Why Writing a Book Still Matters (Especially in the Age of AI)

Let’s be real—if you’ve even thought about writing a book, you’ve probably asked yourself one or all of the following:
"Who am I to write a book?"
"Do I really have anything new to say?"
"Does anyone even read books anymore?"

I get it. I’ve asked those questions, too.

And that’s exactly why I invited someone who’s not only been there, but lives there every day—inside the hearts and minds of aspiring authors—onto the show. This episode is an absolute gem because I had the privilege of sitting down with author coach and publishing expert Ashley Mansour. She dropped truth bomb after truth bomb, and honestly, I’m still re-listening and taking notes myself.

Let’s dig into some of the magic from that conversation, because whether you’ve got a draft sitting in a Google Doc or you’re still wrestling with imposter syndrome, this episode was made for you.

A Book Isn’t Just a Book—It’s Your Brand

One of the first things we tackled was this: Why now? Why write a book in 2025, when AI can generate content in seconds and social media dominates attention spans?

Ashley’s take was crystal clear—and powerful. We’re living in a time where the playing field is both leveled and more chaotic than ever. Everyone has access to content creation tools. But not everyone has authority. Not everyone has clarity. Not everyone has a legacy.

And that’s where a book shines.

A book is more than a string of words on paper. It’s a container for your brand, your values, your voice. It’s proof that you’ve done the work. It stands out in the sea of “AI slop” (her words, and I loved it)—that endless, mediocre, mass-produced content that just doesn’t hit.

The Power of Personal Authority

We talked a lot about personal brand in this episode, and not the kind of brand that’s just a Canva color palette and a fancy logo. I’m talking about brand in the substance sense:
👉 Who are you?
👉 What do you stand for?
👉 What are you known for?

When you write a book from your own lived experience, that becomes part of your brand equity. It’s not just a marketing tool—it’s a positioning tool. It says, “I’ve been in the trenches. I’ve helped people get results. Here’s what I know.”

And here's what I loved: Ashley didn’t position this as an overnight, get-rich-quick play. She framed it as the long game. Just like real relationships, real leadership, and real transformation—it takes time, depth, and intentionality. And if you're serious about your voice being heard, it's the game worth playing.

Three Questions Every Aspiring Author Must Ask

One of my favorite parts of the episode was when Ashley broke down the first step for any aspiring author: clarity. And she gave us a simple framework that honestly made me want to pick up a pen and journal immediately.

Here are the three questions she said every author must answer before they start:

1. Who is the book for?
   (Not “everyone.” Be specific. Drill down to one reader—the person who truly needs it.)
   
   

2. What is the book about?
   (What’s the throughline? What's the hook? And how does your story serve others, not just share?)
   
   

3. Why does this book matter?
   (Why is it a must-write for you, and why is it a must-read for your audience?)
   
   

This framework was such a game-changer. It helps you go from “I have an idea” to “I know exactly who I’m writing for and why.” And I don’t know about you, but that kind of clarity feels like rocket fuel.

Your Book Is Your Proof

We also talked about the identity of being an author—not just publishing a book, but stepping into that role. When you publish a book, it changes how people see you—and how you see yourself.

Ashley made a powerful point about what happens when someone Googles you. If you've written a book, that result stands tall. It gets indexed differently. It starts to shape your digital footprint. And if you're in a field where credibility matters (and let's be honest, which one doesn't?), that credibility becomes an irreplaceable asset.

Perfectionism Will Try to Stop You

We didn’t shy away from the hard parts either. Because let’s be honest, a lot of high-achievers (raising my own hand here 🙋‍♀️) get stuck in the trap of perfectionism.

You want the book to be amazing. You want it to reflect who you are. You want to be proud of it five years from now. And because of that pressure, you might keep putting it off.

But here's the truth Ashley reminded us of: You don’t get to book #6 (like Rachel Hollis did) without starting book #1. You don’t get the breakthrough without the beginning.

You Don’t Need Permission—You Need a Plan

At the end of the day, this episode is a love letter to the coach, the expert, the change-maker who's sitting on an incredible story or message and hasn’t shared it yet.

So if that’s you? I want to challenge you the same way Ashley challenged me:

👉 Don’t wait until it’s perfect.
👉 Don’t assume it’s already been said.
👉 Don’t play small because AI can write content—you can write truth.

It’s time to think bigger. It’s time to build something that lasts. It’s time to own your story and build your brand with real depth.

And hey, if you’re ready to take that first step, go listen to the episode. You’ll walk away feeling clearer, more confident, and honestly? More convicted that your voice matters.

Chapters List

00:00 Introduction to Ashley Mansour

03:10 The Importance of Authenticity in Writing

05:38 Brand Building Through Authorship

08:26 The Journey of Writing a Book

11:10 Common Mistakes in Book Publishing

14:00 The Identity of an Author

16:46 Key Questions for Aspiring Authors

18:59 Conclusion and Call to Action

Full Transcript

Ashley Mansour (00:00)

Now we're in an era where, okay, what do you think? What do you have to say? Who are you amidst all of the noise? And can you really clearly identify yourself?

Amanda Kaufman (00:28)

Well, hey, hey, welcome back to the Amanda Kaufman show. And you guys, I am so stoked for this episode because Ashley Mansour is in the house. She is a favorite, favorite, favorite book author in the high performance community. She is she's a coach, excuse me, for authors. She's an author herself. She is outstanding. And we had the opportunity to get to know each other a little bit in a high performance incubator. We've been in actually a couple of programs together.

And the vibe is high, not to put you on the spot or anything Ashley, but holy crap I'm excited you're here.

Ashley Mansour (01:04)

thank you so much for having me. I am so stoked to talk to your people and to talk with you, Amanda.

Amanda Kaufman (01:10)

my gosh, so good. So Ashley, why don't you take 30 seconds to introduce yourself the way you'd like to be introduced. I just get so excited about what you do. It's like, y'all, she's such the real deal. Just follow her.

Ashley Mansour (01:23)

Here's those sweet well, so as Amanda said, I am an author coach. I help lead people through the writing process from idea to best seller and then beyond that to the legacy building piece of your book to the leverage building piece of how are you going to leverage your book into your business? So many things that I want coaches and experts to think about. So that's what I am there to do. A lot of people ask you. Are you a ghostwriter and the answer is no.

What I do is I empower authors to actually write their own book from their authenticity, from their own place of experience and expertise. So that's what I'm all about and I love, love to get to do it.

Amanda Kaufman (02:05)

love that. you know, dear listener, the thing that I really appreciate about Ashley that is so special is she makes writing a very good book accessible, but not casual. So, you know, I think there's a lot of book coaches out there that, you know, they've figured out the process and, you know, they're a bit casual about it and they're pumping out the pages. And what I love about your approach, Ashley, is that you've

really thought of every obstacle that a serious author is going to encounter and you have a great process and a great solution to handle each one of those things. just shameless plug, she handed me, we were at a live event recently and she's like shoved into my hands really quickly a copy of her latest book, The Author's Success Code, which I devoured. And I was like, wow, you know, there's just, there's so many practical steps here. So actually I'm just...

If you don't mind sharing with us, why do this? Why guide people through this? And it is a pretty competitive market you've chosen. So why? Why put up with it?

Ashley Mansour (03:14)

man, it's such a brilliant question. It takes me back to my own journey as author because I all these obstacles that I coach on and that I've tried to solve the problem of I encountered myself like I I faced those obstacles and more often than not I tripped over and I fell and I you know, I failed quote-unquote failed right and I had to find my footing and figure it out. So everything that I

love to teach aspiring authors and work with them on experts, coaches, consultants, professionals. I have been there. I have endured the challenge. And so it's like, I felt the pain and this is what keeps me coming back. Cause I love the idea that I can make this faster and easier for other people and bring them joy in the process. So that's what keeps me. Yeah.

Amanda Kaufman (04:02)

Yeah, and it's good. You know, like it's really good. know, y'all, I

hesitate to rave so much because I don't really want to turn you off of it. but and also Ashley's worked with many of my friends and I've just seen like the books that they've produced, the caliber of the content that they produced through this process. I really do feel was extraordinary. And so I am really curious. Like we're in 2025.

having this conversation. You know, it's all about AI these days. It's all about the technology. It's all about what's hot. you know, can you walk me through like why prioritize book writing now? Why is that so important?

Ashley Mansour (04:42)

think it's a really important time to lean into your own authenticity and what makes you unique because we are in an era now where you're right, AI is becoming this incredible, intelligent, amazing resource and tool that anyone can use.

And if you're really smart about it, AI can do a lot of things for you that...

takes a lot of time off your plate. And one of those things people tend to think is, it can write my book, it can market for me, it could be my lawyer, my doctor, like all these things it can do. And to a degree, yes. But that's why I think it's so important that now you own your own unique authentic voice, story, message, and you architect that for yourself. So rather than just sitting back and like,

waiting for AI to deliver it to you, you actually play an active role in your story and your brand building. Because I think it's the brand builders, the individuals, they're gonna lead us. They're gonna be the ones that stand out from the noise and from all of this, what do they call the AI slop, the AI slush that just gets created and all this content and mass that is available to anyone to make, right? Everyone's got access to the tools. So it's like,

Now we're in an era where, okay, what do you think? What do you have to say? Who are you amidst all of the noise? And can you really clearly identify yourself?

And I think that's where the book has this incredible power to set you apart from others and let people know, I am an authority. I have studied this stuff. I have helped people get results. Here's what I am known for best.

and to put it out there and say, is my thing. This is my area of expertise. This is what I know, where this is my story and my message that has such a power to it. A power that I think lives beyond the real, the story, these disappearing contents that they're there, they're gone, they're there, they're gone. And they have such a short life cycle, whereas the book has such a long life cycle if we really construct it in the right way.

So I think there's so many good reasons why we want to elevate ourselves through the book writing process. And, you know, I would say to a lot of people, like, put the test, put yourself to the test. What do you have to share? And really ask yourself, can I help people in the medium of a book? Because more often than not, you'll find the answer is yes. Like there's something very valuable.

within all of us that could live beyond us in the pages of a book. If we only opened our minds to it and said, yes, let me do that thing.

Amanda Kaufman (07:24)

I really love that, thinking about the book as being this test of the cohesion of your knowledge, being able to pull ideas together and string them together into a structure that makes sense and that flows through the book. I thought that was so interesting what you said about brand and the rise of the need for that personal brand.

have to say just my own metrics, the things I've seen over the past year with organic content, it's getting more expensive to even do free content because of the AI slop and because of the just the prolific nature of that content. ⁓ Can you talk to me a little bit about your perspective on what does it actually mean to have a brand?

Ashley Mansour (08:06)

Yes.

Mmm, that's so good.

Amanda Kaufman (08:14)

Like if you're really

looking at branding, because I feel like a lot of the stuff that a lot of entrepreneurs hear about, it's direct response natured marketing, it's the fastest path to cash kind of marketing. But brand is generally a longer play. I'd love your take on what is it and how does the book help you with it?

Ashley Mansour (08:27)

Yeah.

Brilliant question. Well, think brand to me, when I think of brand, I can't think of brand without thinking of value. Brand has value associated and brand has expertise associated and brand has longevity associated. all the brands that like, you know, occupy our minds on a day to day, like when you think of travel, you think of a travel brand, maybe you think of...

you know, Airbnb or you think of TripAdvice or whatever, like you think of a brand and as people, I think we have the ability to create branding associated with ourselves that sets us apart. One of those key things is who are you, what do you do and what credentials do you have? Author being one of the ones that tends to be the most highly respected.

So it's like, why not attach that to your name? Why not elevate your brand status with something like a book? That's how I think about it. So it's kind of the, you know, the answer to the question, what are you known for? What work do you do in the world? And I always go back to the classic of the Google test. If you Google someone before they start writing the book, what comes up? Yes, there's social media.

sure a few articles and some, some, you know, content that they've written, maybe a blog, great. But when you create a work that is long standing, like a book, a film, a TV show, a product, you get listed in a different way by the search engines. So your brand takes on a new life, even just there. So my, my authors before and after the book before they're not really ranking in the search engines.

After the book, Google, whatever other search engine, it's going to come up as author identified and it's going to collate and curate their content in completely different way. So now they're kind of like showing up in the world as an authority. So it's like that, that transference, that difference there is what I think of when I think of brand, how you show up in the world, who you are, what you're known for.

Amanda Kaufman (10:47)

So good, so good. And honestly been a huge part of my own hesitation around a book, right? Is because I want it to be, you know, I want it to be a book that I am really proud of publishing. And I want it to be a book that is, you know, going to be reflective of what I'm very likely going to still be saying in five years because it really is like that longer.

life cycle. I've, you know, personally just kind of taken a beat because when I very first started as an expert and a coach independent of the consulting company that I used to work for, I had a lot of people come up to me and say, oh, you should write a book. You should write a chapter in this bestselling book. Can you talk to us a little bit about how is this done wrong? Like how, how do you, how do people

you know, not do the book. And there's of course like the not doing it thing, right? And I have self-published some books, but I haven't gone all the way through to, you know, getting published in, you know, directories like Amazon, you know, and things like that, because I do want to make sure that when I go there and I'm showing, I want to be differentiated from those, you know, pay to play, you know, compilation books that let's be real, not too many people are actually picking up and reading.

Ashley Mansour (11:48)

Yeah.

Yeah, that's the whole thing of the book that is yours that you own and you construct from that standpoint. It's a completely different tool. think there are there is validity to different types of anthologies and stuff like that. But often often what they just don't help the author achieve their goals because look, if there's 30 chapters, 3040 authors, it's not your name on the cover.

and you don't have the real estate for that to really make any, you know, tangible difference. also, you know, one chapter isn't enough to persuade and convert your reader into the next thing with you. They really need to be there for the entire journey of the book. So absolutely, like that is one way I think people kind of do themselves a little bit of a disservice by thinking that that's the answer. I think it's a great starting point. It's a great test of can I,

participate in a book project and what does that look like? But there is a real difference between owning the entire book and having just a piece of the, a slice of the pie, right? You know, it's a different project. So you're thinking around it in terms of like, it's a big deal, it's a big book. I think it's absolutely right. And you do wanna do it the right way. And a lot of people overthink that and get very...

hung up on all the things involved in it and I get it because as an author myself, like I understand the overthinking. I understand the need for the book to serve you in a variety of ways and it's kind of like a lot of my type A's, my type A clients that are very control driven, perfectionist. They want to do it right and it means something to them and I think that's wonderful. Like that's a great

care to have for the project. But at the same time, you also have to you also have to embrace some kind of element of imperfection and in recognizing like to get it done, you have to be willing to just kind of go and create that momentum. But the desire for everything you're saying, I think that's totally normal. And it's part of it's part of authorship because you care about what you do. You care about your brand, care about your people.

And I think you want to do it right and that's out of respect for your readers too. So absolutely But yeah, there's a book in there Amanda. There's that big book in there. I know there is for sure

Amanda Kaufman (14:25)

There for sure is there for sure is and you know, you're making me think of a presentation I saw Rachel Hollis do a few years ago She wrote the book girl wash your face and it was like this global phenomenon Like it just it was a crazy bestseller and one of the things she said from stage when she was recounting the story She said that was my sixth published book

Like, you know, it wasn't the very first time she sat down with a pen and paper. It was the sixth time she really took a crack at it. And she's actually published several books since then that have not had nearly the, you know, the outcome carriage that the girl wash your face really had. But that always really stuck with me. It's like, hmm, you know, author really, and even the way you're speaking about it, author is an identity. It's this identity. And it means that, you know, that first book, it's your first book.

Right? How many books are you going to write? What topics are you going to own?

and really cover. And when I think about 2025 and the people that are going to set apart, I'm going to tell you right now, like a lot of the gold rush marketers, know, the people that are going like way after the cash as soon as possible, screw the relationship, just give me money, right? Like they're going to do the AI slop. They're going to, they're going to give, you know, I always think of, of marketing and expertise a little like an ice cream sundae, right? You have the possibility of a bowl of vanilla, right? And vanilla is available.

everywhere, it's you know really just like it's vanilla ice cream, it's fine. Like you would probably accept it if that was what was available for dessert or...

You can head on into a marble slab and you can get like all the different kinds of ice cream with all the different toppings and like do something that's really unique and interesting and custom to your experience. And I think that that's a really big opportunity that that every expert has, not just with the book, but just in general, like what are you bringing to the table that is distinctive? What do you want to be known for?

Ashley Mansour (16:07)

Yes.

Amanda Kaufman (16:22)

You know, are you vanilla? Which by the way, AI is gonna give you the average answer. Even if you push it and you put all these extra prompts into it, it's still gonna give you the average. So like what's gonna be extraordinary about your approach and your results?

and just realizing you're not in it for the transaction, you're in it for the connection and the relationship in the long term. And that's what the big brands know. They're gonna be patient with that process. So if somebody was thinking about doing a book or prioritizing a book this year,

What would you say would be one of the things they can do? Obviously we'll have all your links below so they can check you out. like, even if they never see you again and you were to just give them a few steps to sketch out on the calendar, things you gotta prioritize, what would you say?

Ashley Mansour (17:13)

The number one thing you need to prioritize is clarity and really answering for yourself three questions related to your book. guarantee you they are so simple and you have not asked yourself these questions. Once you do your whole universe of what the book is, is going to change and your ideas will get really put into focus. So you need to get that clarity first. Three questions, okay? We'll give them to you. The first one is, who is the book for?

Who is my ideal reader? Who is my target audience? And like really dial that person in, in the same way you would approach it in your business, you need to do that in your book. Please, please, like I hear so many people go, my book is for everybody, or my book is for anyone who, or anybody, it's like, listen, take out the words everybody, anybody, somebody, people, individuals, none of that, because it's for a very specific person.

And it's for a very specific individual that is experiencing something and in their life, their business, their parenting, their health, like figure out what that is and get into their head. Think about the psychographics of that person. That's who the book is for and get specific. I push my authors so hard, like be specific. Who are you writing this for? Identify that reader. Second question is what is the book about?

What is your big idea? What is the hook? What's the through line? What journey are you taking this reader on? And I think a lot of people start out with this idea to tell their story. They'll say, you know, I just wanna tell my story. I have a great story. You won't believe my life I've lived. I just wanna tell a story. And I think that's wonderful. I think it's wonderful to think about your story and the experiences you've had. But bigger than that, it's actually like,

How does my story serve others? How do the life lessons that I've learned, that I've gleaned through my experience, how is that gonna serve other people? It's not just you're telling your story, pushing that on your audience, it's more about how is my story here to serve? And once you get that layer, then you start understanding your book in a completely different way. And that's part of brand building right there is going, how is this in connection?

to what other people need, not just what I wanna be saying, you know? know, pontificating to my audience.

Amanda Kaufman (19:32)

Yeah, no, I see it all the time. makes

me it makes me go like wait, you need more training. Yeah, I see it all the time. You're absolutely right.

Ashley Mansour (19:39)

Yeah, yeah, so that's your what is the book about? And then your last question is why does it matter? Why is this a must read and a must write? So we think about the must read, it's gotta be a page turner, but we often don't think about why is it a must write for me? Like why this book above all the other ideas that might be in my mind right now? Like why this book? And it's so important to get.

clear on that because if you can't answer the why for yourself, how are you going to make a case to your reader to engage in the reading experience? You don't know why you're writing it. They don't know why they're reading it. It's like you want to dial those pieces in. It really is. This is a journey that's not for everybody. Do I, would I love every human to write a book for sure. It'll make you a better human. It'll make you a better everything. But I also know not everyone has a level of willingness.

to ask these questions and get really deep. want the easy, well, I just wanna tell my story. I just wanna help people. It's like, but yeah, but specifically how? Like connect those dots before you start. And if you answer those questions in a journal exercise and free writing, that's the number one thing. You have to start with that. And if you start with those three questions, your whole world will open up of what the possibility is for this book. That's where we always begin, right there.

Amanda Kaufman (21:02)

love that. know, excellence is not easy, but it's also not impossible. And I just love your approach. Ashley, what is the best way for people to follow you?

Ashley Mansour (21:14)

my goodness, get on my Instagram, at Ashley Wrights. I post tips, I do classes, and you'll find me right there. That's where all the best stuff is there. I mean, I'm on the other spaces too, but if you get me on the Insta, that's where I'll be.

Amanda Kaufman (21:30)

That's where the magic happens. I love it. And we'll make sure that we have all of Ashley's links in the show notes. So you can always visit there to find out some more. And hey, listener, if you heard something that will really help one of your aspiring author friends or even an author that's got another book left in them, make sure you grab the link to this episode and you send it to them on text or through DM so that they can get to enjoy this conversation. And if you haven't already, make sure you subscribe and

a review. We work really hard to bring the very best content to you and we'd love an honest review on the on the show. It helps people find us and Ashley thank you so much for joining us today.

Ashley Mansour (22:13)

Thank you, Amanda, I love being here.

Amanda Kaufman (22:16)

Amazing and listener, thank you so much for joining us. We will see you in another episode and until then do what matters.