Why Does "Publishing A Book" Seem To Be The Only Avenue To Credibility?

In a day and age where more content is generated in a minute on Facebook than a year virtually a decade ago, I see publishing a book as tired mediocre into the foray of 'perceived credibility'. Much like the psychological phenomena of 'social proof,' it seems that you're only invited to the big-boy table if you cranked out a few boxes of books.

While I think books (in whatever form ebooks, whitepapers, webinars, audio, presentation and of course the printed word) are indeed the lifeblood of education. I'm not here to burn books. This post steams from the social perception that one person is greater than another from having been published.

The long story: A very good friend of mine got bumped from a keynote address by an author of his first book. The presentation was horrible and the seminar MC came back and said to my peer "I'm sorry we've heard you speak before and you were great, but since he had written a book we assumed he would be amazing." Well joy.

I could write one as you're all aware, but I have a few fundamental frustrations:

• Content in my disciplines is so time sensitive, I can see how someone would open the cover and see ©copyright 2009 and think, "Oh my God you can't be serious?"
• I don't want to be the opening band telling everyone if you liked what you heard I'm going to run off stage and be selling t-shirts and CD's in the back by the pool tables.
• I'm so indecisive that I feel if I couldn't write a whole book (or God forbid series of books) on one minutia of the 10k things I do in a day. I of course I will then lose "authenticity." Meh.
• I'm not looking for a way to stroke my ego anymore than communicating with people about design and all that is transmedia.
• Who the hell has time to sit down and read a book these days? We live societally in micro-bursts. This is why eBooks, pod/vod casting, LMS software and other practices are so exciting.
• Book = credibility? This frustrates me.

There are a lot of appealing transitional measures I think might be beneficial for me such as:

• Podcasting/vodcasting
• eBooks, especially tablet based, as I would want to exploit the ability to link to various media
• Webinars and speaking engagements

For those seeking to publish however we've never been in a more robust electronic world. With endless ways of self-publication and the ability to extend the life-force of your printed book with digital social communication with readers.

This is a hot button for me as it seems that is a requirement. I want your feedback. What's the future for the publishing industry as it seems everyone has a blog, and the content sphere gets grayer and grayer. It's hard to say – I'm still buying books. And in the same hypocritical breath maybe I still will publish a physical book(s). I just don't want to be FORCED to given the time sensitivity to most of my content. Sigh, I just don't know.

I cannot be the only person stuck at the edge of this conundrum wondering if I should invest the next few months pontificating or interviewing experts on subjects.

Have you written, are in the process or thinking about writing a book? I'd love to hear more about your experiences. Please share this article with your favorite social network below!

Comments

[KimBooSan]

I think the revolution in publishing has fractured what might be called the "credibility cycle." Before, you had to get published by a legacy publisher, then market the book, before you were allowed to claim expertise or validity. Now people can build community and brand recognition first, then publish. Or, epublish and just scrap the whole "traditional print gig" entirely until one of the legacy houses comes knocking with a lot of dough (Amanda Hocking, for instance, but there are others).

As I am always telling fiction writers nowadays, the question isn't how you establish credibility as a published author, but whom you are trying to establish that credibility with. Romance novel readers? Business leaders? A community of scientists/scholars? The situation with the digital changes today means that there isn't One True Path anymore, as the monopoly of the legacy publishers is broken (as much as they refuse to admit it; I think the credibility cycle for modern literature, for instance, is a very closed circle, and getting smaller).

Yes, hard copy book = credibility, and I think it will for a long time to come. But I don't think that means it is the only path to credibility with your audience anymore. /2 cents

[Justice Mitchell]

KimBooSan,

As always your words hold great truth. It just drives me crazy when people that have little or nothing to say are creating books that are mostly regurgitated interviews or reference articles and they sit on some panel hailed as 'Master of their Domain'. It's laughable IMHO. But nevertheless I wonder if for me what's next? Long form blogs? White papers? Or just bite the damn bullet and just knock out a few lulu published or small run published books just to be part of the game. It seems that it's just part of what my vertical anticipates.

[Dave Linabury]

Books were never a guarantee of credibility. Look how many junk diet books, get-rich-quick books and self-help books appear and promptly disappear off the shelves every year. Been that way since the 1950s. People (as in the collective masses) can spot bullshit and ignore it (i.e., stop buying their books).

Then again, Dan Brown is still making the NYT Best Seller List and he has zero credibility…

[Justice Mitchell]

Dave,

Thanks for your insight. It just drives me insane when I attend groups of my peers that are speaking to me because they have a book(s). I'm of the opinion that I'd rather eat case studies and slideshare documentation, that's something I can clearly learn, evaluate and deploy against. But you never here Keynote by Janey Tinseltown author if such riveting PPT decks as "10 ways to steal a wheelchair."

Plus the core issue that content like ours is laughable in six months.

Best ~

[J.D.]

Keep it short, sweet and since you live on the bleeding edge, lean into being time sensitive.

Map out your 12 chapter game plan, write one a week over the next three months and bam!

Tipping the Weasel by Justice Mitchell is ready to kill trees and provoke discussion.

OBEY!

[Sean]

I'm organizing and fleshing out a graphic novel- which is a bit different than a book about SOMETHING.
I'm creating a universe, with laws and characters- Not proving a point, or explaining something for others. What YOU need to do Justice,

Is take your sharp, I am educated and know how to do everything the best- and make coffee table / small books.

"How to be the best _________"

Or, " Hi, My name Is Justice Mitchell, and here are reasons you should be more like me," take the Tucker Max approach. Every bro will have your book on their coffee / beer pong table.
You need to be published in book form, and this is how I think you should do it.