Discover A Fun Way to Fundraise
“Success means we go to sleep at night knowing that our talents and abilities were used in a way that served others.” ― Marianne Williamson
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by Bob Schwarztrauber
I see people’s faces light up when they learn how many books I’ve published. But they get excited not for me, but because they see that I know something they want to know. That is: how to do it.
Most people at one time or another have dreamed of writing their own book. “I should write a book about it” is one of the more common phrases bantered about after someone has accomplished something extraordinary, or has endured something equally horrific.
But despite all the shelves being full down at Barnes and Noble, most people will never write that book. Mostly because they don’t know how to begin, or the steps to completion. They’ve been conditioned their whole life to the fact that book writing is for the elite, not for them.
But times have so changed. We no longer need permission from a major book publisher. We no longer need our work to be approved by scholarly men in suits and bow ties who sit behind desksat the publishing house stamping pass or fail on our dreams.
Today, for good or bad, anyone can publish their ideas, lessons, thoughts, ramblings, humor, information in a real printed book that others can buy from the biggest bookseller in the world, Amazon.com.
If you can type a Word document, if you can take a photograph, or if you can draw you can have your very own print book custom made, on demand, printed for anyone and everyone who wants to buy it. The marketplace, not some suit, will decide if they want your book or not.
Your “job” is just to get the information out of your head and onto paper. Will you deny the people who might learn, might benefit, might derive some pleasure from your experience, your perspective, your “way” of doing things?
One of the greatest compliments I ever got on a book was from a Canadian gentleman named Bill, who wrote, “YOUR WAY of explaining things Bob, does more for me than all the videos.”
While there were already dozens, if not hundreds of books out there teaching Photoshop, and Youtube has hundreds of video tutorials, I decided to write a book based on my understanding of Photoshop. And MY WAY of explaining things made all the difference to Bill. Likely others too.
I’ll bet YOUR WAY of explaining things could help someone as well.
That’s why we see SO MANY similar books, all doing well. Not everyone learns the same way. The combination of words you use might make all the difference to someone. But your playing small, your fear denies them the opportunity.
If you won’t write the book to improve your own financial situation, why not DO IT FOR THEM?
If you’re not comfortable enough to pour your own thoughts, and beliefs, and feelings into your own book, if you haven’t yet created a big enough “WHY?” to motivate you, consider creating a book for someone else on your first time out.
Once you have an understanding of how easy it can be to create a book, you might just be inspired to finally create yours.
Here is what I’m talking about. Create a FUNDRAISING BOOK to help your favorite charity.
Now more than ever, charities are feeling the pain of this economy. Donations are down. People grow weary of the same old fundraisers that just leave them poorer. Why not create a fundraiser that makes everyone richer?
To do this you simply have the members each submit one or two pages of the book (for example, their favorite recipes or tips, or tricks). Once you have say 100 to 150 recipes you have all the content you need to create a great cookbook. Compile them all together, add a snazzy cover and go out and sell this useful book to raise money for your charity. The profit margins are huge, and you know right off that every one who contributed will be a buyer, right? And their friends and family too. Cookbooks are a perennial best seller. You could create a new version each year and easily raise $5000 for your charity selling something useful (a book) that families can enjoy.
(Just as an aside, the Bible is one of the best selling books of all times and what is it? A collectionof stories, a compilation, an anthology There’s no reason YOU have to write a whole book yourself, get some help if it makes sense to do so.)
Once you do this, and see how easy it is to create a book, I guarantee you’ll be itchin’ to get your own book done. And keep all the profits for yourself!
If you want details on how you can create a simple $5000 fundraising book for your favorite group, let me know and I’ll be happy to help you.
To paraphrase from the Bible, “Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see…”
You know stuff. Good stuff. Why not share it in a book?
YOUR WAY might just be the way that turns someones life around for the better.
