A while ago, I wrote an article about how at Maven Publishing, we are ready to work with you and help you get your book out there, regardless of where you are in the process:
- If you have a vague idea that you think maybe you want to write a book, it’s not too early to reach out and let us help you get moving in the right direction.
- If you’ve started outlining or writing, but you’ve become discouraged or overwhelmed about how to get to the finish line, call us now so we can jump in right away and do the heavy lifting that allows you to not only complete your book, but also that gives you the time and space to focus on running your business.
- Even if you’ve already published your book, but you think it needs a revision and/or an update, it’s not too late for us to make some improvements and re-release it.
We’ve recently been working with a business owner in that second category, and it’s been fun to be a part of the process. Brendan McFarland is the owner of Space PlanIt Interior Design Visuals, a St. Louis-based interior design company that specializes in bringing design visuals to life. Brendan works with other interior designers, real estate professionals, and homeowners to create realistic design visuals, allowing everyone involved in the process to see and “feel” the finished space before any construction or remodeling work begins.
Brendan is well-versed in SketchUp, which is the main design program he works with. He has dedicated much of his time to helping other design professionals use the program, and even has a YouTube channel, where he has created an entire how-to series.
As training other interior designers has become more and more of a priority to him, he came up with the idea to create a book series on using SketchUp. He hopes it will not only be useful as a supplemental training manual for the design professionals he works with, but he also hopes it will be a good resource for anyone who has any reason at all to use SketchUp—even casual hobbyists.
It’s Difficult to Do It Alone
What Brendan found very quickly is that writing a book requires a specific skillset. He had been writing and organizing content, most of which came from his experiences with teaching and training, but soon became overwhelmed when he started thinking about putting it all together, making it detailed enough for experienced professionals while also making it accessible enough for casual SketchUp users, and the biggest challenge of all: getting it in front of readers.
It’s common for business owners to be concerned once they realize everything that goes into writing a book. First of all, not many business owners have extensive experience in writing books, so it’s a new skill to learn. Second, most business owners are busy—they have businesses to run! Had Brendan not reached out, he could have decided he didn’t have time to put the work into the project, and given up on it. That would have been unfortunate, because even though it’s early in the process, it’s obvious that this book series is going to be helpful to anyone who wants to learn more about using SketchUp effectively.
I’ve mentioned this statistic before, but I don’t think it can be stated enough. In multiple surveys conducted over the past two decades, researchers have discovered that anywhere between 80-90% of Americans believe they have a book inside them. Fewer than 10% of those people ever even begin writing, and the percentage of people that finish a book (much less get it published) is even smaller.
Small Business Owners Have So Much to Contribute
We love working with business owners like Brendan. He has something important to share with not only his own clients and colleagues, but also anyone who is remotely interested in the kind of work he does. His passion for design is unmistakable, making him the perfect person to be writing a book series about it.
If you own a business, you have a story that is worth sharing. You have information that can benefit others, and maybe in ways you can’t even predict. As most of our clients find, they, too benefit from the process—writing a book forces you to think about your business’s values, processes, and direction. I’ve even had clients say that they gained so much clarity after writing a book, they re-wrote their company’s mission statement.
We want to help you get your business’s story out into the world! Contact us today, even if you’re not sure you’re ready. We’d love to help you get your ideas rolling in the right direction.
For the latest information on Brendan’s book, follow his Booklaunch page, sign up for his newsletter on his website, and stay tuned to Maven’s blog.
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