How to build your book into a thriving business

One excellent way to sell more books – and to finally quit your day job – is to build your book into a business.

This strategy more readily lends itself to nonfiction authors. Writers who’ve published multiple books on the same topic or in the same genre also will find it even easier going. However, many novelists and authors of a lone book with a little creativity have successfully built a business around their book.

Once you’ve published a book, ask yourself how you might sell services or products based on your title’s subject. If you’ve published a book on canoeing or kayaking, for example, you might offer outfitting services. If you’ve written about personal finance, offering investment consulting services makes sense.

To get business for your service, you may need to become a public speaker, offering workshops, classes, teleseminars and webinars about the topic. Be sure to include the name of your book in the title of these offerings or at least in the advertisements for them. The fact that you’ve written a book makes you an expert who can give such presentations, which in turn creates opportunities to pitch your book. Such events also can help you leverage media appearances.

Ultimately, however, the presentations and books aim to generate personal services that pay far more dollars to you that public appearances or Amazon.com royalties. This does mean you that you’ll spend less time writing.

Still, you’ll need to keep writing and publishing new books related to your business; the outfitter, for example, might pen kayaking river guides, while the personal finance author might knock out books about niche topics, such as investing in the stock market or how to save for your kid’s college education. The new books widen the types of presentations and courses you can deliver as well as offer more titles that can be sold at such events.

Products beyond books also can be sold. For example, if a nutritionist or a dietician, you might create food products that follow your recommended meal plans. Or you might simply offer coffee mugs and T-shirts with your brand name on them.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.