How To Write a Book That Grows Your Business or Career

Many of my clients write a book to grow a business, launch a new endeavor or even enable a career pivot. A couple of months ago, Bring Your Book to Life® program graduate Janet Snoyer shared, “What surprised me the most is how the book helped my business. My hits on LinkedIn and my website are up by a factor of 40 since I published.”

The key to writing a book that grows your business or career? Don’t waste time writing the wrong book!

But how do you do that? How do you write a book that supports your business or career from the get-go?

• Be clear on your vision and goals: If you know where you’re going, you can base all your decisions–from publishing path to target audience to features and tone–on your vision. This step might seem obvious, but I’ve seen high level entrepreneurs get caught up in the clouds and not realize that their book idea is not optimal in supporting their business direction.
• Know what your audience/clients/customers want and need: talk to your people. It’s quite easy to write the wrong book if you are off in your head and writing from what you know about the subject rather than meeting readers where they are. I remember one author who began her first draft so far from where her readers could relate; I suggested she put that information at the end of the book to help her readers to aspire to something grand, not at the beginning where . This weekend, I’m facilitating a focus group for a client of mine with 10 or so of her mentees. We’re going to ask these women about their current challenges, pain points and goals, as well as ask them to think back on when they first signed up to work with her. What were their challenges and needs at that time?
• Use their language: When you talk about the challenges and vision, use the words of your clients or customers (or the people you want to charm, such as a future hiring executive). A focus group, simple survey or just talking to your potential readers will help you hear how they describe their challenges, goals and dreams.
• Give them just enough: If you’re like me, you may love to overdeliver–a wonderful trait when it comes to clients but it could be a mistake in a book. You don’t want to overwhelm your readers. Give them enough to work with but not enough to deluge them. Plus, you want them to realize that they’ll get even more by working with you or signing up for your programs, services or products. Whetting their appetite to work with you will grow your business directly. Plus, if you try to put everything in your book, you may just lose your readers. Keep the pathway clear and simple.
• Include case studies: Not only do stories bring your work to life, they help readers see what you’ve done for others and imagine what working with you or taking your programs will do for them. These stories will showcase your business’s effectiveness, through your inspiring book.
• End with next steps and encourage action: Your final chapter should directly support your business goals. Include ways they can continue learning and go deeper by signing up for your products, programs or services, including working with you directly. Give readers specific action steps. By being clear on your business plan and strategy, you can decide whether to engage readers in a smaller, evergreen program, perhaps even a DIY or self-study, or whether to invite them to sign up for more high end business services.

How Vanessa and Chris Leveraged Their Books to Grow Their Businesses

So, how are successful authors using their books to grow their businesses? Dr. Jeremy Weisz, host of the Inspired Insider Podcast, recently interviewed me and two Bring Your Book to Life® program graduates, Vanessa Levin, author of Teach Smarter, published by Wiley, and Christopher Littlefield, author of 75+ Team Building Activities for Remote Teams.

You can listen to the podcast to learn more about the specific ways these two authors are using their books to grow their businesses–and the dramatic impact that book sales have had on their books.

You’ll also learn:

• How Vanessa Levin started and grew her business, Pre-K Pages
• Christopher Littlefield shares how he pivoted in his career and how the book most recently helped him pivot during COVID to support some of the most crucial issues to businesses
• Mistakes to avoid
• How to make the decision to self-publish or traditionally publishing
• How these authors used their book as lead magnets–and how you can too!
• The real impact of a book for your business and life
• Secrets to compelling writing
• A must-have in your book

I also share the story of my journey to becoming a book coach.

Jeremy interviews many authors on Inspired Insider, including Chris Voss, Dan Grunfeld, Ian Garlic, Carline Anglade-Cole and many other wildly successful business authors. Check out more Inspired Insider podcasts here to learn how other authors are leveraging their books.

Do you need support to get your book written? Now through Monday, March 7, you can save $1,000 on the program that helped Vanessa get her book written quickly and well, and that Christopher referred back to, to get clear on his book concept and structure. Read all about my award winning Bring Your Book to Life® program and see if it’s the guidance, support, accountability, INSPIRATION, community and hand-holding you need to finally get your exceptional book written–quickly and well!