3. Your book is someone else’s value-add.
There’s no better way to expand your practice than getting other people to do it for you. If you’ve written a book, you can do that by connecting with a small handful of professionals in fields that intersect with your audience.
For example, if you wrote a cryptocurrency book, look up businesses that accept bitcoin as currency and offer them a free stack of books to give away in their own promotions.
They’ll be interested because you’re giving them something valuable that their customers want.
Now, you might be thinking, “But those people don’t need my book. They already know about cryptocurrency if they’re using it to buy things.” Right. And they’ll be interested in hiring the financial planner who literally wrote the book on the thing they’re already into.
One of the great things about a book is that it works whether people read it or not. If they do happen to read it, and they start referring it to other people, that’s great. But the book did its job the second they flipped it over and found your website on the back.
Whatever book you wrote, focus on the question it answers, and think about what other businesses or professionals serve the same audience. Stores, lawyers, professors, real estate agents … the answers will be different for each book. But there are thousands of opportunities out there once you start thinking about who your audience is and who else wants to serve them.
4. Connect with the people who reach and serve your audience.
You know who else wants to serve your audience? The media, bloggers, podcasters, Sirius radio programmers and local TV morning shows. The digital world is hungry for content.
TV shows are mostly interested in today’s hot topics. If you can find an angle that ties your book to current events, it’s worth giving your local networks a shot. But you don’t have to be on TV to make a splash.
You just have to get in front of the right audience.
For a cryptocurrency book, look up blogs, podcasts and Sirius radio shows that focus on that topic. They always need content, and they’ll be interested in your book because it speaks to their audience. Pitch them an article or show topic that draws on the content of your book to reach a ready-made audience that’s extremely interested in your practice area.
5. Add your book to your digital footprint.
Include your book in your automatic email signature, and add your cover to your website. Once you have a few solid media credits, add the best of those too. A simple line in your email signature that says “Author of … As featured in …” is enough to be noticed by anyone who’s interested in your field.
This is a tough one for a lot of authors, but don’t think of it as bragging. It isn’t. It’s about putting your focus out there so people will know exactly who they should send your way—connecting you with people who share your interests.
Which, after all, is the whole point. You wrote your book to attract new clients who need your particular expertise. If you use it wisely, it will help you build a practice you love.
Zach Obront is the co-founder of Scribe Media, which helps busy professionals write and publish their books. He’s also the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller, The Scribe Method, a step-by-step guide on how to go from idea to published book.