I looked at the pages and pages of market research information I had collected and sighed. Where to start?

I had decided to conduct interviews with people who want to write a book to determine how I can tweak the book coaching and book writing services I offer to more effectively meet people’s need for support. I had spent hours on the phone and on Zoom talking to people. And I had heard some amazing, heart-felt answers to my questions around what people’s biggest struggles are.

I hadn’t expected so many people to be concerned that there might not be any point in writing a book. As a card-carrying Creative kind of a person, I think the point of writing a book is actually the writing of the book. But there are a lot of other reasons that coaches, consultants, innovators and academics might want to write a book. Here are some of them:

1. Writing a book can be a revenue generator in and of itself, but that’s rare. Even if you score a nice advance from a traditional publisher (also rare), you have to earn that advance back at roughly $1-2 per book through sales. An Authors Guild survey of more than 5,000 authors found that the median author earnings from book sales was $3,100 in 2017, and that full-time book authors earned a median income of $20,300. Some authors I know, however, self-publish their books at a low per-book price, and then sell large quantities of them at speaking engagements for full retail value. It’s possible to make tens of thousands of dollars a year in this manner – which is a nice supplement to a base speaking fee of $5,000-$10,000 per talk.

2. Writing a book can help you win speaking engagements. Most organizations are more open to hiring speakers who have written a book than those who have not. Be aware that there is “speaking from the stage” – for which you will be paid a speaking fee – and “speaking to sell,” for which you probably will not be paid. But either way, a speaking presence elevates your brand and positions you as an expert, which allows you to have more conversations with people who might be in a position to hire you for either more speaking engagements (for a fee) or to consult for their business.

3. Back-of-the-room book sales. Once you are on the speaking circuit, your book can almost always be sold at events at which you are speaking. It’s harder to make a lot of money at speaking events if you are a traditionally published author (for example, as a traditionally published author I generate $2 for every book that sells through standard outlets); but if you are self-published your opportunities are greater.

4. Lead-generation for your product or service, or career expansion. If you’re writing a book to support your business or your career, you are no doubt going to share some solid information in it about your field of expertise. Some authors include in their book some links to helpful templates on their website; others simply invite people to work with them through calls to action placed at strategic places in their book.

5. Publicity for your business. Once you’ve written your book, you can generate press interest through a publicity campaign that mentions your business name and includes a link to your website. Make sure you include any links to press articles about your book on your website, as well, so visitors to your site can see the evidence of your success.

Stuck at Square One?

That’s all important information but my market research showed that many people are still stuck at Square One: starting to write their book. To answer that need, I’ve put together a program specifically designed to get people to hop down off the fence and start writing the book only they can write.

My KickStart Book Writing Formula will help you Refine Your Idea and Start Writing Your Book in Six Weeks or Less. It’s a comprehensive six-week online group program to help get you started with your book writing, help you write clearly, and show you how to turn your book into a marketing asset in your business or career. Through the supportive action steps we share in this program, you will enhance your credibility, up-level your business, and share your message to make an impact in a big way.

The program will cover:

• Why would you want to even write a book? What will it do for you, your business or career, your community, and humanity?
• Building a vision for becoming an author
• Who are your readers and what is your message?
• How to plan and structure your book
• Creating the time to write
• What are the different options for publishing?

The beta program is launching soon and I’ve decided to offer a 50% discount for anyone who signs up. But spaces are limited – be sure to register soon! Here’s the link to the registration page: bookwritingkickstart.com

Are you ready? Let’s get writing!

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