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It’s a common thought leader dilemma: your cup runneth over with content.
In fact, trying to cram all your insight into a 45-minute keynote took serious willpower. You wrote, you rehearsed, you cut. You reworded. And you slashed again. A story you love had to go. That example that upleveled your central concept? Just not enough time.
It hurts. And yet—something inside you is defiant. “There’s a place for these gems somewhere,” you think, and you console yourself by saying, “I’m not done with these ideas.” Or maybe they’re not done with you.
That’s the first signal of ripeness when it comes to turning a speech into a book. Your speechwriting has left you with a surplus of ideas looking for a place to call home. That small mountain of gold that didn’t make it into your speech? It’s prime book fodder.
But that’s just the first of five tell-tale signs that indicate your transformational speech is ready to become a bestselling book. Now, you don’t need to check off all five. But if you have at least three, then you’re probably more prepared than you might think to commit to your book-writing journey.
People keep asking: “Do you have a book yet?”
Sometimes the universe sends subtle signals. This is not one of them. If you ever get asked “Where can I buy your book?” this is an in-your-face invitation to do something about it.
Your speech resonated with them and they want to dive deeper. That causal link is a strong indication your speech has the substance needed to become an excellent book.
You may also get juicy follow-up questions during Q&A after your speech. You love it. Sometimes it’s the best part of the gig. But those ten minutes feel like speed-dating with people who want to marry your ideas. You do your best, but it’s inevitable. You settle for partial answers, ending with half-hearted encouragement to visit your website for “more.”
When what you couldn’t say onstage starts to weigh heavy on you, you have your next signal of ripeness. Where speeches are pithy, books are where you can spread out and bask in the space to give a full answer.
You want to preserve your speech—beyond the live speaking gig
Let’s be real: as great as your speech is, you’re not going to want to give this same talk forever. But that doesn’t mean your current ideas should disappear when you pivot to your next topic.
Think about your favorite band. They tour. It’s fantastic. The energy, the sweat, the crowd—it’s an indelible live experience. But if there were no recorded albums? No way to replay or revisit or share their music. Wouldn’t that be rather tragic?
A book is your record. It lets your unique point of view live long after you’ve moved on to the next keynote. We’re all familiar with the idea that the unlived life is not worth living, not because Socrates was a great speaker, even though he was. It’s because someone wrote his words down.
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