One of our top affiliates, Dale L Roberts (Self Publishing with Dale), is sharing with you what can a self published book do for your brand, and how he use Fiverr grow his business while helping his audience to grow theirs. There’s nothing better than to learn from the best!
Promoting Your Business and Brand Through Self-Publishing
Are you looking for a method of promotion for your business that’s entirely out of the box? You want something new and fresh, right?
Do you need something that will reach out and grab your tribe, maybe even smack them around a little bit?
Maybe something like a business card…no, no, that’ll just get tossed in the trash.
I have just the thing. How about a 6×9 business card with some info between a couple of covers? I’m talking about a full-on book. Hear me out.
What can a self-published book do for your brand?
I get it; this may not work for every business, but if you’re intrigued so far, then I believe what I have to say will resonate with you.
Business can be complicated, and I can’t think of many situations where a little clarification wouldn’t be beneficial. However, you need to know what a publication of this nature could do for your business.
A self-published book can:
- Establish authority and expertise in your industry
A book is an amazing way to show you know what you’re talking about. It compliments everything else you do in your business, from the day-to-day to other content you might create.
- Impress your customers and clients
Publishing a book is a feat at the very least. While it’s available to almost everyone, not many people take advantage of the opportunity.
- Enhance the customer/client experience
There are hidden aspects to almost any business under the sun. Offering clarity and your own personal brand of expertise in your business can not only enhance the customer experience, but it can show them a perspective they may never see otherwise.
- Expand your brand and put it in front of new audiences
If you’re into underwater basket weaving, there’s a lot the book crowd may not know about your niche. You never know how many underwater weavers you might reach hanging around in the book community.
- Promote growth
Businesses stagnate periodically. That’s just how it is. Finding a new way to expand and grow can jumpstart you if you’ve hit a plateau.
- Present new opportunities
If you are looking to expand into speaking or getting interviews, a book is a great way to create a stir. What could your business do with a few fresh opportunities?
- Create a new income stream
Believe it or not, you can publish your book in three different ways as a minimum – ebook, print book, and audiobook. For print book, you can publish it in paperback, hardcover, and large print. Then, you can make an additional revenue off of translation rights. Get even more out of that single book by translating it into various languages.
The Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing for Business Promotion
Self-publishing is not for the faint of heart. If this is something you decide to do, it’s an endeavour! If you don’t wonder at least once why you decided to do it, then you’re doing it wrong for sure.
We already covered the Pros above by outlining what a self-published book can do for your business. As a businessperson, you’ve probably already thought of even more ways your brand could benefit from publishing a book.
What about the Cons? I’m not going to lie; there are a lot. Let’s unpack these a bit more, so you know exactly what you’re getting into:
The Learning Curve
Ebook publishing is going to be the path of least resistance for you. A well-formatted Word document or PDF will suffice. Adhering to just a few simple rules can produce a publication that looks fantastic on e-reading devices across the board.
If you’re not that tech-savvy, basic skills can get it done, but just know your first rodeo will be a rough ride.
PRO TIP: You can hire out every aspect of the process for writing and publishing through Fiverr.
As mentioned, it’s not for the faint of heart, but once you do it, it’s an accomplishment! Your best strategy is to make a plan, identify your audience and topic, and outsource anything that’s not in your wheelhouse.
The Expenses of Self-Publishing
While the publishing process itself is free, the writing, editing, and formatting will cost you. Depending upon where you go for these services, they could cost a pretty penny.
One article I came across during my research put editing costs between $5,000 to $10,000. That is the higher end.
Let’s face it, for most businesses, that kind of expense wouldn’t be worth the effort. By utilizing platforms like Fiverr that have cost-effective outsourcing solutions, even small businesses can level the playing field when it comes to the expenses of self-publishing.
Book Marketing
Unless you land a traditional publisher, which is highly unlikely, you’ll need to market your book just like any other product or service. This will be easier for some than for others.
If you’re in retail or have a brick-and-mortar location, placing your book in front of your customers is simple.
A book without promotion of some kind will never see the light of day, much less your target audience.
After answering, “Will my clientele benefit from a book?”, your next question should be, “How will I promote a book?”
Time
Ah, everyone’s most finite resource. If you’re one of these businesspeople who are always strapped for time, then publishing a book is going to be a tall order for you.
Any way you slice a self-publishing project is going to take time. Whether you’re writing it yourself or managing those who do, the time comes into play.
You can’t rush it.
Should Your Business Publish a Book?
Self-publishing is not for everyone. There will be some businesses where this idea fits like a glove. It will be like celebrating after you’ve just made a Touchdown, just the next logical step in the game.
In some cases, you will struggle to make the concept fit your brand. Like if you install garage doors, throwing a book at your customers might confuse them.
In most cases, putting it in writing is a win-win for everyone involved. Why not entertain the idea in your next meeting and see what your people can conceive? I bet it will surprise you.
Further demystifying the complexities of self-publishing, I started a new video series on YouTube called Book Rescue. In the series, you learn what established authors commonly do wrong and how to course correct to more prosperous waters.
Sure, there’s no cut-and-dry answer to all things self-publishing, but knowing what pitfalls lie ahead greatly increases your odds of success with your book.
The Hardest Part is Getting Started
So, you peeled through this article and are probably wondering where the heck to start?
It’s really quite simple – just do it. Carve out a little time to plan your book and then hire out experienced pros to help you go from ideation to publication.
That’s why I shared my select list of preferred sellers on Fiverr for self-publishing below.
After five years on YouTube, I found having a published book exponentially improved my business by building awareness, driving traffic, and establishing myself as the authority in my niche.
What’s stopping you from doing the same? Give it a shot, you just might surprise yourself. Should you find yourself stuck, you can always get a great seller on Fiverr who can unstick you and help you get that book published ASAP.
Now go out there and publish that book!
My Recommendation for Fiverr freelancers:
Ghostwriters:
Editors & Proofreaders:
Cldraughon (Editing), Amandamcfarl837 (Proof-reading & Editing)
Interior Formatting for Books:
Cover Designers:
Marmarko78, pro_ebookcovers, florfi (Cover Design
Book promotions:
Translations:
fiishnchips (German), anim24 (Spanish)
About the Author
Dale L. Roberts is an award-winning author, self-publishing advocate, and video content creator. Dale’s inherent passion for life fuels his self-publishing advocacy both in print and online. After publishing over 40 titles and becoming a multiple international bestselling author on Amazon, Dale started his YouTube channel, Self-Publishing with Dale. Voted by Feedspot among the Top 100 websites and Top 50 YouTube channels devoted to self-publishing, Dale cemented his position as the go-to authority in the indie-author community.
