I know a lot of you, especially you bloggers, have little mini-eBooks or short eBooks that you sell already on your blog. You might have a mini-eBook that’s five or 10 pages long that you use as a lead magnet or an opt-in for your mailing list. Or, you might have a slightly longer eBook that you sell on your website, and just your website alone. I want to strongly encourage you to take that eBook that you already have to the next level and publish a physical book.
PHYSICAL BOOKS PROVIDE AUTHORITY
There are two big reasons to publish a physical book. The first big reason why you should create a physical book is because it really does add an extra level of authority. Let’s be honest. I have a short eBook that I use as an opt-in on my first blog. If you have a short eBook, too, and so do a bunch of other bloggers in our niche, you’re not setting yourself apart. Having an eBook doesn’t really distinguish you. It’s just something that everybody’s doing these days.
Let’s consider the opposite. How many other bloggers do you know who actually have physical books? Not very many. Yes, it does take a little bit more time to create a physical book. Bu at the same time, it’s absolutely worth the time investment to create that book. It’s definitely worth just putting the effort into something that is going to distinguish you from your competition.
Your book will make you look more serious about your niche because you actually have the passion and the drive to write a full book about it. there are a lot of people who have maybe 5,000 to 8,000 words that they can make into an eBook. But again, writing that full length book that you can actually turn into a physical product, is really going to distinguish you from everybody else. It’s really going to help you take your blog, your brand, and your business, to the next level.
BROADEN YOUR REACH WITH A PHYSICAL BOOK
The second big reason to create a physical book is that book is a great way to find readers who wouldn’t otherwise find your eBook. I would imagine that if you have an eBook already, you’re probably just selling it to people who are vising your website, or maybe even to people on your mailing list. The people who are buying your book are people who know you, who are already in your warm market, and who you interact with already. They probably follow you on social media, as well.
A physical book, especially one you sell on a platform like Amazon, is going to allow you to reach and interact with people who otherwise would not have found you. I’m sure the vast majority of the sales of my book on Amazon are to people who have never visited my website. Even though they have never connected with me via my social media, blog, or other platforms, they still found my book through Amazon Search feature.
As my new readers dig into my book, they start to get to know me as an authority in my niche. Then, after they start to know, like, and trust me by reading my book, they can find my website, subscribe to my email list, and look into my programs. Having a physical book is a great way to start to build relationships with people who you wouldn’t have met otherwise.
IT’S NOT HARD TO SELF-PUBLISH
I know a lot of you are thinking, “Beth, that’s going to be really hard to make a physical book.” I promise you: it’s a lot easier than you think. It’s currently totally free to publish a book through Amazon’s Create Space, the platform I used, as long as you create your own cover and format your own manuscript. You’re also not obligated to buy any copies of your book if you self-publish with Create Space. It also takes a lot less time than you would think to self-publish your physical book. I was surprised at how quick and easy it was to upload my manuscript and cover art. Within a very short period of time, your book can be up on Amazon for people to find and buy through Amazon’s Search feature so they can start a relationship with you and your brand.
SELF-PUBLISH YOUR PHYSICAL BOOK
I would strongly encourage you to consider creating a physical book. If you already have an eBook, that’s a great place to start. Or, you could even start with a different topic, and go ahead and write a full length book on your next topic. Whatever the subject, a physical book is something that’s going to help distinguish you from others in your niche. Your physical book will help you elevate your brand, your platform, and your business, and it will really help you take your brand to the next level.