How you can write a book - without actually writing a thing...

...that "I can't write" is a poor excuse for not getting a project on paper. So transcribe it yourself or have somebody -- or something else -- do it for you.

David Pogue has suffered for years from carpal tunnel. His "Mac OS X: The Missing Manual" was written mostly using voice dictation software.

I use Dragon Dictate myself, a good program that has been sold and resold to countless companies over the years. Don't use it all the time but only when my poor hands scream uncle. That and my office has about 10 birds in the adjoining rooms; whenever they hear me talking, they chirp in with their comments and confound poor Dragon to no end!

As far as positioning yourself as an expert in a certain field, appoint yourself. Really. Create a niche and annoint yourself. "I hereby declare myself the one-true expert on e-commerce legal policy" etc. Have enough substance to back your claim up, obviously, and if you dedicate enough of your time to learn that field, then you learn enough to chat with the experts. But waiting on someone else to annoint you takes too long.

As long as one doesn't skirt any legal certifications (doctor, dentist, etc.) there is nothing preventing anyone from creating a premier position for themselves. I'm reminded of the "America's Greatest Steakhouses" co-op ad I've seen in airline magazines for years. It consists of a list of independent steakhouses all over the US. See, each one of them couldn't justify running an ad in the airline mag, which flies all over the place, just for their one location in (i.e.) Topeka so they co-opted an ad with non-competing restaurants all over the States.

Who gave them that award? Themselves.

best,
al hulaton