Jeff Senne and I co-wrote two of the early books about doing business in a Digital Age. Jeff used to say that writing a book was like getting a PhD. He got the scope wrong, but he got the principle right.

Anyone who has worked on a PhD or known someone who has knows that getting a doctorate is a rigorous, formal process. It includes writing a book (the dissertation) but also much, much more. So Jeff was wrong about the scope.

But he was dead right about an important thing. When you write a book you have to master a lot of material. You also have to develop the way you organize it and express it. It’s a lot of work.

A lot of great ideas and concepts don’t get turned into books because the would-be author doesn’t understand how much work it is.

Bottom Line

Writing a book is a big task. Make sure you understand what’s involved before you start.