As you are reading this article I am assuming, were you invited to complete a similar survey, Public Speaking would appear way down on your list. If so, this suggests you are considered an expert on some particular topic and, having been invited to give a talk on the subject before an audience, didn't make too bad a job of it. Am I right so far?

And now you want to make money doing it! Well without credibility it doesn't matter how great a speaker you are. Potential clients inevitably look for a proven record of success, together with endorsement of your expertise and professionalism. So begin by joining something like The National Association of Toastmasters. You will find their local contact details on the Internet. They are a great way of developing your speaking skills and are usually a friendly bunch with similar interests to you.

Want to add to your authority? You can increase your standing by writing a book. It is easier than you may think. What might you write about? Begin with what you know best. If you have spoken in public you are already an expert at something, so write about something you are good at ? whatever the topic of your talk was on. Map out a plan for your book, with chapter headings and outline content. Then begin to write it. If you don't like typing, consider investing in voice recognition software. Find one that suits by using an Internet search engine, such as Google, or look on eBay for a genuine bargain. I use a program called Dragon Naturally Speaking, by Scansoft. After only a short amount of time training the software to recognise your voice and style of speaking, you can sit back, talk to your computer, and watch your book type itself before your very eyes. I'm doing it right now!

When you have ?talked? your book check it carefully for mistakes and errors. When you are totally satisfied it is perfect, ask a trusted friend to read and check your work - and get ready to receive a long list of mistakes they have found. Correct the errors. Repeat the process with a second friend. It is surprising how a fresh pair of eyes finds things that have been missed. Yes I know you too have found one in this article! NB -It doesn't make you a bad person if you haven't spotted it.

Reduce the potential for error by obtaining a copy of Make No Mistake by William Hicks. This book is full of top tips on English, with copious examples, and is a great way to check out your punctuation, grammar, spelling and common misuse of words.

One great way to practice your writing skills and get known world-wide is to submit good quality written work for consideration to Internet companies that specialise in the publication of articles. They are very particular on content, so consider carefully then check and recheck any material you submit.

As a further step towards fame and fortune, invest in a copy of The Writer's Handbook. It is updated and published every year by Macmillan and can be purchased through any good bookstore. It contains over 800 pages packed with essential information for any budding author, including the contact details of publishers.

A problem with many hard copy publishers is they are not interested in you unless you are already an established writer. You may need to contact several publishers before you find one who will be willing to take you on. The Writer's Handbook contains advice about how to submit ideas, sample chapters, and etc.

You could of course self-publish. This often involves having a hard copy printing company set and print the book for you. You then do the marketing and sales. A direct approach to bookstores and other outlets often works well ? especially if you offer a sale or return deal. That way, the retailer pays you only for the books that have been sold and returns to you any unsold ones. Be aware that printers often tempt you with attractive discounts, usually tied to quantity. You will need to find sufficient capital to have a few thousand books printed ? and you may not sell them all. Your spouse will soon become fed up with parking their car on the driveway of your home whilst the garage is filled with boxes of books. Storage has other problems ? books need to be kept in warm, dry conditions. Damp air in a garage can soon cause books to become mouldy.

Precisely because of problems of storage and cost Japanese industry perfected a method known as Just in Time. Only enough product is made to satisfy immediate demand, and is produced as needed. You can do this too, by printing your books yourself. You will need a good quality printer ? a decent ink-jet will do but a laser printer is better. A software program called Clickbook, by Blue Squirrel will transform A4 Word format documents into A5 brochures or books. Without this sort of software, layout of a book format has always been a problem for do-it-yourself printers. For example, in an A5 size book, the pages have to be printed in an order that allows them to be folded and stapled so they come out in the correct sequence. If you try to do this on the standard A4 size that most word processing software uses, you can get in a dreadful muddle. Clickbook makes light work of that sort of problem. Finally, design and print an attractive cover on stiff card or paper.

Once the book is printed, the pages need to be folded and stapled. You will need a guillotine to trim the edges, as they tend to fan out ? the more pages, the worse the fanning effect. You will also need a stapling machine powerful enough to join the pages. Again, trawl the Internet and eBay to see what is available at prices you can afford.

Now with your finished product you need a buyer. What better way to sell your product than by using the Internet? Your work can be sold as a hard copy and/or an as an eBook. If you are uncertain what an eBook is search for What's an Ebook on the internet.

Does it work? Yes it does. I placed one of my hard copy books for sale on the Internet and gained almost instant credibility with a world famous publishing company: Within 24 hours of the book appearing on the website I had been commissioned to write 50,000 words for a book on a similar subject, and I was paid a handsome amount of money upfront. After all, I am an expert who speaks - and what's more, a published author to boot!