-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 6 Reasons to Write a Book
From: Steve Harrison <email@freepublicity.com>
Date: Sat, January 28, 2012 10:01 am
To: douglas@tingandi.com
Have you thought about what writing a book
will do for you?A lot of doors open to you when you become
a published author, from being known as the
expert in your niche to speaking engagements,
higher fees and a larger client base.I have an article below that goes into more
detail of what you can expect when you
write a book.I also want to share with you 10 winning
formats for writing a good book FAST!SOME ADS DELETED
6 Powerful Reasons You Should
Write a Book--and How to Get
Started Today By Steve Harrison
(note: this article originally appeared in my paid print
newsletter Book Marketing Update which goes to
members of my Million Dollar Author Club - get info
at http://www.milliondollarauthorclub.comMany BMU readers already have one or more books
out, but others have a great idea for one but don't know
where to begin. That's why I'm devoting this month's
column to helping people turn their desire to write a
book into reality.In the 20+ years I've spent working with entrepreneurs
and authors, I've found that one of the best ways to grow
your business is to be seen as an expert. People value
experts' opinions and advice. They want to buy from
the man or woman who wrote a book on topics they're
interested in.How to become known as the expert in your nicheSurveys show that more than 80 percent of
Americans dream of writing a book someday.
But most will never do it. So if you have written
a book, people will see you as having accomplished
something that sets you apart from other experts.
Writing a book will elevate your status, your income
and your influence. It will also position you as a
knowledgeable authority they can trust.Let me give you an example of how this works.
A few years ago, I spoke to a mortgage loan officer
who told me this story. He said that he used to get
calls all the time from people asking about his
mortgage rates. The minute he told them, they'd
hang up the phone and start calling around looking
for the cheapest rate. He realized he needed to find
a way to stand out from other mortgage brokers.He then decided to target people who had a bankruptcy
in their past and now needed a mortgage. So he wrote
a book about how people who have had a bankruptcy
or foreclosure can still get mortgages. The book brought
him a lot of local publicity. He did a number of radio,
TV and print interviews and even got his own radio show.Now people were contacting him after reading his
book or seeing him on TV. Clients would come into
this office and feel privileged to learn from an expert
on this subject, and some even asked him to autograph
their book. This is a powerful example of how writing
a book can help you expand your business tremendously.What writing a book will do for youA lot of exciting new opportunities will arise once you
become a published author. Here are some of the biggest
benefits that could come your way:A lot of exciting new opportunities will arise once you
become a published author. Here are some of the biggest
benefits that could come your way:
- Free publicity. It's much easier to get radio, TV,
magazine and online publicity if you have a book.
The media need experts to interview, and often call
upon authors to comment on timely topics in the news.- More sales leads and referrals. Once you have
a book, you can promote and sell it to your
existing customers. Some authors give their
books away to key clients to create more word
of mouth. This is a great way for people in a
service business to generate referrals, since a
book is much more powerful than a brochure.- Speaking engagements. People who book for
corporate events, conferences or workshops may
never have heard you speak, but they know people
want to hear from someone who's written a book.
Almon Gunter is a good example. He's a former
world-class sprinter turned motivational speaker
who wrote a book called Focus on the Final Seconds.
Almon told me, "I had a very successful business
before, but the book increased my speaking
engagements by 50 percent."- Higher fees. People are willing to pay an expert
more money than someone without that expertise.
Having your name on a book usually leads to higher
name recognition--and the ability to command
higher fees.- Dream customers will find you. The best way
to take your client base to the next level is to find
customers who can spend a lot more money with
you. This is something that happens all the time
for authors. Their completed book is like having
a marketing agent that never sleeps; it continues
to build exposure and bring in new clients.- It could lead to a whole new future. Your book
can make the difference between feeling stuck in
your current career and doing what you're really
called to do. Greg Kozera was a Halliburton
executive with a passion for leadership. He
believes that no one is a born leader--you have
to learn how to lead. After Greg wrote a book
called Learned Leadership, it generated so many
speaking engagements that he was able to leave
his job and speak full time.So, whether you want to reinvent yourself,
increase your sales and publicity or generate a
whole new line of business or a consulting
practice, a book can do that for you.10 possible formats for writing a good book FAST!Let's say I've convinced you that it's a good
idea to publish a book. How do you decide
what to write about?I'd like to make it easier by giving you some
examples of different formats you can choose
from. Starting with a proven model will make
the writing process much less overwhelming.
(Note: most of these ideas are designed for
nonfiction authors.)
- The Mistakes Book. People are always
interested in learning about mistakes they can
avoid, so this is a popular format. A good
example is this title: New Sales Speak: The
9 Biggest Sales Presentation Mistakes and
How to Avoid Them by Terri Sjodin.- The How-to Book. I want to address a
concern that many authors have. They often
ask me, "Why should I put what I know into
book form? Will people still buy from me if I
give away this information?" Yes, and here's why.
Dan Kennedy is a well-known copywriter who
gets paid tens of thousands of dollars to write a
sales letter. But he still wrote a book called The
Ultimate Sales Letter. By revealing how difficult
it is to write strong sales letters and how much
work goes into it, Dan's book has brought him
many new paying clients. When you give readers
good solid information but don't tell them everything
you know, they will want to contact you to find
out more.- The Question and Answer Book. Do people
ask you questions when they hear about your area
of expertise? Which questions are you asked most
often? Maybe they could become the basis for a
book. A good example is What's a Synthesizer?
Simple Answers to Common Questions by John
Eiche. Imagine having a book titled "Answers
to Your Most Common Questions:" (about your
topic), and see what comes to mind.- The __ Ways to Do Something Book. You've
probably heard of the bestselling book 50 Simple
Things You Can Do to Save the Earth. This is
a format that many authors have successfully
imitated. You can use any number--7, 10 and
101 are other numbers that are frequently used.- The How to Hire Someone Book. Two books
that use this format effectively are How to Hire
a Nanny and Before You Hire a Contractor, this
a great way to showcase your expertise and gain
new clients by sharing information you've learned
in your line of business.- The Book of Interviews. J.M. Trippon is a CPA
who followed this model when he wrote How
Millionaires Stay Rich Forever. His book became
a great networking tool that enabled him to
connect with millionaires and interview them.- The Collection of Stories. One of the bestsellers
our company helped launch is Chicken Soup for the
Soul. This format is easy to follow--you request other
people's stories on a particular topic and choose the
best ones to reprint (once you get their permission).
Sales trainer Dan Seidman wrote another book I
really enjoyed. In Sales Autopsy, he told and
analyzed 50 funny stories about salespeople who
have really screwed up a sale.- The Memoir or Biography. Most of us love hearing
other people's stories, if they're compelling and well
told. That's why memoirs and autobiographies
often show up on bestseller lists. Consider telling
your own or a family member's life story or sharing
lessons from your life.- The Joke or Quotation Book. People don't think
lawyers are funny, but two attorneys disproved
that when they compiled The Lawyer's Joke Book.
The media love topics that are funny and entertaining.
This joke book opened many doors for the authors
and led to dozens of media interviews.- The Collection of Your Previous Writings. Have
you been doing a blog or writing articles? Do you
publish a newsletter or an ezine? These could provide
lots of great material for a book.I hope I've inspired you to embark on your own book
project. Writing a book is not as difficult as many
people think. Like all journeys, it begins with a single
step. I encourage you to take that step, and wish you
the very best in your quest to grow your business by
becoming a published author.All the best,Steve Harrison
Steve Harrison has done an excellent job in giving good reasons for writing your book and suggesting some types of books you might write. I encourage you to contact him, if you think it will be a good fit.
If you and Steve do not team up, consider me. I live in Orange County, NY, which will be local for some of my readers. I charge only $25/week [$100 per month] and can help you publish your book the way I did, through the subsidy press, Outskirts Press. I invite you to see my book sites, http://writeyourbookwithme.com and http://tingandi.com. My first phone or in-person consultation with you will be free.
Call me at 845 778-4204 or write to douglas@tingandi.com.
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