How Getting Published Will Change Your Business
Writing a book is the best way to put your expertise on display.
By Wendy Keller •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Would you like to be recognized as one of the smartest people in your industry? Would you like complete strangers tracking you down and calling to hire you on the spot -- without you doing any of the typical sales work? How would it help you if everyone thought you knew more about your topic than pretty much anybody else?
The secret path to all of that? Write a book. Not just any book. Not just some crummy self-published book that only sells (statistically) 117 copies. But a legit book with a legit publisher who hands you a check for the privilege of printing your words of wisdom.
I've helped thousands of people achieve that goal in my career, and am the literary agent behind 17 New York Times best sellers. There is no better way to scramble to the top of your industry than writing a book and having it published by a traditional publisher. A traditional book deal brings you:
- Credibility
- Cash up front
- Media attention
- Prestige
- Distinction among your peers
- Authority
- Automatic lead generation
- Pre-qualified customers
- And more (depending on how you play it)
Luckily, getting a book deal with a serious publisher (Penguin Random House, Simon and Schuster, Entrepreneur Press, McGraw Hill, HarperCollins) requires stuff that is pretty easy to get:
- Subject matter expertise
- A growing platform (customer base)
- A decent, somewhat fresh idea for a book.
"Subject matter expertise", well, you've got that. You know more about your business than people who are not in it, right? You know more about what your customers really need to achieve their goal than they even do, right? Done.
A "growing platform." This is the most likely determinant of not just how much money a publisher will pay for your book, but how much they will pay in advance to acquire it. It will determine how much marketing effort they put into you, and what kind of marketing results (radio, print, television, paid speaking engagements, social media followers, etc.) you will get from it. Remember, when you're marketing your book, you're marketing your business. (To discover the straight path to growing your platform/your business, click here to attend a FREE live webinar on the topic).
A "decent, fresh idea" is pretty simple to devise. If you've got a growing platform, you'll be getting questions and feedback from the people you interact with. You probably get asked questions about your subject all the time. The best idea for your best book comes from this conversation.
Writing the book can be delegated or done yourself more easily than you think. Finally, when people read your book, they will automatically assume you know more and are better at what you do than "regular people". This preemptory trust will lead them to checking out your business, consulting or coaching services, professional speaking, whatever, and to be predisposed to hiring you.
To discover how to build a platform for a book you think you might want to write, are writing or have written, click here.
