a challenging conversation this week to do it. It’s designed to hit as a bit of an emotional gut-punch.

You see, there’s a pattern I see over and over again.

Someone reaches out. Smart. Capable. Usually successful in their current role.

They say something like:

“I want to write a book so I can finally leave my job.”

Or:

“I’ve always wanted to do coaching / speaking / consulting… I think a book is the way to make that happen.”

On the surface, it makes sense.

A book feels like a turning point. A clean break. A signal to the world that something new has started.

But here’s the hard truth:

Your book is not your escape plan.

And when you treat it that way… it almost always stalls.

If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to make an escape (and perhaps a book is part of that “plan”), you definitely need to read on.

The Pattern Most People Don’t See

Let me tell you how this usually plays out.

We start talking through their ideas.

It’s often good. Sometimes really good.

They’ve got experience. Stories. Insight. A real perspective.

We shape a concept. Define an audience. Clarify what the book could become.

And then… something happens.

They hesitate.

They say:

“I just need a little more time.” “Things are busy right now.” “I want to get clearer before I start.”

And eventually:

“I’m not ready yet… but I will be.”

I’d estimate this happens in about 90% of these conversations.

Not because they’re not capable.

Because something deeper is off.

This is actually what happened to me when I was working in a big, fancy corporate law firm. I wrote my first book… in part as an escape plan.

And when it was published… it didn’t help me escape. I thought it would. I thought white horses might come and rescue me.

But the good news… I figured out what I really needed to do to escape.

The Real Issue Isn’t the Book

It’s this belief:

“The book will be the thing that gives me permission to start.”

Permission to:

coach speak teach build something of their own

The book becomes this symbolic first move.

The bridge from where they are… to where they want to go.

But that’s not how it works.

The Core Reframe

Your book is not how you go from 0 → 1.

It’s how you go from 1 → 100. Or 100 → 1,000.

That’s the difference.

A book doesn’t create your value.

It amplifies it.

Why This Matters So Much

If you’re waiting for a book to:

give you confidence create your first opportunity validate your direction

You’re putting pressure on the wrong thing.

And you’ll feel it.

Writing will feel heavier. Decisions will feel harder. Momentum will stall.

Because subconsciously, you’re asking the book to do something it can’t do.

What Actually Comes First

Every successful modern author I’ve worked with had something in motion before the book.

Not a massive platform. Not a huge audience.

But real value being created in the real world.

That looked like:

coaching a few people mentoring inside their company teaching small groups speaking in smaller settings consulting on real problems hosting workshops or retreats

Nothing flashy.

But very real.

They weren’t waiting to start.

They had already started.

For me, after the book came out, I stopped waiting for white horses to rescue me. I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur and start my own business.

So I started…

I went to hackathons. I built things. I got paid to consult. I joined a board.

I created signals of where I wanted to go.

I signaled that I was on a path to becoming an entrepreneur.

The Book Comes After the Signal

Once that value exists, something changes.

Patterns start to emerge.

You notice:

what people struggle with what you naturally help with what your point of view actually is

And most importantly:

you see what works.

That’s when a book becomes powerful.

Because now you’re not guessing.

You’re codifying.

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The Navid Story (This Is What It Actually Looks Like)

Let’s make this concrete.

Navid Nazemian.

Today, he’s ranked as the world’s #1 executive coach. Bestselling author. Keynote speaker. Global reputation.

From the outside, it might look like the book created that.

It didn’t.

Before the book…

He was a senior executive at Vodafone.

But behind the scenes?

He was already doing the work.

Coaching leaders inside the organization Developing people informally Getting formal coaching training Teaching and lecturing at a university Building his thinking in real environments

He wasn’t waiting.

He was practicing. Testing. Refining.

The value was already there.

The book didn’t create it.

The book accelerated it.

It gave structure to his ideas. Visibility to his work. Scale to his impact.

But it was built on something real.

The Dangerous Fantasy

Here’s the trap:

“I’ll write the book… and then everything will start.”

That sounds good.

But it usually leads to:

delayed action overthinking the concept endless preparation and ultimately… no book

Because deep down, you know:

You’re not just writing a book.

You’re trying to change your life with it.

That’s too much weight for one project to carry.

The Better Path

Flip the order.

Start here:

Where am I already creating value?

Not hypothetically. Not someday.

Right now.

Finding Your “1”

Before the book, you need a “1.”

Something small but real.

Ask yourself:

Where do people already come to me for help? What problems do I naturally solve? What conversations do I have where I add real value?

It might be:

helping a colleague think through a challenge advising someone on a transition mentoring a junior team member speaking in a small internal setting

It doesn’t need to be public.

It just needs to be real.

Expanding That Value (Before the Book)

Once you see it, you expand it slightly.

Not dramatically.

Just intentionally.

Say yes to a small speaking opportunity Offer to run a workshop Coach a few people Go on a podcast Host a small session

You’re not scaling yet.

You’re validating.

What This Creates

Now something powerful starts happening.

You’re no longer guessing what your book should be.

You’re seeing it.

Live. In real time.

You notice:

what resonates what people repeat back to you what creates change

Your ideas stop being theoretical.

They become proven.

Now the Book Has Something to Do

At this point, the book becomes clear.

Its job is simple:

Take what already works… and make it scalable.

Structure your thinking Give language to your ideas Make your value portable Help it travel beyond you

That’s leverage.

Why This Approach Works

Because it removes the pressure.

You’re not asking:

“Will this book change everything?”

You’re asking:

“How do I scale what’s already working?”

That’s a much easier question to answer.

And a much easier book to write.

The Confidence Trap

A lot of people say:

“I just need more confidence before I start.”

But confidence doesn’t come from writing.

It comes from doing.

From:

helping someone solving a problem seeing impact

The book reflects that confidence.

It doesn’t create it.

The Real Sequence

Here’s what actually works:

Create value (small, real, consistent) Refine your thinking through action See what works and what resonates THEN write the book Use the book to scale

Most people try to skip to step 4.

That’s why they get stuck.

A Hard but Honest Question

If you’re thinking about writing a book to “make a change”…

Ask yourself this:

Where am I already creating the kind of value I want to scale?

If the answer is nowhere…

That’s not a book problem.

That’s a starting problem.

The Good News

This isn’t bad news.

It’s actually freeing.

Because you don’t need to wait. You don’t need permission. You don’t need the perfect idea.

You just need to start creating value.

In small ways. In real ways.

The Closing Reframe

Your book is not your escape plan.

It’s your amplifier.

It doesn’t replace the work. It expands it.

It doesn’t create your value. It scales it.

And when you approach it that way…

Everything gets easier.

Clearer. Faster.

Because now you’re not trying to write your way into a new life.

You’re writing to expand the one you’ve already started building.

Happy Writing My Friends,
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Eric