Who needs their own book?! 📕
Should you publish a book with your name on the cover? 🗣️
Happy Monday! 🎉 This week, I want to chat about something I’ve noticed in my research on successful entrepreneurs and information sector specialists… The career, financial, and mental benefits of having one’s own book!
My mental wheels started turning on this topic as I listened to this podcast by Nick Pavlidis (which, by the way, is part of a refreshingly informative series, made still better by Nick’s soothing voice! 😂). I had an excruciating 16-hour drive to complete this weekend, so I prepared by searching for podcasts on client-freelancer relationships and how freelancers can find more writing clients/higher-ticket writing clients. When I listened to Nick’s recording, I reflected on key groups of professionals that are poised to benefit highly from writing a book.
Here’s the list I came up with, followed by how each type of professional can profit from a book publication:
Motivational or public speakers
💼 Career success boost: Having a memoir-style book about your life journey, a book listing your motivational tips or method, etc. can vastly transform your ability to book speaking gigs (pun intended!). Not only does a well-written book scream “professional” to your potential clients, but it adds value when you attend speaking events. With your own published book, you can add a book signing, book sale, and/or free copy hand-outs to your for-hire packages. In talking about your book, you can further inspire potential clients to hire you. If you’ve got speaking or motivational experience and knowledge to share, a good book proves it.
💵 Financial success boost: This may seem obvious, but more speaking gigs = more income, and as your exposure grows, you’ll also be able to increase your speaking fees! While you may not garner substantial financial gain from book sales (although this is possible), the main purpose of your book is to serve as a conduit for more bookings down the road. This is your more desirable, high-ticket income stream.
😄 Mental success boost: Writing a book is the perfect way to reflect on your life, what got you to where you are today, and what you’ve learned along the way. It’s also the best way to flesh out your ideas and/or tips, creating a ready-to-use formula for your future speaking gigs.
Information specialists
💼 Career success boost: If you have information to share within a professional sector/community, or if you know of a better way to condense complex information into an easy-to-understand format, publish a book! Adding a well-rated book to your profile or resume shows you know what you’re talking about, you’re well versed in your subject area, and you’re able to break down your ideas for others to understand. Your book helps you prove that you’re a determined, informed, and intelligent leader - the type of information specialist that companies want to hire.
💵 Financial success boost: Speaking of hiring, the companies that you want to work for are going to pay more money (higher contract price or salary, depending on your agreement) if you bring more value to the table. What can you leverage? If you have a top-notch book in your subject area, that’s some high-quality leverage. And of course, you’ll also hope to sell some copies of your book, which - albeit likely small - is a natural income stream.
😄 Mental success boost: Your book can set you apart, identifying you as a leader in your informational sector. It can prove that you are an expert who does quality research in your subject matter. Publishing a book sets you apart from competitors and makes you a valuable contributor in your arena.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
Marketers or marketing coaches
💼 Career success boost: People want to hire marketers/marketing coaches that know what they’re talking about. Clients want to see marketing results. So, show your formula(s), your tips & tricks, and/or what makes you a qualified marketer in a book with your name on the cover! Don’t be afraid that people won’t hire you because you’ve put a lot of your “tips” in a book. The reality is, some people won’t hire you after reading your book - but those people probably wouldn’t have paid well for a marketer regardless, and now you’re at least getting a book sale. Other potential clients, however, will opt to hire you after reading your book, enhancing your profile for future projects!
💵 Financial success boost: While book sales are always a financial bonus, the main income boost you can get through having your book written is an uptick in your number and quality of clients. When searching for a marketer on the Internet or social media platforms, potential clients will first come across marketers who rank highly. An immediate plus for you is having your book pop up in their search - especially if your book details a “tried-and-true” marketing method of some kind.
😄 Mental success boost: Putting all of your tips in one place with a well-written book gives you a clear roadmap for future coaching and helps you feel empowered as a marketer.
Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash Real estate agents
💼 Career success boost: Okay, I’m gonna be real here - it seems like every successful real estate agent I come across has published a book! When searching for a local agent, clients often come across agents’ books online. Books are simply a great marketing tool for the real estate sector. If you have good tips for property buyers or sellers, info on housing/architectural trends, or updates on your local housing market, publishing a book is a great way to give your profile a professional touch and bring clients to you.
💵 Financial success boost: While book sales may put a few extra dollars in your wallet, the real financial gain is the increase in clients you can see from book publication. If getting more high-paying, quality clients is your goal, publish a book and increase your exposure in the real estate world.
😄 Mental success boost: Adding something of value to your local real estate world benefits your community. You can boost your career and income while helping out others. Win-win!
Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash
Freelancers (especially writers)
💼 Career success boost: Especially if you’re a freelance writer, it helps to show potential clients that you can write a book from start to finish. Not only is a published book the perfect addition to your profile, but it also allows you to market to clients - whether you want to share your life story, your writing/editing tips, etc. Having a book with your name on it shows that you’re not an amateur freelancer, but a well-researched professional who’s serious about your writing career. It’s likely to result in more client bookings moving forward.
💵 Financial success boost: As I mentioned for each of these professions, a small bump from book sales is always good, but the main financial value of publishing a book comes from a rise in bookings. As you score more freelance work, you can eventually raise your rates. At some point, you may even have to start saying “no” to projects due to an overwhelming volume of clients wanting to hire you. This allows you to pick-and-choose what jobs are worth the work to you - you can take on projects that you actually enjoy and you can work with the clients that consistently pay and treat you well.
😄 Mental success boost: Your work-life balance can really benefit from financial freedom in freelancing. Not only is the freelance lifestyle great for its remote style and working hours flexibility, but it becomes an even better career when you’ve got extra clients coming your way. Knowing that you have consistent work makes it much easier to relax and spend time with family and friends.
My tip for the day: If you're a motivational speaker, information or marketing specialist, real estate agent, or freelancer, you should have a book out there with your name on the cover!
Thanks for reading today’s post. Have a great week and I’ll see you all next Monday. 😊
P.S. While I typically don’t self-plug in my Substack posts, I do want to let you know that I offer ghostwriting and editing services for these types of books! You can check out my services here or shoot me a DM or email anytime to learn more. :)
Fascinating
Great breakdown of how a book can benefit various professionals, and it was a bitter reality to note that the books are likely to have moderate sales but drive higher ticket transactions.