A successful book will make a positive difference in your business and your life. It can be the blasting cap that helps your knowledge explode into career success. But that won’t happen by accident. Here are six things you must do to create a successful book.
Write something people will want to read
If you’re speaking or blogging or consulting, you get input and feedback from a lot of people. Identify their problems. Capture the questions they ask. Those can make the core of a successful book. Find a want and fill it.
Develop a distinctive point of view.
You’re not likely to create a successful book if you say the same thing everyone else is saying. Add value by creating a distinctive point of view using your experience and research.
Write the best book you can.
“Good enough” is not a recipe for success. Write the best book you can. Get help if you need it. Once it’s published, your book will represent you in the world forever.
Promote it till you puke
There’s no way around this one. Readers aren’t out there just waiting for you to write a book. All the great successes I’ve witnessed had tireless promotion as part of the success formula.
Then promote it some more
Books don’t go out of print anymore. Don’t just promote your book once and be done with it. Your book will do more for you if you promote it constantly.
Tie your book to other products and services
The truth is that very few authors make much money from their book. You need a strategy for generating book-related revenue. Use your book as a lever to increase your fees and get more speaking engagements. Create products and services tied to your book.
A successful book is a book that creates success for you. But you have to do most of the work.