As I’ve shared previously my family is going through a big “offloading” event as we are affectionately calling it and being incredibly strict with what we are going to keep and what we are going to sell or simply donate and giveaway.
We’ve expanded our efforts to go beyond just books – anything goes at this point. Furniture, clothes, and whatever else that we’re simply not using and don’t need.
But one of the interesting things that’s happening as I’m vetting my books in terms of whether or not I want to keep them is the fact that I’m being a bit introspective and reflective as I walk through all the titles. I’m simply asking myself this very simple question:
Did it work?
In other words, did the advice in this particular book “work”? Did it provide the value that I had hoped it would and was it time well spent?
Sadly I’m finding that most of the books that I sorting through have had very little impact on my life, even after reading them cover to cover and scribbling tons of notes in each one of them. Most of them failed miserably to provide the advertised or marketed value that had gotten me to part with my precious dollar bills and most of them have been wildly disappointing.
Perhaps I expected too much; perhaps I should have not assumed that the proposed contents that laid within was not actually the proposed content. Or, I’ll admit, perhaps I didn’t try hard enough to execute against what these authors were suggesting that I do with this new information.
Maybe that’s it.
Some of them, like the book above, made me laugh out loud. I’ve been blogging for 12 years now – more than most people and yet I never “blogged” my way to a six figure income. You would think that if there was one guy who would eventually “blog his way” then it would be me. Sure, it wasn’t my intent or expressed goal and I made it half-way there one year but the thing is that I gave it a serious go and attempted all that those two authors suggested that I’d do. And sure, perhaps I’m still on my way…
I remember thumbing through it so many times, re-reading certain sections, and nearly ripping the pages out because I wanted to put them on my wall in front of my computer. The image of the book above is actually of my second copy of the book because the first one was worn so badly.
But it never happened. It never worked.
I don’t blame the authors at all. I’m not bitter either. I’ve just found most books to be far too contextually-specific and contextually-disparate that the amount of relevant material is very, very small.
And yet I have parted with thousands upon thousands of dollars worth of these books which have provided me very little in return. Fascinating to think about. Not depressing, at least initially; just fascinating.
It’s interesting to think about whether something “worked.” You may not have achieved 6 figures, but I might still classify you as a successful blogger!
Keep up the good work John, I love what you do.
thanks dan!
Hmm. Maybe this is why I like fiction and factual reference (grammar books, dictionaries, encyclopedias). I’m not as fond of “blueprints” and “case studies.” I keep thinking that, whatever I do, I’m going to have to do it my way – to find my own path. I need to develop certain skills and learn to use certain basic tools, but I also have to make them my own and use them in a way that’s original – or content myself with being part of the herd.
Fiction rarely makes it to my trash or donate bin.
At least it usually provides a cheap, mental vacation.
i need the mental vacation for sure.
Crazy dude… and I totally get where you’re coming from with this. I’ve been doing a great deal of coaching for other writers/bloggers recently, and I try to be VERY clear about the reality of it all… it’ll be a LOT of hard work, and you still may not make it BIG. Crazy, dude…
it takes a lot of freakin’ work.
I just put a ton of things on amazon, ebay and craigslist.
anddddd.. all my books.. are going for a dollar on amazon. Boo. I haven’t bought a physical book in so long, but understand.
I hope all is well.
it’s been some time, hasn’t it…?
As an author, this post (of course) freaks me out. I want my books to help make lasting change. Of the 14 I’ve written, two stand out in terms of life impact, my memoir, and my latest work. Both go deep. Neither are easy reads (which is why they haven’t sold well). They’re not 5 quick tips to be amazing. They’re story and scripture based. Because I solidly believe true life change happens at the intersection of our desire for it and God’s Spirit within us.
love this. thanks mary.
Give the books away dude. Some may or may not have worked for you. So.. Big deal. Give them to someone that would want to apply what’s in them and maybe, just maybe might make it work for them.
Ouch, I came back and read this comment and it appears like I was being rude. This was totally a joke.. Reading it again, I can see how it might not have been taken that way. John definitely love what you are doing because your heart for greatness shows. Keep rocking it.
I think you could be there if you monetized better. Look at how Pat Flynn monetizes his blog at the Smart Passive Income. He’s in the same niche as you and blue host alone is a significant chunk of his monthly income that you could be taking advantage of…
robert,
thanks for this. i’m no pat flynn and he’s not john saddington! he’s done a fantastic job at his blog and it’s a significant portion of his income. i, on the other hand, have other sources that i’m focusing on and the time in those areas provide a much higher return.
Wow! John, your post smacks me into reality as I’m about to begin a long day of writing. Will my book deliver? If readers follow my suggestions to live out a disciplined walk with God, will their lives be filled with abundant spiritual growth? Or, will it be a waste of their time? A waste of my time to write this book?
i’m not interested in stopping you from publishing…… go for it! but it’s a good reminder that it is our responsibility as authors to create as much real value as possible.
One lesson to learn here is how to write a compelling headline, or, in this case, a compelling title. The book makes an irresistible promise, and it’s written by somebody who has achieved the promised objective. Hard not to buy that book! (I bought it.) But that’s the secret to all “how-to” books — an irresistible promise. If you got halfway, you really achieved something. I heard the CEO of Technorati say recently that only 9% of blogs ever generate monthly revenue of $3000 or more. That must put you in at least the top 5% of revenue producing blogs, worldwide! Not so bad.
So, in terms of blogging, what does your instinct tell you to do to get to that 6 figure income? I’m just starting, and I’m eager to learn.
i’m no longer interested in spending time “optimizing” my site for monetization. i’m far too busy with other things at this point… but my series posts is where to start.
Fascinating indeed. I used to read books cover-to-cover or not at all. I would consider it a failure on my part if I only read the first five chapters and then put the book down…never to return to it again. So I would force myself to finish the book anyway. And I would almost always walk away disappointed and unfulfilled, thinking to myself, “I should have stopped half-way through.”
With introspection, I realized that I simply don’t NEED to read an entire book to get something valuable from it. So now it is very rare that I read a book in its entirety. I don’t feel one-bit guilty for paying $10-20 or more for a book and only reading the first 5 chapters or so. Said another way, I read until the value of the content starts diminishing beyond the value of my time (hard to quantify but very easy to tell, if that makes any sense). And I am finding that I get much more pleasure and value out of reading than I used to and, more often than not, think to myself, “That education was totally worth $20,” even when I only walk away with one key takeaway that came from one little phrase buried on page 23.
i love this perspective.
Some of the most important lessions I’ve learned about blogging came from watching what you’ve gone through in the past two years, John.
Tentblogger is still the only blog I read about blogging regularly. Thanks for all you’ve shared.
thanks for that ken. i appreciate that!
Maybe you should have a contest and give them away to the winners!
So, tell us, if you don’t mind. What books made it into your “I will keep this forever” list? We would love to know what books have influenced you the most.
Powerful point. I’m definitely going to have to start thinking about whether “something works” and if it makes sense. I love that critical thinking mindset! Thanks!