There are loads of reasons you might want to write and publish your own book — not the least of which is the fact it’s a long-held dream for nearly all writers.
But along with being a common aspiration, writing and publishing your own book is also a tangible, proven way to further your writing career. It could easily bring you more money, more clients, more recognition, and more freedom.
Today, I want to show you how you can make all of that happen this year. I’ll even introduce you to a fun and supportive approach to making sure you get your book written, marketed, and published in record time.
But first, here are six reasons publishing your own book is one of the smartest moves you can make when it comes to growing your B2B copywriting career.
Reason #1 to Write Your Own Book: You’ll Gain Instant Professional Credibility
It’s a plain and simple fact: A book published in your name is an asset when it comes to building your reputation.
Well-known B2B copywriter Steve Slaunwhite is a great example. He wrote his first book, Start and Run a Copywriting Business, in 2000. As Steve says, “I just did it because I had this burning desire to publish a book. I mean, everybody wants to publish a book. But when it came out, it pretty much made my career as a copywriter. Clients would see this book with the word ‘copywriting’ in the title and my name on it, and they would just assume I’m an expert on copywriting. And that helped me stand out from the crowd of other copywriters that didn’t have books on the subject.”
Reason #2 to Write Your Own Book: It’s a Smart Marketing Strategy
A constant goal for all B2B copywriters is to stand out. Not only that, but you want to attract clients you’ll enjoy working with who are willing to pay you what you’re worth.
If you write your book with your ideal client in mind, not only will it elevate you from being seen as just an average B2B copywriter, it’ll also create a marketing funnel for the type of clients you’d most like to work with.
For example, say you want to target mid-size companies in the medical device niche. You can focus your book on the best ways to catch the attention of hospitals and other care facilities. Your book could become a go-to resource for your ideal prospect. Plus, it’ll stand out as proof of what you know and how well you write. It does the marketing for you, because it’s solid proof of your expertise in the industry where you’d like to focus your efforts.
Reason #3 to Write Your Own Book: You’ll Shine as a Professional Who’s Got it Together
A lot of us freelance writers stress about finding clients that are a good fit. But did you know companies that hire freelancers have the same fears? No client wants to spend time or money on a freelancer who disappears without notice and leaves a project hanging, or who turns out to be incompetent and can’t follow through on their assignments.
Having your own professional website and writing regular blogs and articles are terrific ways to showcase your knowledge and position yourself as competent and consistent.
But anyone can set up a blog or write an article here and there. Which means an even more effective way to stand out … a way to boost yourself as someone with definite follow-through … is to write a book. Because few people will go to the effort of writing and following through on getting an entire book edited, polished, and published.
Reason #4 to Write Your Own Book: You’ll Get Free Exposure
As mentioned above, anyone can write a blog. And though technically, anyone can write a book, writing a book is such a massive undertaking that it merits instant respect and — as we already discussed — credibility.
That means you’re a lot more likely to get quoted or referenced in an article if you write a book than if you keep up with a blog. And anywhere you’re quoted, anywhere your book is referenced, gets you free exposure and marketing credit.
Reason #5 to Write Your Own Book: You’ll Become the Expert in the Room
Not feeling like an expert in your field just yet? I hear you, and it’s a common concern among would-be book authors. The truth is, very few people who write books about any particular topic are actually experts on that topic.
Rather, they’re expert writers and researchers. Meaning a good writer can take virtually any topic under the sun, research it well, and then write about it. Ironically, the very act of writing about a topic makes you appear like an expert, and hey — by the time you’ve finished authoring a lengthy manuscript on a specific topic, chances are, you will be the expert on that topic, or at least you’ll know more about it than most people.
Reason #6 to Write Your Own Book: You Gain the Upper Hand Over Other Writers
Finally, writing your own book gives you an edge over your competition. As Steve Slaunwhite says, “Having a book gives you an unfair advantage … If you’re choosing between two consultants, and one consultant has a book in his field and the other consultant doesn’t, the tendency is to pick the consultant who’s written a book on the subject. So I would recommend to anybody building a career in freelance writing in any area, not just B2B, if you can get a book out, even a self-published Kindle book, it’s going to help your career. No doubt about it.”
So, there are six good reasons to write your own book.
Of course, for a book to work in your favor, it has to be well written. It also needs to be marketed and published in a smart way …
Introducing the MAP Blog: An Easy Way to Get Your Book Marketed and Published This Year
For most copywriters and freelance writers, the actual writing of a book isn’t the hardest part. It’s the part that comes after that — the editing, the marketing, the platform-building, and the publishing.
Those are the things that stop us writers in our tracks. That, and the common misconception that marketing and publishing a book is hard and scary.
But … what if it weren’t? What if someone laid out a simple and straightforward path for you, using tested techniques and sharing a frank and honest review of what works and what doesn’t?
That’s what I’m doing with the new Barefoot Writer “MAP Your Book Blog” (MAP = Market and Publish). Join me and dozens of other writers who plan to take a step forward and get the job done — that is, get a great book successfully marketed and published this year.
Even if you don’t join us over at the Blog, I urge you to consider writing a book related to your professional services as a copywriter. Because along with the six reasons listed above, the benefits will keep building for years to come.
And no matter what, in the end, you’ll be awfully glad you stepped up and followed through on such a rewarding and satisfying goal!
