THE WRITER OF Ecclesiastes had this to say about writing in chapter 12, verse 12: “Of making many books there is no end.”

If that was true when it was written more than 2,000 years ago, how much truer is it today? Around 1.5 million new books were published globally in 2021; some say that figure is closer to almost 4 million, if you include the wide variety of self-published works.

That’s a lot of books and a lot of words. And here’s something else that the writer of Ecclesiastes had to say, in chapter 6, verse 11: “The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?”

That doesn’t sound very encouraging to would-be writers, does it? So many books out there clamoring for attention. And at a time when readership of books is actually falling.

But there is still an important place for the printed page, even as digital media grabs so much attention. A book can open a door that social media can’t. Simply having written a book will bring you opportunities in the media and for public speaking because there’s a sense of authority and significance. And then, a book can grow your audience in three different ways.

First, it can broaden your audience; you can reach people who may never visit your church, never attend one of your events, or may not be interested in watching your YouTube videos. Those “paper people” still exist.

A book can also extend your audience. By which I mean you have an opportunity to reengage them with your message. Not everyone has time to listen to your 40-minute podcast or watch your 30-minute video presentation in one sitting. They may have something else to do or lose interest. If so, the chances that they will come back and pick up where they have left off are small. The digital world is all about the bright, shiny next thing. However, they may put down a well-written book at the end of a chapter that leaves them wanting to know more and later pick up where they bookmarked it.

Additionally, a book can lengthen your message. So much of our media world is all about the here and now, but we are only a part of the flow of history. Your book could continue to impact people long after you have retired from your job and ministry—or even passed from this world, in the same way that, for instance, Mark Twain’s books continue to enrich people’s lives to this day. And I’m sure you can name other writers who are long gone who continue to be important in your life.

The writer of Ecclesiastes also said in chapter 3, verse 7 that “there is a time to speak and a time to be silent.” Maybe now is your time to speak your message through the written word.