Leandre Larouche’s Post

There are three truths every published author knows… … Whether they know them consciously or unconsciously. And these truths are what allowed them to go from aspiring to published authors. These three truths are: 1) No idea is truly original. The reality is: The brain is incapable of inventing something completely new. Every innovative idea is an amalgamation or derivation of one or more older ideas. Ideas are similar to matter. They cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. That means you don’t need to wait until you have the most novel or original idea to write and publish your book… … Because that will never happen. You need a community, a conversation, and a good angle. That’s it.  2) You should never start from a blank page. There is no such thing as starting from a blank page. If you are thinking of writing a book, You’ve probably done other writing in the past. Go back to these writings and see how you can use them as a starting point. If necessary, use an AI tool or work with a writing coach to make sense of your past writing. But, for the love of God… Do not start from a blank page.  3) The goal is to build a body of work.  Some people write out of passion, some for money, and some to create a legacy. While all these reasons are valid, the best approach to writing is to build a body of work. A body of work is the complete collection of works you created throughout your life.  It demonstrates the range, development, and consistency of your efforts and achievements in your field. When you build it right,  Your body of work serves your passion, legacy, and bank account. If you make your goal to build a great body of work, Everything else will follow. What else do you want to know? Drop it in the comments.

The weirdest thing about my business is that people sometimes come to me with a manuscript they started writing (or wrote entirely) a long time ago. Sometimes, it's years. Sometimes, it's over a decade ago. And when that happens, I can't help but think back to the time in my life I was when they wrote the book. I think about the fact that little old me was going about his life without having a clue that someone somewhere was writing a book and that some day in the future, I would be the one entrusted to help that person publish it. It's just crazy.

Turning my expertise into a book is the best thing I’ve ever done. I’m a professional writer by training. I’ve written fiction & nonfiction alike. But... In 2021, I was asked to turn some of my writing materials into a book. Though I previously had no intention of turning these materials into a book, I accepted. As a result: - I made tens of thousands of dollars upfront from the book. - I landed coaching and consulting gigs following the publication. - I strengthened my authority and credibility in my field. I was lucky to have this opportunity to find me. But at the same time, We create our own luck. So… Consider packaging your expertise into a book. The simple fact of having a book to your name can add multiple zeros to your revenues.  To better understand where to start, Check the free video case study I recently published. In this case study, I explain each step of the process I’ve followed to get this book out and profit from it. (Check the first comment for the link.)

This keyboard changed my life. Silly but true. The work tools you use make a world of difference. And as a writer and writing coach, My most important tool is the keyboard. (Duh... I know.) For many years, I was using an Apple Magic Keyboard with a numeric keyboard. And it was fine during that time. But… I then grew dissatisfied because you can’t adjust the angle and the keys don’t make loud sounds. When I write for hours at a time, I want my hands to be in the most comfortable position possible. And I want to hear the deeply satisfying sound of mechanical keys. So, I found this bad boy at Canada Computers & Electronics. (Old school, I know... I actually went in-store. 😅) And I haven’t looked back since. I sometimes still use my Magic Keyboard during client calls. (The mechanical key sounds can be too loud when talking to someone.) But this is by far the best keyboard I’ve ever owned. I’m writing this post with it and my brain delights with each keystroke. I’ve already written, revised, and edited hundreds of thousands of words with it. Millions more to come!

You know you are in the right field of work when: You enjoy even the most mundane of tasks. Last week, I was reviewing memos for a company that brought me in to help with their writing culture. I had to do some light formatting and… I just loved it. Formatting is the most basic task and isn’t even really writing. You would think that as a writer and founder, I’d dismiss it as a waste of time. But… Even though that’s not something I typically spend a lot of time on, I love to do it when I need to. I love seeing a piece of writing become clearer and more persuasive because of: - Spacing - Bolds & Italics - Bullet and Numbered Lists Nothing fires me up like taking something that looked okay and making it look great. I can spend hours in Google Docs playing with text. Should I do it? Probably not. But do I enjoy it? Hell yeah. What’s something mundane you love about your work?

The moment I published my first book, my life changed. I was 21 years old And still attending university in Montreal. But I had a message to share and felt it was the right time. As soon as the book became available, It became the ultimate business card. - I launched the book in person to more people than I ever thought I would. - I had the book available in bookstores (harder for first-time, self-published authors). - It got me featured in the press. Everything accelerated from that point on. Jobs. Grants. Fellowships. Business opportunities. It even led me to coach and consult for large companies. There is something special about a book. When done right, It draws people into your world And gives a special aura to your work. People respect authors because it takes commitment and courage to publish a book. - Commitment to the ideas you share. - And courage to own your words. If you have a unique message, story, or expertise, You should write a book. The great thing is: You probably have all the content you need already.

The world would be a better place if more people: - Read more books - Wrote more books Most books are difficult. They're difficult to read and difficult to write. If you read a good book, it challenges what you know and how you think. If you write a good book, it challenges your assumptions and premises. Good books are the antidote to nonsense. What's the best book you've read so far this year?

A few years ago, I enrolled a new writing coaching client. She came to me to improve her writing skills and process. As part of the coaching engagement, I sent her some of my grammar materials. Up until that point, it was business as usual. But she then commented that the materials were the best explanation of writing she’d seen. And she said it was better than the Oxford materials the college where she worked was using. So… My client asked me if I could turn these materials into a textbook that the college could buy. I said, “Sure. If we can find a win-win arrangement, I will do it.” I hadn’t thought of turning these grammar materials into a book because it was a niche topic. But here I had: … An interested buyer … High demand … No competition … Good timing … Which is what I call the “Opportunity Equation.” It’s the meeting of several economic "laws" that play in your favor… Allowing you to make as much money doing the least amount of work. In the end, I negotiated an agreement, which led me to: • Collect money before I even wrote the book • Make a healthy profit on the book (I self-published) • Use the book to generate even more income Now... While there is more that goes into this process, it can be used by anyone who has legitimate expertise and a track record of helping people. In fact, I have helped clients get similar results. But instead of boring you with a long-winded post detailing every step, I filmed a video case study about the exact steps I took and the specific results I created. If you would like to learn more about how I went about this process, Click the link in the first comment and check out the case study.

Last Saturday, two people asked me about book length during a webinar Q&A. Well, book length is tricky because there are some standards... But you don't necessarily need to follow them — especially if you self-publish. The reality is, it depends on: - Your book - Your goal - Your audience So, I created this article from past content I've written about book lengths to give you a high-level sense of how long a book should be. Reach out if you have any questions!

On Saturday, May 18, at noon EST, I am hosting a free live training on Zoom where I'll be revealing 8 proven strategies that will help you write a business or personal book. This training has both high-level and technical elements, so you'll walk away with a holistic understanding and specific tactics. Whether you want to write yourself, work with a ghostwriter, or are still deciding when to take the first step... You will want to attend this training. I will walk you through everything you need to know before getting started. These steps will help you: ✅ Understand the writing/publishing process. ✅ Figure out your big idea and how to position it. ✅ Decide how to write and publish your book. This information will help you whether you're ready to start now or not... So, If you are considering writing a business or personal development book, I highly suggest that you sign up. And just so you know, I will be making a special offer to get my 1:1 help at the end of the training. But you do NOT need to take me up on this offer to benefit from the training. I will break down my best strategies and take questions at the end. Participants who stay until the end will also receive a written version of the content. There's only one catch: The webinar is open for 100 participants only (Zoom limitations + it's easier to take questions). I have an audience of 10,500+ across all my channels, so make sure you sign up today and show up 5-10 minutes early on Saturday to secure your spot. Click the event link below to sign up. ⬇️ And Make sure you register on Zoom.