If you can write a brochure about your business, you can write a 24-page book--which is all you need to produce and sell it on Amazon at no cost to you.
10 Reasons Why Business Owners Should Write a 28-Page Book
1. Brochure: A 24-page book acts as a brochure and fills the minimum page requirement for free use of the book creation and distribution tools available through Amazon. Not sure what to say? Try answering these questions: A: How did you get into your business? B: Why are you passionate about your work? C: What is your mission? D: What do you want your customers to experience? E: What makes your business unique? F: What do you wish everyone knew (what is your message)? G. Is your current business a result of your dream? If so, what sparked this dream? H. What was the most difficult aspect of accomplishing your dream? Did anyone help you? Include sample reviews of your product/service.
2. Free media attention: a book is not an ad--your book (therefore your work) is mentioned in the media at no cost to you.
3. Inexpensive gift to potential clients: a 24-100 page book with a color cover and black and white interior costs approximately $3-4/book.
4. Gains Trust: sharing some of your advice/soul/challenges/success gains trust of potential clients.
5. Speaking engagements: clubs and libraries love to host authors of books--especially those sharing advice. Being a speaker puts you in front of potential clients and gains free media attention.
6. Television/Radio Interviews: producers in broadcast media look for authors to interview. Appearing on TV and radio costs you nothing.
7. Credibility: potential clients view you as an expert if you have a book.
8. Networking tool: Potential clients are pleased to receive a free book and are unlikely to throw a book away. Turn it into an e-book, and you can send it to potential clients at no cost to you.
9. Email Gathering Tool: offer a free chapter of your book as a pdf in exchange for a potential client's email address. From there, stay connected to them through a monthly newsletter.
10. Potential Income: although it is unlikely you will make much money from book sales--unless you spend a lot of time away from your business promoting it (or hire someone to help you promote it)--some authors do earn extra income from it, especially in speaker fees.
Want Lisa's advice on how to write a book, thought-provoking questions to get started, and how to promote it through press releases, etc? See her book: Lisa's Guide for Writers: How to get published and self-published.
Would you like Lisa to present "10 Reasons Why Business Owners Should Publish a 24-Page Book (and How)" to your club? She presented something similar, "Why Every Business Owner Should Consider Writing a Book/let," to the East Lyme Business Organization. For a reference, contact, Dr. Joanne Z. Moore, Physical therapist & owner of Shoreline Physical therapy, 131 Boston post Rd, east Lyme. Phone: 860-739-4497, joannezmoore@gmail.com
About the author: Lisa Saunders, winner of the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations Gold Medallion, is the author of 10 books, including Lisa's Guide for Writers: How to get published and self-published. Lisa credits her book about her disabled daughter, Anything But a Dog! The perfect pet for a girl with congenital CMV (cytomegalovirus), as partially responsible for her success in getting Connecticut to become the second state in the U.S. to pass a law to battle congenital CMV.
For Lisa's tips on promoting your book, see advice below:
Don’t just take out an ad—gain trust by sharing your story
Increase chances of getting free publicity
1. Write a Book, 24 Page Booklet and/or E-Book—it acts as a business card/great networking tool: Sharing your expertise and advice (but not proprietary information), gives you expert status, credibility, free publicity, speaking engagements, and clients. The book doesn't necessarily need to be about your business, it can be about your life and what you've learned--this gives potential clients a connection to you or insight into your soul. I present thought-provoking questions to help you write your book, in addition to how to publicize it in my book, Lisa's Guide for Writers: How to get published and self-published.
2. Write a Q. and A. on You/Your Work: Post it on your website along with your bio under your “Press Kit” tab. Answer questions such as: 1: How did you get into this business or write that book? 2: Why are you passionate about it? 3: What is your mission? 4: What do you want your customers to experience? 5: What makes your business unique? 6: What do you wish everyone knew (what is your message)? 7. Is your current project/business a result of your dream? If so, what sparked this dream? 8. What was the most difficult aspect of accomplishing your dream? Did anyone help you? Include sample reviews of your product/service. Include your town of residence so your local media will be interested.
3. Plan an Event to Showcase Your Knowledge/Work: This can be as simple as giving a free lecture at a library or having a book signing at a shop. Click here for great tips on presenting at a vendor table.
4. Write a Press Release About Your Event: Interest the media by creating an urgency to cover you/your work (or award received, etc.). A press release should be written in Associated Press style and answer the following questions: Who is this about? What will happen (or happened)? When will it take place? Where will it take place (exact address)? Why will this happen? How will it happen? (If an event, is it free and open to the public?)
5. Get Three High Resolution Photographs: One of yourself, one of your product/business, and one with you with your product. These images should be downloadable from your website under your “Press Kit” tab.
6. Send/Post Your Press Release With an Image: Email it to your local media (such as The Day, Hartford Courant, Mystic Country, The Westerly Sun, This is Mystic), talk show hosts, and friends. Upload it to free press release sites (PR.com) and post it on your website/blog so you can create a link to just that press release. Use that link to Tweet it and post on Facebook and other social media. Create a flyer from the content.
7. Upload Your Event Online: Newspapers/magazine/tourism websites have links to upload your events. Suggestions: events.ctnow.com; connecticutmag.com; Patch.com, The Day; Westerly Sun; visitconnecticut.com/submit-event; thisismystic.com/submit-an-event; http://www.zip06.com/section/submitevents
8. Get Interviewed on TV: A television interview, one that is also uploaded to YouTube, allows customers to “meet” you. YouTube videos come up high on Google searches and can be easily linked on website/Facebook page. Learn more about the possibility of being interviewed on The Lisa Saunders Show.
9. Send a Monthly Newsletter: You should always be finding ways to collect emails to stay in touch with satisfied customers and educate potential ones. Offer something free, such as advice/coupons, to get email addresses.
10. Create A “Keeper” Business Card: Your card should have something useful on it to make people keep it (as an author/speaker, my “card” is a bookmark). My husband kept our real estate agent’s card in his wallet for years because it had a restaurant tip chart on the back. Perhaps share a link on your card to free “How To” info and/or a coupon to entice them to your site where you can offer them something in exchange for their email address.
Want more free tips? Click on my "Marketing Yourself" PowerPoint. Contact me directly to see about my availability to present these tips to your club or business association by writing to me at LisaSaunders42@gmail.com. References on marketing talks: "Lisa's talk on 'How to Market Yourself' was fabulous. She was very well received by the members who felt she really knew what she was talking about." Anne-Marie Foster, Co-Founder, freshconnections, a networking group for women in business, amarfoster@gmail.com.
Lisa Saunders speaks on inspiring historical figures, how to market yourself, and topics related to her 10 books. A former campus communications writer for a New York college, she used the publicity skills gained there to help Connecticut become the second state in the U.S. to combat the #1 viral cause of birth defects, congenital cytomegalovirus, which disabled and killed her younger daughter, Elizabeth.
I help entrepreneurs grow their businesses by writing press releases, website content, newsletters, informative articles, and books showcasing their expertise/passion. Consider:
1. A spot on the Lisa Saunders Show (TV talk show, which is also uploaded to YouTube).
2. A press release about you/your work/event, sent to your contacts (and mine).
3. Mention in my newsletter (through a link to the TV show).
4. Post on my blog (you should be putting the content on your website/blog/Facebook page).
For an hourly fee, I can help you produce a book, upload your press releases to Pr.com and other submission sites, plus help you write website content. I also provide consultations for self-publishing on Amazon/Kindle.
Testimonials about Lisa’s publicity work
“Lisa, you really did a wonderful, wonderful job of unearthing stories and getting the media to pump out a steady stream of positive press.” Tzipora Reitman, Director of Campus Communications, Rockland Community College, zreitman@sunyrockland.edu .
"Lisa helped me revitalize my marketing strategy with innovative ideas. For example, she got me additional speaking engagements and did the advance publicity for them. She even got a headline spread in the newspaper by repackaging my individual engagements as a speaking tour by a local expert (me): 'Senior Acupuncturist Kicks Off Spring Lecture Series.'” Kathleen T. Poole, M.S., L.Ac., owner of Mystic River Acupuncture, ktp01@mac.com.
"When I uploaded Lisa’s video to my Facebook page, someone ordered my book that day!" Nancy Rupert, co-Author of a View from the Snow Globe: A Journey in Cancer and Chemo, Nancy Rupert, nqnrup@yahoo.com
About Lisa Saunders
Lisa provides writing and publicity services
She can help you:
- Market yourself
- Publicize your expertise
- Learn creative ways to reach customers
Become known as an expert in your field
- Be seen on TV and YouTube
- Find an audience
- Get published
Lisa and her preferred vendors provide:
- Website content
- Press Releases
- Advertorials
- Newsletters
- Interviews on TV & YouTube
- Publishing on Amazon
- Desktop Publishing
- Social Media Packages
- Internet Marketing
- Networking Opportunities
- Writing/Publishing/Self-
Publishing/Publicity workshops
- Private Consultations
- Editing
- Ghost Writing
- Illustrating
- Website Creation
- Application Content Management
- Business Improvement Analysis
Samples of Lisa's writing and media work:
