Those Dummies books are everywhere. I reckon every office has at least one, usually to help explain a piece of software.
![Xero chief executive Rod Drury encouraged Heather Smith to write the book.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802114145im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/5/7/s/t/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gwlb0c.png/1496876881172.jpg)
Heather Smith is the author of one of the most popular titles, Xero for Dummies, the third edition of which was published in February.
Smith has written six books on bookkeeping and accounting software Xero and one on accounting software MYOB. The Xero for Dummies title has sold 18,508 copies since its launch in June 2013 and sells around the world.
![Heather Smith is the author of Xero for Dummies.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170802114145im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/l/c/s/z/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gwlb0c.png/1496876881172.jpg)
It might sound like a lot of books, but it hasn't made her rich. Smith wouldn't say exactly how much she's earned from the books, but she did say she receives a royalty of up to 12.5 per cent of the $39.95 cover price. That's a best-case scenario. A worst case one is 46¢ from the sale of an e-book.
Smith, an internationally qualified accountant who has worked in Asia, Europe and North America, says writing the books isn't about money. More importantly, it's been a great experience, allowed her to keep her Xero skills red hot and led to consulting work. What a great business model.
To get a bit technical, Xero is an application programming interface. Think of it like Lego – you can add bits to it
Receipt Banks is one example. It's an app that sits on your iPhone, scans a receipt, for instance from the petrol station, sucks out the data and pushes it into Xero, hands free.
Part of Smith's work involves writing for the apps that are part of the Xero ecosystem.
"I work for the solutions that plug into Xero. An organisation might get me to produce an article targeted to accountants because my writing is technically accurate. I build the house and an editor paints it."
Smith's consulting work also involves helping to move people from their existing bookkeeping solution to Xero and training them on how to use efficiently.
"People used to need nine hours of training, but it's down to 90 minutes, so I've had to turn my business model on its head. There's nothing in training for me anymore. Instead I help people get the most out of their numbers when designing reports."
One of the interesting rules I've taken with me is you are the expert.
Heather Smith
She can also help businesses streamline processes. "Tell me what you do and I'll tell you how to automate it and push it into the cloud."
Smith credits her very active use of a popular social media platform with her introduction to Xero.
"Xero founder Rod Drury approached me on Twitter about writing a book for them. I had already written books on MYOB and how to start a business. When I took the Xero opportunity to my editors they were really excited," she says.
She went through a two-month assessment process to get the gig and put a business plan together to demonstrate there was a market for it.
"I had to write a 2000 word content plan and then they said, "OK, now write chapter eight. From our assessment of chapter eight we'll see whether we'll go ahead and write the book." I said, "What? Chapter eight? What about chapter one?"
Thirty people around the world assessed the chapter – including a reverend – before Smith got the go-ahead.
"I was fortunate Xero agreed to technically check it as I wrote it, and I worked with editors through the process."
Smith says she had to get used to writing in the For Dummies style. Each paragraph has to be able to stand on its own and there must be an anecdote at the start of each chapter.
"One of the interesting rules I've taken with me is you are the expert. You assess the situation and recommend one solution. You don't recommend alternatives because that's too much to deal with, which is interesting because when you're training you typically give options. For Dummies streamlines everything," she explains.
Smith says her experience has been 99 per cent positive. "But some people struggle to understand I am independent of Xero and … constant demands for my time can become draining and impact my creative mojo. I still struggle to navigate this, but I have adopted several measures such as scheduling the do not disturb feature on my iPhone."
If you reckon you've got a For Dummies book in you, or you want For Dummies to write a book for you, this link is a good place to start. It could be an interesting sideline to your business. Â
Have you written a book for your business or someone else? Did it make commercial sense? Post a comment below. Â
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