If you’re an entrepreneur who is considering writing a book, these are the 5 things I wish I had known before I wrote my first book…
Books were the original “viral” meme of human culture. They still pass ideas quickly, even in a digital world. Few things can change a life like the right book at the right time.
There’s a reason they still ban some of them.
If you can help someone by teaching them, sharing your expertise or your personal experiences, you can write a book that is impactful for the reader and profitable for you.
I’ve built my career and made millions off the back of 3 books in different genres. Now, I’m helping other experienced entrepreneurs write their own bestseller.
Here’s what you need to know…
1.) Dig Your Well Before You Need It
The best way to ensure a successful book launch is to start building an audience interested in your message well beforehand.
Ideally, begin sharing your thoughts online at least 6–12 months before you start writing the book. I’d recommend focusing on one social media platform, growing that channel, and collecting email or SMS contacts.”
2.) Think Long Term
Writing a book is a long-term project with the potential for significant returns when launched correctly, so set your expectations accordingly.
Depending on your publishing route, it can take 1–3 years to develop, produce, launch, and start marketing the book. Go in with the expectation that you’ll be promoting this product for a decade or more.
The correct mindset will give you the right perspective for setting goals and timelines.
3.) Start With The End In Mind
The real money isn’t in book sales.
You can make a tremendous amount of money on the backend of a well-executed book launch. Pretty much anything can work…
Coaching, retreats, seminars, group programs, digital courses, subscriptions, apps, you name it.
Related Article: How Coaches and Consultants Can Make $500,000 With A Book That Only Sells 500 Copies
Then, instead of selling your products or services directly, just talk about your book.
Once the book launches, you’ll want to get on podcasts, blogs and other channels to get the message out. This should be planned out in advance.
As the book gains traction with your intended audience, your most enthusiastic readers will become your best customers.
It’s much easier to create customer relationships with readers of your book because a great deal of trust has been built beforehand.
4.) Understand The Publishing Industry
If you want to be taken seriously in a professional field, I recommend that you do not self-publish. There are so many moving pieces to creating and launching a book successfully. If you do it all by yourself, the book is going to look and feel like crap. You are are going to need a professional team to do it right.
That means you should either get a traditional publisher or hire an independent one. They both have benefits and drawbacks. I shared my publishing experiences with different types of publishing here.
Traditional publishers like Penguin are akin to record labels. They’ll get your work out to the public — but usually at the expense of owning all your IP and collecting the majority of the money you make.
Independent publishers like my company New Wave Press work in partnership with authors to write, produce and market the best book for them. Authors retain 100% of their IP and book royalties.
Related Article: Three Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Should Publish A Book Sharing Their Expertise
5.) Never Stop Promoting
Once the book has been around for 6-12 months, you’re going to want to move on. You may even want to write another book. Don’t. Let it marinate.
Most authors fail to get the most out of their books because they don’t put in enough continued effort over an extended period to see the flywheel start working
Continue to build momentum around the project by sharing it wherever you can. The wins you begin to pick up at year 3, 5 or 10 of continued promotion will blow your mind.
If you’re a professional, entrepreneur or expert who is ready to become a bestselling author, I’m happy to answer any questions about writing, publishing and promoting your book. Reach out by completing the application on this page and we can discuss how New Wave Press may be able to support you.
