Publishing your First Business Book

I’ve been a part of the self-publishing world for a decade. In that time, I’ve helped hundreds of clients successfully publish their books for the world to see. The steps from conception to completion for publishing your first business book can be quite complicated at times. But it’s an amazing journey. So allow me to share some advice about the self-publishing process for those looking to share their business ideas with the world.

Avoid the common mistakes that so many people fall prey to when publishing your first business book.

Be Very Clear About your Goals

Books are usually not going to be your number one source of income so it’s important that you set the right goals. Most entrepreneurs publish a book to help them build credibility or to serve as an entry point for some other service. Business books are supposed to solve a specific problem for the reader while showcasing the knowledge and experience of the author. While solving that one problem, you offer a glimpse into how your business can help the reader cure other pain points. Either way, you must set clear goals in the beginning.

Publishing your First Business Book Starts with Marketing

It doesn’t matter how far into your book you might be, there is no better time to start marketing than right now. Even if you are just starting your book, you should start generating awareness right away. That way, your book launch will be more successful. Contribute to online magazines, blogs, and use your social media presence to hype your audience. Marketing starts right now and it never ends.

Use Your Book to Build an Email List

This is a step that I see so many new business books skip and it’s a huge missed opportunity. Publishing a well-written book in your niche is a great way to build authority. While mapping out your book, you should be planning bonus content that you can give away to readers who are willing to sign up to your email list. In fact, some people will give away their book for the sole purpose of building their email list because there are just so many benefits to getting a reader to sign up.

Start Small and Then Shoot for the Moon

I highly recommend that your first business book be short and to the point. Since it’s less of an investment, any mistakes you might make will be far less costly. One of the most important parts of publishing your first book is to learn the process. If you go too big, then you could potentially make big mistakes that will either delay it, or frustrate you to the point of giving up. Each book should address a single problem and solve it. Then once you have a few books under your belt, write a bigger one that fully showcases your expertize.

Invest in a Professional Editor

If you want your book to be successful, then hiring a professional editor is a great investment. A professional will help you identify areas where your book can be improved while ensuring that your ideas are laid out in a clear, professional way. They will also help remove unnecessary verbiage and clean up mistakes that cause so many readers to leave bad reviews. You can write a great book but an editor is who will transform it into a bestseller.

The bottom line is that publishing your first business book is all about solving a specific problem. You need to approach it from a unique perspective. Never try to be like anyone else or else you will be lost in the shuffle.