Why Now is a Great Time to be an Author
Lisa, why should folks doing transformational work like coaches and holistic practitioners and conscious business owners, be thinking about writing a book?
For one, it gets your message out–to a much larger audience than they can reach without the book.
Yes, their message is definitely big one – especially as the bigger the reach the more of a difference they can make! As business owners, why else would it be beneficial to write their own book?
1) In this noisy world, a book distinguishes you from competitors and sends the message that you are an expert.
2) A well-branded book attracts your ideal clients. All the things you teach your clients in attracting their ideal clients apply to a book. When your messaging is on target, the book attracts those people you most want to work with.
3) A book can educate potential clients and make them better clients (i.e. they’re more motivated to do what you tell them to because they understand the reasons why (so they’re coachable) and the book gives them a baseline of knowledge that you don’t have to repeat to every single client. So you can focus on the more customized work with them.
4) A book can create many opportunities for speaking, teaching workshops and retreats, and even if you are already speaking, it can help you get more visible, better paid venues.
Wow, it’s crazy how many benefits there are to writing a book! I’m sure there are many out there who feel a calling to write a book. I know I have a couple inside me! What stops most people from doing it Lisa?
Most people don’t know where to start, so feeling overwhelmed can hold them back. They need some guidance. Many people are also afraid –both of failure and success. In fact, those fears are in most of us–so it’s really important to get past that and not let it get in the way.
Yes, I guess there are lots of pieces to the process people need to think about – that’s why you’re here for them Lisa! To help them figure it out right?
I certainly love helping people get their books written and successfully published–and I’ve had clients sign 5- and 6-figure book deals with major publishers and other clients self-publish and go on to win many awards–so there are lots of way to do it successfully–and it’s really about writing the right book to manifest your particular vision and goals.
What’s a common mistake folks make when writing a book when they don’t have guidance from someone like you?
The worst is when someone writes the wrong book–they spend a lot of time writing–and at some point decide that this book just doesn’t match their goals. Even then, there’s value in practicing writing. But it is good to get clarity from the get-go and save time. It took me 7 years to go from idea to a book published by a traditional publisher–so I know all the mistakes and I now help others avoid my initial mistakes.
Another mistake is not understanding how publishing works–sending a query letter before the book proposal is ready or sending a query without researching the agent and understanding what they are looking for.
How important is it to have a genre or focus for their book that appeals to a certain niche / issue?
Genre is important–I would say for most coaches and healers it would be self-help or how to. But a memoir could serve your purpose too. Memoir is harder to write. It generally takes longer and publishers want to see amazing writing in a memoir. With a how to, you don’t need as much craft but you can still share your personal stories / memoir elements, as well as stories about clients (disguised) or composites of clients–that will add credibility.
In terms of niche, it’s wonderful to write to a niche audience. It helps YOUR people find your book. So, the clearer you are about your ideal the clients–and I know that people who work with you Louise, have clarity around that–the better the book will do in terms of sales and in terms of helping you reach your goals.
Many have questions now about whether to publish through a traditional publisher or self-publish. What should they consider and what do you recommend?
There are advantages to each so it’s not a simple answer, but I would say the biggest advantages to self-publishing are:
1) You can have the book much sooner.
2) You keep control.
3) You don’t have to meet the same stringent requirements of a publisher–i.e. you can publish the book soon whether you have a large platform or not, whether the book is unique enough for a publisher’s interest or not.
On the other hand, it can be worthwhile to traditional publish:
1) There’s even greater cache with a traditional publisher–so it can be easier to get national publicity for instance.
2) A publisher brings an experienced team together who works well together and brings decades of experience collectively to the table. You may end up with an even better product because of the expertise they have (not always, but often). You can try to create that team of professionals yourself, but it’s harder to do when you are new to this arena.
How can they get started on this exciting journey Lisa?
You can sign up for my free author toolkit here.
Thank you so much for your time in answering these questions! Where can our readers find out more about you, and attend your new teleclass?
I invite anyone considering writing a book, or who’s started and wants expert guidance, insight and tips to join me and my colleague Sam Bennett for Jump Start Your Book: 3 Insider Secrets to Easily Write & Finish Your Book This Year! This free teleseminar takes place on Tuesday, March 18 at 8:30 pm ET and people can sign up here.
