Author-it-a-tive
1. Able to be trusted as being accurate or true; reliable
2. Commanding and self-confident; likely to be respected and obeyed
Have you watched someone being interviewed on TV and seen “author of …” appear after their name? Did you notice that speakers have copies of their book for sale at the back of the room? Ever read a blog by a peer in your field that has a “Buy My Book” sidebar promoting their latest book?
A book is today’s business card
Being a published author grants you almost instant credibility and can help you establish yourself as an authority in your field. If you want to be known in your industry, it is almost expected that you will write a book on the topic. Having a book will open doors, and people looking for credible sources of information will seek you out. Why? Because you published a book on the topic so you obviously know what you are talking about, right?
When you publish a book on a topic you:
- Establish yourself as an authoritative voice on the subject
- Become more credible, a thought leader
- Introduce your business and yourself to prospects you would not have otherwise reached
- Create reusable content for other media (blog posts, newsletters, social media)
- Can launch a consultant and/or speaking career
There are two ways you can make money with a business book. You make profits on the book sales themselves, and your book can bring you leads for your business offerings.
What do you write about?
You do not need to write the next War and Peace. A 100–200 page book is just fine. It can be short and to the point.
Write about something related to your business and a topic that you actually do know about. Do you write a blog? Look over some of your popular blog articles. Can any of these be expanded on? Don’t worry if the same topic has been covered by other authors already.
Your book does not have to be text heavy. It might contain a lot of checklists, charts, or even be a journal or planner.
What’s next?
- Write your book!
- Brainstorm ideas
- Write an outline
- Write a rough first draft
- Self-edit
- Peer review
- Professional edit and/or proofreading
- Layout the interior for print
- Design a cover
- Convert to an eBook
- Print & distribute
- Promote
Don’t let that list scare you! You can get help along every step of the way. Here is a hint: Jera Publishing can assist you with all of the above services.
Self-publishing
Self-publishing can be an effective way of getting your book published. You can choose to go with a print on demand (POD) printer instead of offset printing so you only print the books you need, and you can easily get your book distributed to Amazon and other online retailers.
Keep in mind
The point of writing a business book is to build credibility. Are you going to accomplish that if your book is full of typos, poorly laid out, or looks like a 3rd grader did the cover? NO! Get professional help if you do not have the means or the know-how to do those things on your own.
Kimberly Martin
Self-publishing Coach
Jera Publishing
km@jerapublishing.com