The Long-Tail Benefits of Professional Nonfiction Books
Good things can happen years after your title hits the shelves if you put the time and effort in.
Warren Buffett famously said, “Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” The Oracle of Omaha—and those who express similar sentiments—preach patience and long-term investing. Good things often take time to happen.
That mindset is a tough sell in the book world. The immediacy imperative is pervasive. You needn't be an esteemed literary agent to know that most book sales take place upon their release. Acquisitions editors at large publishers typically don't last if their titles don't pop. Rare is the book that blows up months or years after its release.
That grim reality, however, doesn't negate one of the main benefits of writing a book.