You might not recognize his name, but you’d know his books: “The One-Minute Manager” and “Who Moved My Cheese.”

Those books sold more than 20 million copies.

The author, Dr. Spencer Johnson, died not too long ago.

Coincidentally, I downloaded the audio book of “Cheese” last week and listened to it on my walks.

Here are key takeaways from a very successful author’s life that you can use to your advantage:

  1. Don’t write the book you want to write. Write the book that readers want to read. He rewrote “Cheese” several times based on feedback from readers.
  2. Believe in the value of your work. His publisher wanted to sell the 90-page book for less than $10. He had been selling the book for $15 at his seminar. He stuck to his beliefs and the publisher reluctantly agreed. They made a fortune! In 2005, Amazon said “Cheese” was their best selling book of all time.
  3. People will buy a 90-page book that can be read in 45 minutes. Your book doesn’t have to be 240 pages long and takes days to read.

His co-author, Ken Blanchard, told me at a seminar recently that collaborating with a co-author was a valuable learning experience for him.

As you plan to write your books, you might entertain the idea of working with me as your book coach or co-author.

For info about my services, visit the Coaching/Editing/Writing page.