Is Amazon KDP A Good Side-Hustle For Cybersecurity Professionals In 2024 ??
Unveiling my own journey from 2022 onward on the platform
I started publishing Cybersecurity books on Amazon KDP in 2022
As of June 2024 I have published over 5 books ( 4 under my name and 1 under a pen name )
I still remember how scary it was to publish my very first book as I thought people would laugh me off the Internet
No doubt .. publishing a book is a massive undertaking and requires time and discipline
Not to mention all the self-doubts you get when you try to write on a topic like Cybersecurity !
I kept imagining all my contacts on LinkedIn finding out about my book and laughing at me for having the audacity to think I could be an author
But as of 2024, I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions of my life
While my books have not broken any records nor made me a millionaire ( at least not yet 😉 ), this was still one of rewarding experiences I have ever undertaken.
Being an author helped to develop my personal brand and gave me tremendous opportunities for development
Those are just the obvious benefits .
In addition there were a few surprising opportunities that emerged because of these books that I did not expect !
In this article, I am going to put down a few reasons why publishing books on KDP is a good side-hustle and why anyone with even a little of cybersecurity experience should think about writing a book and getting the “Author” tag on their profile.
Reason 1— Knowledge Sharing
If you have worked in cybersecurity for even a small amount of time then you have a wealth of real world knowledge you can share.
You might be hit by doubts stopping like you like the below :
No one is going to buy the book !
No one is interested in what I have to say !
Every topic is already been written about !
All of these doubts carry no weight honestly.
Even if no one buys it, your book will always be out there in the world giving you credibility.
Similarly everyone has a unique way of communicating their experiences in the world and cyber security is a vast field with a huge array of topics to cover.
Whether you are writing about encryption, cloud security or malware; rest assured that somewhere someone is going to be interested in what you are writing.
Reason 2 — “Business Card on Steroids”
This is something I learnt from Greg Lim and Hassan Omar .. two people who have inspired me immensely in my journey !
There are a lot of ways to establish your name in the hyper-competitive cyber security industry.
You could speak at conferences, teach courses, start a YouTube channel but none of them screams “expert” like having a book with your name on it.
It is easy to say you know cyber-security but having an actual cyber-security book under your name establishes your industry brand
Writing a book also sets you apart as the entry bar is much higher than say speaking at a conference or teaching a course.
Add the word “author” to your LinkedIn or CV also makes managers sit up and take notice due to the authority it automatically brings.
I have lost count of the number of people from across the globe who have reached out to me to talk about AI security or Zero Trust as they seem as an authority on this field simply because I wrote books on these topics.
Reason 3 — Self-Development
Writing a book requires discipline, persistence and a drive to see things right up-to the end.
It will take you out of your comfort zone and force you to set aside time to make sure your book is following the roadmap you set.
As exciting as cyber-security can be; work can get monotonous after a while and taking on a new challenge can be exciting stuff !
This also reflect in your job as you will be more prone to taking on new challenges as a result
Reason 4 — Increase your knowledge
Just to be clear, you don’t have to be an expert to write a book.
You just have to know more than the average person and know how to communicate it.
Writing a book on say “Cloud Security” will make you read and watch almost everything on the topic so you can put your unique touch on it.
In addition to cyber-security, publishing a book on a platform like say “Kindle Direct Publishing” can be a great way to find out how these platforms work.
I had no idea how much work went into creating a compelling book cover and description !
Reason 5 — Earn Some $$$
This is what MOST people are interested in which is a mistake
I do NOT recommend this be your primary goal when starting out as KDP is a slow burn that takes time ( like most good side-hustles ! )
YES writing books can lead to some serious passive income once you figure out the ins and outs of self publishing BUT it takes time ..
Remember that every book you write can be made into a paperback, eBook and even an audio book which is three different streams of income !
The royalties you get might not seem much but accumulate over time and your book will always be out there earning you passive income
In addition to the direct income I get via royalties .. there were a few surprising opportunities that emerged because of these books that I did not expect
Let us look at them
1 — Consulting Opportunities
I am not an expert at either AI security or Zero Trust but those were two of the topics I wrote about
As I mentioned earlier .. after getting published I was surprised to find myself being approached by people and companies who wanted my expert advice on these topics AND were willing to pay for my time !
If you book resonates with readers then you will be surprised at the opportunities it will open up and the amount of money you can indirectly earn from books
2 — Ghostwriting Offers !
“Hi Taimur, Would be be willing to ghost-write me a book on xzy topic ?? I am willing to pay $$$ ..”
Since hitting that publish button, I have been approached by CISO, Board Members and consultants who want me to ghost-write a book for them
Some were willing to pay amazing amounts of money as they saw and appreciated the quality of the books I had written
A Book can act like a living, breathing lead magnet pushing people towards your profile
People in the tech industry will sit up and take notice and reach out to you
You have no idea of the sort of opportunities and networking leads you will get because of a single book ( even if does not sell well by itself )
Being able to articulate complex cybersecurity topics in a simple, easy to understand manner is a skill that will always be demand
3 — Passive Income
As of 2024, I wish I could tell you that I am earning over 10K USD every month from my books but that is not the case
Still they do generate a couple of hundred dollars from paperback and audio book sales which is still amazing !
I can definitely see this compounding as I publish more books and hopefully this can become a steady income stream
I hope this motivated you to take a look at writing your own cybersecurity book.
Apart from the simple job of being a published author, the indirect benefits have been amazing to say the least !
If you are planning to write a book in 2024 then I hope this article seals the deal and you take that step
Good luck !