I’m publishing a business book in 2016 – do you want to join me?
About 15 years ago I landed one of my first marketing jobs ghostwriting a book about how businesses can use the media to promote themselves. Now, as a business owner myself, I am excited to be writing Get Fruitful Marketing – The Playbook, for publication in March 2016. While I’ve spent most days throughout my career writing on behalf of others (websites, brochures, proposals, funding applications, email newsletters – you name it!) and have always found writing easy (I wrote my 10,000 word university dissertation in a week!), it’s very to different to be writing ‘as myself’ rather than on behalf of a company, or in an academic context.
To help me kick-start my writing process, and guide me through the steps to publication, I recently attended the Get Writing, Get Publishing course with Herkimer Publishing, run by Sharon Lynn and Lorenzo Guescini. Having previously written and published their own books and other resources, Sharon and Lorenzo have plenty of first-hand experience in how to make the creative and technical process of producing a publication as easy and effective as possible. They generously share their personal experiences and passion for the subject and make it all seem so do-able. I would recommend their course to anyone who wants support with developing an idea for a book or indeed a series that can help you to grow your business, or even become the catalyst for a whole new business.
If you’ve ever considered writing a book yourself, or are interested to know more about how it could help to spread your business message, then read on for a guest post from Sharon and Lorenzo:
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For a number of years we’ve been hearing that sales of printed books are in decline, but just a few weeks ago the Times reported that “Sales of ink-and-paper editions have risen for the first time since 2007”. Coupled with the events of the 8th October, dubbed ‘Super Thursday’, when more than 500 new hardback titles hit the shelves ready for Christmas, you are left in no doubt that the printed book is still very much alive!
This is especially so in the business arena. Increasingly in business we are seeing books being used strategically to connect deeper with prospective clients, rather than simply chasing sales through conventional channels. This may sound a little strange, but a book really can have a value to a business far beyond its cover price.
Writing a book is a powerful and cost effective way to promote your business – a printed book is often described as ‘the best business card in the world’. When a book is constructed correctly it can work as a powerful lead generation tool for you and your business, providing a great opportunity to build credibility and trust with your reader, while positioning you in their mind as the ‘go-to’ person for what you offer. In fact, there are a whole range of book-related strategies that can be employed to help build your business, increase your profile and enhance the perceived value of your products/services. People who write books tend to be viewed as experts in their field and are marked out as people who have something to say about their industry, making them attractive targets for interviews, speaking engagements and joint ventures.
Here’s what a client had to say just a few days after completing our course and publishing her book, which is based around her business strategy: “Getting your book out there opens up so many opportunities. My book has only been out for a week and I have 2 joint ventures and interest from a professional body, plus quite a few sales of the book itself.” Sally Marshall – author of Delegate to Elevate-7 Steps to Success for Sole Traders.
If you are considering writing a book to help grow your business, the first thing to do is take a step back and decide what you want from it – how do you want your book to transform your reader and your business? Will it be used to feed people into your business, or position you as the expert? Sometimes simple questions like these will help you to realise that writing about a specific subject for a particular audience can serve you and your business very well.
We believe that if you have overcome challenges and adversity in your life or business, then you most certainly should be writing about it! Whether to share a solution or a system, or to uplift, inspire & motivate; writing the right book can definitely help you connect with your reader, and a wider audience, in a truly effective way.
So, what are you waiting for…?
©2015 Sharon Lynn & Lorenzo Guescini
Herkimer Publishing™ & Training
‘Get Writing, Get Published’ the easy, fun and affordable way. Personalised publisher services and training courses. Creating the best book for you and your business! www.HerkimerPublishing.com
Call Sharon on 01634 – 270307 / 07919 – 206817
‘Get Writing, Get Published’
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