Expert Enough: You Don’t Need to be the Ultimate Expert in Order to Create an eBook

We have a short & sweet concept to share with you today.

And while the post is going to be short, the concept has the potential to have a long-term impact on the revenue that you create from your blog. My hope is that, after reading this short post, you’ll feel empowered to take action and create (and sell) your own eBook. 😊

The concept I’d like to share with you is called, Expert Enough.

a picture of brownies and the title of this article, 'Expert Enough, You Don't Need to Be the Ultimate Expert in Order to Create an eBook'

I first learned about the concept of Expert Enough from an entrepreneur named Corbett Barr and came to believe in it after Lindsay and I applied it to Tasty Food Photography, the eBook that we sell through Pinch of Yum.

There was a site (which is now inactive!) that posted an Expert Enough Manifesto. It’s a general concept, but it can easily be applied to creating an eBook.

The Expert Enough Manifesto

We are all capable of so much more than we think.

Most people never scratch the surface of what they’re capable of.

Expertise is relative. Expertise doesn’t come from a piece of paper.

Life is richest when we become good at a lot of different things. “Know-It-All,” “Jill of All Trades,” and “Renaissance Man” are compliments.

Life is an experiment.

You don’t have to wait for permission, and you don’t need anyone else to grant you status. It’s not about being the World’s Greatest Expert. It’s about being Expert Enough to accomplish your goals.

The more you use creativity, the more you get. Brilliance lies within each of us.

Go now. Live. Play. Explore. Follow your passion. Learn more. Do more. Be more.

Expert Enough: You don’t have to be the ultimate expert when writing an eBook; you just need to know something that someone else wants to know.

In many cases, not being the ultimate expert is actually an advantage.

This was the case with Tasty Food Photography.

Lindsay had received lots of positive feedback on her food photography (I agree, it’s beautiful!), but she was a bit hesitant about writing a food photography eBook because she didn’t feel like she had all of the complex technical knowledge that many full-time photographers have. As we continued to talk about the idea of Lindsay writing a food photography eBook we realized that not being the ultimate expert might actually be an advantage.

Here’s why:

Lindsay was able to take really beautiful food photos using easy-to-understand, nontechnical methods. This is exactly the kind of thing that inexperienced food photographers are looking to learn!

Lindsay wasn’t the ultimate expertShe was Expert Enough. Or, to use our expert enough definition from above, Lindsay knew something that other people wanted to know.

I am 100% confident that you too have something that someone else wants to know. You are Expert Enough.

My challenge to you is to believe that you’re Expert Enough and move forward with creating your own eBook to offer to your readers. If you need help with next steps, leave a comment below or check out the Creating an eBook courses in the FBP video library that’ll teach you how to plan, write, and design your very own eBook.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

8 Comments

  1. That is a great point! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been intimidated by situations where I wasn’t THE expert on a subject that I needed to present or educate people on, even though I knew more than most of my audience. And it’s definitely a thought that’s been in my mind looking at potential e-books. For example, I’ve just started a Paleo recipe blog, but I’m by no means the expert – but I know more than most. (What I do know is that I love eating and cooking this way, and that as a foodie I want really tasty food!!)

    Thank you for putting it into perspective!

    Raj
    http://www.ThePrimalDesire.com

  2. Silly question…about how long is an ebook on photography for food blogging, or say, an ebook on training for 5Ks/10Ks/Half marathons? After googling “average length of an ebook”, I get all sorts of answers. Just curious…thanks!

    1. As long as you need it to be in order to communicate all of the information you want to communicate. With an eBook you don’t need to add “fluff” in order to get it to a certain length.

  3. Sometimes I almost feel that you guys can hear me talking in my head. I was just thinking about this, and I found this post.

  4. This is inspiring! I just started my food blog after thinking about it for 2years!!! I wanted to write an ebook too. I’ve been thinking for 7months! Not anymore!

    1. You’ve got this, Etornam! Your blog looks wonderful, and I love how colorful all your photos are. 😍

      Can’t wait to follow along with your blogging journey and see your future ebook!