10 ways to boost your business with a self-published book

Most books today are self-published, and a good deal of those aren’t the product of vanity or frustration with the book publishing industry.

Many self-published books are written and printed for business purposes. Many public speakers, consultants and others have found a book is a useful calling card, résumé, sales tool, and door-opener.

One of the leading proponents of this approach is Alicia Dunams, who teaches people how to expedite the book-writing process and boost their income from both sales of their book and an expanded clientele.

Here is an edited list of some of the ways Dunams says a self-published book can make your business more profitable.

Increasing your core business. Nothing marks you as an expert in your field better than a book with your name on the cover. When you’ve written a book, you become an author, and people regard you as an authoritative voice. As an expert, you can charge higher fees for your goods or services. Additionally, by writing a book you’re duplicating yourself in the sense that, while you cannot be everywhere promoting your business, your book can stand in for you; it represents you and your business. Finally, readers like meeting authors, and will flock to book readings and signings. The bottom line is this: A book enables you to reach a much wider audience and, naturally, increase your business.

Public speaking. The public speaking circuit can be very profitable. Schools, corporations, non-profit organizations and government agencies are always looking for experts on topics of interest to speak at their meetings and conventions. To be invited, though, people have to know about you, and they usually find out about speakers through their books. You can sign with one of the many speakers’ bureaus that exist, and they expect to see a book. A good speaker can earn thousands of dollars per appearance.

Workshops. As with public speaking, groups are always looking for experts to offer workshops at conferences that last anywhere from a day to a week, and they pay handsomely for the right teacher. Again, they tend to hire authors. To most people, a book brings an air of authority.

Training and continuing education. Most schools of higher learning offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to students – accountants, nurses, lawyers, etc. – for attending workshops and training sessions. If you’ve written a book, you can be certified to provide CEUs, increasing your pool of clients.

High-end consulting. Maybe you’re already being called upon as a consultant to individual or group clientele; if so, you know how lucrative consulting can be. A book is something tangible that attracts the attention of large corporations and high-end entrepreneurs. It’s also something to give your clients as an adjunct to in-person consultation. That gives you an opportunity to raise your fee.

Marketing tool. A book can be a vital component of an effective marketing plan. Once your book is done, you’ll want to start targeting people and places to send complimentary copies for reviews and publicity. This can go a long way towards the creation of a comprehensive marketing plan for your core business.

Coaching. Readers might want to further enhance their understanding of your book’s content by having you directly teach them the principles outlined in it.

Public relations. A book can be an excellent PR tool. It can be a ticket onto television, radio talk shows, podcasts, videocasts, and blogs. Your book goes out into the world as an ambassador for your business.

Non-profit organizations. You can package and sell books in bulk – usually discounted or at cost – to non-profit organizations for use in their fundraising drives. The group puts them into gift bags or donor baskets used to solicit donations. In this way your book finds its way to donors and philanthropists—high-income people.

Repurpose your book. Books these days have more than one or two lives. Books used to come out in hardback, and a year later in paperback, after which they hit the remainders pile. When audiotapes became a trend, books got a third spin. Today, thanks to the internet, a book has even more incarnations, as an e-book and a podcast, to name just two. As technology advances, we’re likely to see more ways to increase a book’s lifespan and, therefore, its earning potential.

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