Many business professionals who have published a book have found that it was a major career milestone; one that helped them put their career on a fast track to success. I’ve talked about this previously in my blog.

For many people, “having a book” is one of the defining aspects of thought leadership. Even in an age of Twitter and Instagram, there’s something about being the author of a book that moves you to another level. This is because:

Imagine two business consultants, each meeting with a potential client for the first time. One consultant says to the client, “Here’s my business card.” The other says, “Here’s a copy of my book. Let me autograph it for you.”Which meeting do you think is off to a better start?

Publishing a book is an amazing way to show that “you’ve arrived” as a business professional. But you may have found that making your book happen is like running a marathon – a long grind. And for many would-be authors, what holds them back is, a major barrier looming at the end of the process. It’s like the challenge that stands near the finish line on the Boston Marathon, “Heartbreak Hill,” described by the Boston Globe as:

“Here’s a copy of my book.” Even in an age of Periscope and Twitter, publishing a book is one of the milestones that shows you’ve “arrived” as a subject-matter expert. Why is book-publishing so important for someone developing thought leadership? Three big reasons: