Many entrepreneurs wonder whether writing a book would be worth their time and money. In this blog post, we’ll address why writing a book is in your best interest and how you can use a book to grow your business and increase your profits.

Writing a book can…

• Establish yourself as an expert in your field and build trust with potential customers.

Before a customer purchases a product or service, it’s important for there to be some level of trust in the company. Writing a book can help provide that. It carries even more weight than a blog. While having a blog is a great way to connect with clients and build trust with them, plenty of people can start a blog. Not so many people can complete and publish a book. Doing so shows determination and proves your ability to follow through, and if you write a good book, it shows that you know what you’re talking about—enough that you can write an informative book on the subject.

• Introduce prospective clients to your services/products in an informative, non-confrontational way.

Bombarding people with ads and selling posts usually leads to irritation for everyone involved. While ads can be very effective, they do little to build trust with your audience, and they provide no additional value to your potential customers other than informing them about your business. A book allows you to inform others of your services or products without being pushy. It’s a no-strings-attached, zero-pressure way for others to learn more about your offerings and possibly even pick up a few helpful tips, which can lead to your audience being more receptive to your message.

• Allow you to explain your offerings in greater depth and enable you to provide additional value.

As mentioned above, books are great for teaching people about your offerings. A novel format allows you to delve into the subject matter. You can not only put your best foot forward, but you can also back up your approach with facts and examples, and you can share some of your backstory and morals. Furthermore, you can include advice and discuss other resources your clients can use to help themselves. It may seem counterproductive to provide this information, but it will go a long way in building trust. Not only that, but even if you provide information on how people can help themselves, they may still wish to hire you because they respect you that much or because of time constraints, etc.

• Help your SEO.

Books are great for SEO, especially if your book is listed on major retail sites like Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Having good SEO will help you become more discoverable and boosts your credibility. The higher you rank in search engines, the more attention you’ll get.

• Get more people talking about your business.

Books are easily shared. While some people may struggle to explain exactly what services you offer, they can more easily share the title of your book. Word of mouth is one of the most effective ways to get business. If you write a book that people find value in, chances are, they’re going to recommend it to others, drawing more customers your way. A book can also allow you to participate in book signings, which can expose more people to your brand. A book will also put you on the radar of various media outlets and influencers, including radio show/podcast hosts, reviewers, and book bloggers/vloggers.

• Provide other avenues of profit.

It’s true that few authors get rich off their books, but that doesn’t mean that a book can’t be a viable source of income. Though you can offer your book for free as an incentive to purchase your products or services, you can also sell your books to supplement your income. Aside from outright selling your book, you can earn income by using your book to secure yourself paid public speaking engagements. Books are also great to build paid conferences and webinars around or draw people to them.

• Give you a tax write-off.

Check with your CPA because it may be different in your jurisdiction, but in most cases, you can deduct any business expenses on your tax returns. If you create a book to promote your business, that’s usually considered a business deduction. That includes the cost of production.

But it takes so long…

Self-publishing is the fastest way to get your book out in the world. That said, writing your book and preparing it for publication still takes time, and time is money. Ghostwriting services may be a good option if you need help writing the book, but if you have a blog, you can also save time by organizing the best of your blogs into a book and expanding on them. When it comes to preparing your book for publication, hiring a full-service author services company like 1106 Design will save you time and ensure that every aspect of your book meets traditional publishing standards in less than half the time it takes to pitch to and utilize traditional publishers. From editing and design to printing and distribution, we’re here to help you along each step of your publishing journey. Contact us today to learn more!