You’re a successful business professional with a proven track record. You also have an idea for a book. Where do you start?

You could go the traditional route: Write up a book proposal, send it to an agent or a publisher, wait until they make you an offer, negotiate the final terms, then see your book in print two years later only to find out you have to do most of the marketing. The alternative is much easier. You could publish it yourself.

But why would you want to do that?

Top 5 Reasons Business Professionals Should Consider Self-Publishing

There are no guarantees in life. You know that. You could publish traditionally and your book could be a huge flop, or it could be a huge success. Either way, it will take years out of your life. Is that a risk you’re willing to take?

On the other hand, if you self-publish your knowledge into a book, you may succeed or fail, but the time frame for both outcomes is much shorter. Here are 5 reasons you should consider self-publishing:

1. The book publishing business is changing–There’s no doubt about it, self-publishing is losing its stigma. What once was considered a death knell for authors is now often considered a capstone to success. The digital age has arrived in full force, giving authors and entrepreneurs more control over the processes that lead to success and the ideas they hold in their heads. The reports at Author Earnings give a bright new picture to how the publishing business is being turned on its head by independent authors and their DIY projects.
2. Time is of essence–Nonfiction becomes obsolete fast. In almost every industry there are changes taking place on such a scale that if you started writing today, by the time your book was published by a traditional publisher the information would be out of date. With self-publishing, you can have your book written and published within a couple of months. Then, you can update it any time you want and re-publish it with up-to-date information. That’s much easier to do with self-publishing than traditional publishing.
3. Your book is your calling card–Ever go to a networking event and see people handing out business cards left and right? Does that inspire you to do the same thing? If you are a true entrepreneur, you want to do something that sets you apart. How about handing potential new prospects your book? Let the book be your business card. Now, I’m not saying to pass it out to everyone you meet, but you could pass it out to qualified leads you are sure you would like to do business with, and by handing out a copy of your book you are telling them that you are no ordinary business person. You’ll be remembered.
4. You keep more of the profits–With traditional publishing, you’ll get a small percentage of the revenues your books generate. In fact, Author Earnings lays it out pretty clear in this report. On the other hand, if you self-publish, then you get to keep more of the pie. In many cases, self-published authors are making more money than their traditionally published counterparts.
5. Books position you as the expert–Think of any published author you know. Do you consider them an expert? Most likely, you do. And when people see your book on the shelf (whether a physical shelf or a digital shelf), they will think the same thing. People automatically consider authors experts in the topics they write about. And many of these experts secure speaking engagements easily.

There is no time better than now than to publish your book. The digital revolution is just beginning. You can get in on the ground floor.