The write stuff

Jane Beals, managing director of PublishMe, says Smith’s position as CEO of a large company provides him with opportunities to reach out beyond his organisation. “He’s made the networks; he’s in a position to use all the possibilities and to achieve what he wants to achieve. He’s got experience, has something to say and wants to tell people about it.”

Carey's website tells you all about the book and his career. His hope is that he will sell half of the books directly from there and the rest will sell in bookstores in New Zealand and Australia. The press has covered the launch fairly extensively, and he has been invited to speak at conferences on the strength of the book, something he enjoys and is happy to do, because he thinks it spreads the word on good values and ethics.

“People have said it’s good timing,” he says. “A lot of people have said it’s nice to pick up a local book.”

Beals believes more entrepreneurs and businesspeople will take advantage of today’s more accessible routes into publishing so they can have ownership of the process. Going through the main channels is easy if you are well known but rare if you are not, while self-publishing is a significant worldwide business. The burgeoning industry has taken away the mystique of publishing, says Beals.

And it is relatively affordable. At PublishMe, it depends on the size of the book – each A5 book of 100 pages will cost the author $5 or $5.50 if it is published in full colour. PublishMe also has the capacity to print digital books, thanks to a print-on-demand digital press. This means authors can order smaller print runs. “They can react to the market and change things,” says Beals.

The company has just published the book How to Avoid a Recession in Your Business, produced by business adviser Tony Beavan. The owner of 18 businesses over the years and current director of Alto Business Advisers, Beavan started writing a week before Christmas and had a digital version ready by March. He did have a head start, because he based his book on the manuals he writes for clients.

It won’t be War and Peace, but it’s current and relevant, and will undoubtedly have some good tips for struggling local firms. Beavan, an entrepreneur who has seen several economic cycles, has learnt some hard lessons and is happy to share them. “Mine’s got no story; it’s more ‘shut up and pay attention’, and examples of how to do it,” says Beavan.

There are all sorts of reasons to write a book. Artist Lynne Strode-Penney recently wrote a book because she had lived overseas for a number of years and wanted to re-establish herself here. Her book talks about her travels and art, and some of the copies are limited editions with original paintings in them.

Of course, you have to have a certain ego to write a book about your experiences – you have to feel that you have something to contribute. Retail veteran Kevyn Male, the man behind Newmarket’s popular The Three Bears fashion boutique from the 1960s to the 1990s, freely admits there was some ego involved in his publishing projects. But his book 10 Commandments for Successful Retailers, published by Penguin in 1999, has some excellent pointers from a man who carved out an impressive reputation in the rag trade.

In this climate, there are three main components for success, says Male: “Financial stability, product development, and deliverance of superior customer service.” Male wrote for his industry’s trade magazine, Apparel, at one stage and that’s when he was approached by Penguin.