Write Your Way to Business Success #NonFiction #Writing

My writing career began in May 2014 when I self-published my first book, How I Changed My Life in a Year. It was a blog to book project that did change my life! The book was picked up by an Amazon top 100 book blogger, and fortunately, she loved it – her review helped it skyrocket up the best seller charts until it hit the number one spot in January 2015 in self-help and women’s biographies. It bounced around the top 10 for four years before my now publisher bought the rights and re-launched it under their imprint.

Once I’d published the first book the floodgates opened, and I went on to independently publish a further eight titles (non-fiction self-help and young adult fantasy fiction) before signing with a traditional publisher on a ten-book contract in 2017.

I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was eight years old, and that’s why I’m so passionate about writing and publishing. You could say I’ve got ink running through my veins rather than blood. However, you don’t have to be as crazy as me when it comes to rattling out the manuscripts.

That single book (How I Changed My Life in a Year) opened so many doors and business opportunities for me, and I started to believe that it was possible to write for a living, but what if writing isn’t your end goal. What if all you need is a boost to raise awareness of your business?  

Perhaps you’re a life coach, a florist, or a therapist? How can writing a book make a difference to you and your business?

Let me give you an example:

You’re a client looking for a life coach, and have received two recommendations:

• The first is a fully qualified lady, local to you, and reasonably priced.
• The second is another fully qualified lady, also local and reasonably priced, but this lady has published a book about coaching and spoken at events.

Who would you choose? Most of us will opt for lady number two because she automatically exudes influence.

Having a book in your portfolio helps to boost your profile. Customers attach authority to you and trust that you have a strong understanding of your topic of choice.

Create new business in a variety of ways:

1. You can use your book instead of a business card – publish the first three chapters as a smaller intro guide and give them out at networking events.
2. A potential client may read your website, see you’ve got a book and read that before deciding to work with you. You can use your words and language to create a relationship before they even set foot in your office or shop.

What does it take to write a book?

• Beginning – You need an idea, a roadmap (contents page), and you need to start writing
• Middle – Planning prevents the overwhelm and self-doubt creeping in
• End – You can’t edit a blank page

Ask yourself a few questions about your business and the potential book ideas available to you. Yes, everything has been written before, but not by you. You have the opportunity to share your expertise uniquely.

What could you write about?

• FAQs – what do your customers and clients always ask you?
• How-To Guide – Ideal for craft businesses or coaching workbooks.
• Case Studies – always ask permission from clients before using their stories, but potentially you could share hypothetical case studies to prove that your process/product works.
• Your Story – memoir is popular because we care about the face behind the brand. How did you get to where you are today? What is your personal story, and how can it help others?

Don’t think you have to write a 120,000-word epic. My earlier books were only 5,000 words and aimed at the ladies who came to the holistic spa I ran for seven years. I produced small handbag guides about meditation and vision boards which remain accessible to this day.

In the same way you write content for your website, you can expand on this and create a book, or a series of books, to position yourself as an expert in your field.

I’ve got some tips to share with you:

• Decide on an idea.
• Set a word count – divide that by the number of days you want to write. E.g., a 5000-word book in 6 months = 833 words a month = 208 words a week.
• Commit 100% to write your book.
• Finishing touches – editing, proof reading, cover design, formatting – can be done using your business network (graphic designer, proof reader, etc.).
• Publish.

Consider what you could write about to help your clients, raise awareness for your business, and position yourself as an authority in your niche.

If you would like to write a book, have an idea (or several), but would welcome additional help to get started then feel free to get in touch with me via email authorshelleywilson@gmail.com or the contact form on my website https://shelleywilsonwritingmentor.com/contact/

Who am I, and why am I in a position to help?

I’m a multi-genre author, writing mentor and book coach, a freelance writer, and a blogger. I write non-fiction self-help books as well as young adult paranormal fiction.

I’ve written fifteen books so far, twelve have been published, and three are still with my publisher awaiting release dates, and I’m currently working on another young adult series. When I’m not writing my own books, I’m helping my clients to write theirs.