Write a book, rock your brand and build a business that you love
Congratulations, getting started on your book, brand and business project is a massive step. You will gain clarity of your processes, how you do things, your voice, brand and message.
Dale Darley
Do what you love, are good at, what the world needs and what you can get paid for and you will have a business that you love.
Having a vision, core message and mission will help to support the business plan.
Planning, especially creative planning is fun. When you can see the big picture transformed into tangible every day actions you will see your plan coming alive.
If you are going to write a book, know that it will change your life as you bring it to life. It is vital that you write the right book for your business and your life.
Your book and the process that you use to create it will help you to build your brand and have a business you love.
Book | Brand | Business Coach and Writer
My mission in life is to support my clients in finding their voice and sharing their inspirational message through books and other aligned products and services, rocking their brand and building a business they love.
Starting in the IT industry gave me a love of technology as an enabler. My career progressed through training, sales, marketing, consultancy and into coaching. Writing was a constant passion and seeing how books change lives is what drives me.
I live in the peace of the hills in Spain with my three rescue dogs who bring such joy to my life. In addition, I am a campaigner and supporter of natural healing for osteoporosis.
You must understand not just what your business is, but how it works, and how to leverage its people, resources, structures, and processes.
It matters because without this there is no vision or action.
Take some time to understand why your business exists, the environment you find yourself in, values, passions, purpose and vision. By doing so, you can apply your resources in such a way as to obtain the greatest benefits with the least effort.
One often quoted but still relevant example of a lever to success is the package delivery company Federal Express. The founder knew, without a doubt, that their key to success was to ‘absolutely positively’ deliver packages overnight.
He focused all of his efforts, drove the organisation’s material investments, shaped its culture and staffed the organisation with people dedicated to that vision.
He knew, without a doubt that customers would not be willing to pay three to 30 times the cost of alternate delivery methods that ‘sometimes’ or ‘most of the time’ get their package delivered.
What do you want to focus your efforts on that means you will absolutely positively deliver something that you are passionate about?
Find what you love and are good at, discover what the world needs and you can get paid for and live a fulfilled life.
Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can. Paul Tournier
In Jim Collins book Good to Great, he talks about the hedgehog. Which is finding what you are deeply passionate about, what you can be the best at in the world, and what drives your economic engine.
Where the three parts of the hedgehog intersect is your sweet spot, your one thing.
The book talks about the goal is not to be the best or to write a strategy, or have an intention or a plan, it's an understanding of what you actually can be the best at.
What can you be the best at?
Consider for a moment the brand and reputation you are building.
“Without passion that is connected to your values and vision, there is no purpose.”
Have you ever heard yourself saying ‘I would follow my passion if only I knew what it was?’ Thereby implying that you can only have one passion.
Consider for a moment the roles you have had, don’t think job titles or functions, think of the times you did ‘things’ that made you smile or your heart sing, where you added great value or left others with a fantastic experience of you.
These are your passions.
Passion interacts with all of these:-
“Begin with the end in mind.” Stephen Covey
A business can spend considerable time shaping the strategic intent based on their current mission (where they are) and future aspirational vision (where they want to be). Or at least they 'should'. Without a vision, there is no direction.
A vision is powerful when we live it, and there is congruence between what you believe in and what you actually do.
A vision can often creep from being something that is galvanising and motivational to an aspirational picture that is sketchy, and you have no idea of how to achieve it.
Through your vision, you create a set of goals and objectives. The challenge is to identify how to convert it into reality.
Where are you and where do you want to go?
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Why this is important: because unless your prospective customer/reader acknowledges that they have a need which is compelling them to solve, you have little opportunity to sell them anything.
Why this is important: because traditional segmentation isn’t enough. You need to develop a deep understanding of the common characteristics of your ideal customer/reader. When you are writing a book or selling a service, you are writing for and selling to ONE person. You will need to understand how to make an emotional connection with them.
Why this is important: people want to know something concrete about what they are going to get. Feeling better doesn’t wash. They want to solve a problem, and you will take them on a journey to help them.
Why this is important: when you understand how and why they choose to buy you can tailor your messages and processes to create an emotional connection that addresses their needs.
Why this is important: because unless you understand their catalysts for change, you are unlikely to be able to engage with them at the point of need. When looking at external environmental factors, the STEEPLE model offers an overview of various factors. It is an acronym for Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political, Legal and Ethical. You can get practical insight on each of these factors. When you keep an eye on these trends, you can stay ahead of the game.
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Why this is important: because if you have products and services that do not fit in any way your ideal customer/reader will be confused.
Why this is important: because your products and services solve a customer problem or satisfy a customer need. Each value proposition consists of a selected bundle of products and/or services that caters to the requirements of a specific ideal customer/reader segment.
Why this is important: because you need to find ways of standing out from the crowd - and of differentiating your approach from all the other options that are available to your ideal customer/reader.
Why this is important: your processes, products and services exist to create a solution to a customer/readers problem. When you can relate your solution to their problems, you are more likely to connect on an emotional level.
Why this is important: knowing what your competitors offer isn’t enough - you also need to understand all the other options available to your customer/reader. These include do nothing, do it themselves or choose something that addresses a different but related issue.
Why this is important: there’s no point in inventing a special niche that your customer/reader doesn’t understand or can’t relate to. You need to understand what they are thinking of when they go searching for solutions. Think keywords (short, medium and long tail).
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Why this is important: because you need to understand the most effective (both cost and strategic) ways of reaching your ideal customer/reader and converting them into clients and satisfying their needs profitably. This is very important because if you employ tactics that turn them off, you will never win. Remember to test and tweak, but never give up.
Why this is important: because you need to know what are the most important assets required to make your business model work.
Why this is important: because you need to know what things you need to do every day. Week. Month or year to ensure your success.
Why this is important: because you need to clearly understand the cost and effectiveness of every aspect of your sales and marketing mix. Are you spending money on things that do not add value? Is there a better way of doing something?
Why this is important: because you need to ensure that while you want to maximise lifetime customer revenue, you need to ensure that all of your eggs are not in one basket. Consider multiple sources of revenue. E.g. Coaching, group coaching, books, online courses, retreats, workshops etc.
Why this is important: because you need to know how to work the most effectively with your network of suppliers and partners. In addition, you need to understand their brand values and vision.
Why this is important: because you need to clearly identify how you will know things are working. There is far more to this than profit and loss and balance sheets. Make sure that you do not make this too complicated. Again, test and tweak.
What others say about branding
“Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called ‘You’.” Tom Peters Fast Company.com
What is a brand?
“Branding involves decisions that establish an identity for a product with the goal of distinguishing it from competitors’ offerings.” Kotler
A brand is, at its most fundamental, something which distinguishes a person, product, service or a business; it has an identity.
It is much more complex because it is a promise of an experience that is personal in nature depending upon the perspective of the person having the experience.
Because brands relate to our beliefs and our perception of value, they evoke a deeply emotional experience that can make or break a person, product/service or an business.
It is vital that any organisation understands their brand at all levels, across all stakeholders and that their brand values are clear and well communicated.
Brand is critical to all stakeholders and is the primary mechanism that builds the essential ingredient of trust.
Personal branding is similar in philosophy to business branding, except people's reputations are being managed, and you are trying to find ways to establish and demonstrate personal and leadership competitive advantage.
Everyone it seems wants to be remembered for something.
It would make sense if we were the ones in control of how we are perceived. This means being clear about what that means to us and why we would want a brand. It is also about how we can use it profitably and how the benefits translate not only for us personally but for our business and across the whole supply chain
What is branding?
Branding is all of these:-
Branding has personality; people are passionate about it, it has a purpose and it lives up to its promise. When you buy something they want to know what to expect from a YOU experience so that you can live up to your promises and stay profitable.
Think about all of these aspects and for each element describe what they mean to you:-
Write a book
Your books are your ONE that can be turned into many things
Use your content to drive your business
Your e-book, blog and book holds the gold to your coaching programs, programs, online courses, retreats and many other business opportunities.
You will have many ideas for books and each one can become a program, product or a service in its own right.
Your blog is a great place to build or repurpose content and create your brand.
An e-book will whet your potential clients appetite.
Your book will give you clarity of purpose, build your reputation and brand.
It will also enable you to create multiple programs that will help you to continue to delight your customers for a long time to come.
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These questions are designed for you to be able to check in with yourself so that you can be 100% sure that you want to write a book. Writing a book is a big undertaking and there could be more effective uses of your time. Time along with self-doubt are two of the things that restricts a lot of potential writers. Writer's block always about what lies beneath.
It is a lot to ask of yourself, but it is extremely rewarding. Writing a book sharing your words is a beautiful way to touch the hearts, minds and souls of others. If it is possible for you to evolve, it is possible for them. We live in a world where we need to know that there is hope. Your words, actions, and courage will inspire others.
We need to keep moving, to keep growing and to keep showing others that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Are you with me? Do you want to change someone’s world with your book?
Yes?
Then ask these questions and more, reflect and consider – what do I want to do next?
You will find your 50 questions on the blog
Being prepared is key to your success
What constitutes a writing tool? That depends on how you like to work. For me, these things would be key to my shopping list.
Where you work will affect your productivity
I write in many different places depending on what it is and how I am feeling. Today I am sat on a sofa in my downstairs lounge, sometimes I'll write in my office and at other times in bed or on the day bed near the terrace.
If you feel stuck in one place - go somewhere else. In the past, I have driven to the beach with a journal and pen and scribbled on a bench looking out on the early morning sea.
Writing a book is a big undertaking, so getting to understand your motivation to do this is paramount. It is never because someone told you that you should. You need to feel it in your heart and soul. Otherwise, you will waiver, and your monkey will get in the way.
To find out if writing a book is for you, try the 7 day plan your non-fiction book challenge
It's more than knowing why. But if you do not nail this, the rest will not follow.
Know what your BIG idea is (where reader, vision, content and strategy come together)
This is another big subject. Just because you are an XYZ coach, consultant, trainer, or a director does not mean that your book will be on what you are currently doing. Your book may be part of a plan to move into something else and therefore what is that and how will this book fit with that.
Some people write their first book to set their position as an expert. That is certainly what I did with Plan your non-fiction book in a weekend. Although it is not my first book, it is the book that I use for my book coaching business.
This book is a workbook and has no stories or case studies. I was very clear who my reader is, what my vision for this book is (online course, retreat, workshops, book coaching). The content is what I have been teaching for many years, and the strategy is that the book is the springboard for other products, services and to demonstrate my expertise.
In your next book, you will have a clearer idea of what you want it to achieve, and you will know where these four components come together. I call the intersection of these the heart spot. Get to know yours, and you won't go far wrong.
What is the vision for this book and your business?
Consider your book and business strategy - how do they fit?
What content will you put in this book? Think of the process and the outcome you want for your reade?
Who is your ideal reader? Why this reader? What do they get from reading this book?
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To find out if writing a book is for you, try the 7 day plan your non-fiction book challenge
Chunking everything down makes life so much easier. I have to work in chunks, and they have to be the chunks I feel like writing in that moment.
To get anything done, you need to know how you like to do things. You may have heard the phrase, how you do anything is how you do everything. I can remember sitting with a sheet of brown paper and colouring pens and asked my muse to help me to honestly guide me to how I did things.
I came up with a list of how I naturally work. Next to each step, I mapped out whether that was visual, kinesthetic, auditory, intuitive, etc. It was highly illuminating. After which I created a set of strategies which meant that I would get a plan completed.
Understanding how you like to plan is one of the keys to getting your book designed and written.
What kind of a writer are you?
When you know what kind of writer you are, you can create the right writing environment.
Start to think about what you need to make you a productive writer and put those things into place.
Consider what gets in the way and sort it out
Allied with above is knowing where and when you typically procrastinate. There will be a time, a moment when you will procrastinate, and it will be connected to an emotion. Get to know when you normally throw your toys out of the pram and you are half way there. Doing something about it by writing a procrastination busting action plan will help.
Your distractions could be your friends and family or your mindset. Whoever or whatever they are, have a chat and arrange some you time where you can get this book planned and written.
Ask what or who is standing in the way of you writing a book?
Yes, yes, yes. Look in the mirror and say hi 'author how are you doing today'.
A writer writes, and an author has had something published. It is that simple. You will be forward pacing yourself and see yourself as already published is incredibly powerful.
You could create a mock up book cover and frame it as well. That should stop that inner voice that says 'you are not a writer'. Of course, you are.
Don't wait for something to happen or when put pen to paper and know the words will flow. Remember your first draft gives you a foundation to work from. The magic always comes in the editing phase.
When you are writing a book, you are only ever writing for one person, and that is your ideal reader. Get this right, or as close as you can, and it makes it easier to write.
To find out if writing a book is for you, try the 7 day plan your non-fiction book challenge
What keeps them awake at night?
What questions does your book answer for them?
What will they get as a result of writing this book?
Consider:-
Draw a picture of them and frame that along with your book cover. You can get a cover made on Canva or Fiverr
Every book takes the reader on a journey. I've got some of my best learnings from Chicklit. They are easy to read, and the protagonist's journey always has a message for me. Likewise, I have read some great non-fiction books that have enabled me to gain perspective on things. Others that are very factual. All of them have given me a result.
When you outline your book, decide what the journey and outcome are before you start to write. It will make your book so much easier to pen.
CHAPTER 2
Write your book
Write, write and write some more
“If a nation loses its storytellers, it loses its childhood.” Peter Handke
Identifying the right story can be tricky. You are writing a book that shares your knowledge skills and experience, but more than that you are writing a book for your soul. A book which will touch others, souls.
You may feel uncomfortable sharing your stories, however, we have our experiences for a reason. Our crap lives are our gifts. As you write your stories you will heal just a little bit more. You will gain clarity of your purpose and as you touch others lives they will too.
Your book and stories will help you to boost your brand and you can build your business with them.
If you are writing a book that you want to base a business on, ask how long will be it relevant?
My osteoporosis story is something I am passionate about and enables me to support others, to campaign for awareness of natural treatments and to teach others how to write a book like this.
This story takes the reader through discovery, finding the root cause and creating a healing plan.
Find the right story or stories that emotionally connect you to your reader and your words will change lives.
Get the content outlines right and writing will be so much easier
Another area I could go on about for what seems like forever. Never start a book without an outline. This is your books roadmap. Always start a book with the vision in place. I've tried pantsing a book only to find after 21,000 words I was lost. Ok, it is a more creative book, but none the less I learned
that I have to have an outline and I find that many people who come to me who are in a mess, need to get to grips with theirs. If you are writing a memoir and telling a story, structure it like a novel, and you will find it easier.
I have a proven process that I use for my clients, which is tailored to suit them and their learning style. You must find a way to create an outline that works for you. Start with a working title for the book and each chapter as that will make it easier as well.
The chapter framework is an extension of your outline and as such provides your reader with a way to navigate your chapters. When you arrange things in the same way, it makes it easier for the reader to navigate. Again having a framework in place makes it easier to write. We are back to our chunking concept.
Once you have your framework in place, it is time to do a test write. This will a) let you know if the structure works and b) what your writing voice is like.
You could before you start your book journal or do some other creative writing to flex your writing muscles. Try these:-
When you have written two test chapters, you will know what the structure will be and you will get a good idea of your voice.
Writing is a muscle the more you use it, the better you will become. When you are in the first draft mode, it is more of an unconscious download. The key is to keep writing and not falling prey to the wicked witch of perfection and editing. I have terrible trouble with this. I like my interior laid out, and I have a habit of going back to edit. I say to myself 'just this little bit.'
My way...
I want new fresh and exciting, and I like to jump around my projects. It works for me. I like to start at the beginning and rough things out. If something takes me to write that. I like to write a rough first draft and then reflect before coming back and tackling the big edit.
You must take time out to allow your brain to process. By stopping you are making space for good stuff to come in. After a mega brain dump, it is good to walk away, in fact going for a walk is very beneficial.
All products and services need to be integrated into your overall marketing plan and have a strategy of their own which dovetails this. Start marketing in your reflection period, so that you can build up a following and are preparing your readers. Create
CHAPTER 3
Editing your book
Learn to love editing
Like the outlining process, I have a method for editing which works for me. I do a read through with no judgement, reflect and then read through with coloured pens. After that, I edit on screen. I will get to a point when I cannot edit the text anymore and need to look at the more mundane things like full stops and commas. All of the practical must checks are in my editing plan. Also, I use Grammarly with is a fabulous tool for not only checking your content but making you stop to read and edit differently.
In no time at all, you will have had a gutsful of editing and feel that it is beautiful and ready to go. Oh no, it's not. We, writers, get word blindness and when you get to what I call your final manuscript, it's time to send it to the proofreader.
Depending on how well it has been written and how many pages will depend on how long your proofreader will take. Give him/her time to do a good job. My proofreader has permission to question everything, allow yours to com
CHAPTER 3
Get it ready to sell
Optimise your book
Before you run off to find the best designer for you, understand what you like and don't like by doing some research. Also look at recently published traditional titles as these will tell you what is trending. And if you fancy a browse in your local book store you will certainly get a feel for what is popular and why.
When you have researched your cover idea, scribble out some ideas for yourself, find images you like, write up your specification and chat to your book cover designer.
Have a brilliant title and subtitle
Remember to think about how people search for things on the internet or on Amazon. We are simple souls and will use simple search terms. Use the Google Adwords tool and see what comes up. It is pointless giving your book a whacky title if no-one searches for it. When you are super famous then you can.
If for example, you were writing a book on dieting, you might expect to use words like diet, dieting, GI index, lose weight, etc. Make a list of all of the keywords that you might use to search for a book that is similar to yours.
Once you have your keywords, head over to Amazon http://amazon.com and http://amazon.co.uk and start researching titles, authors and books. Try randomly typing vaguely associated search terms into Amazon and see what comes up.
Many authors take advantage of the subtitle to explain what to expect from the book. For example, you may have a title like Flourish and a subtitle like ten easy steps to feeling great during the menopause (ok I made it up, but you get the point).
Back blurbs and forewords
The blurb is the written sales pitch on the back of your book, usually called the back blurb. It provides your potential reader with an insight into your book. The book blurb should arouse curiosity, rather than provide answers. You are looking to draw your reader to “Look Inside”, browse through the first few pages and make a purchase.
The foreword adds credibility to your book. Be brave and ask some you think would add weight to your book to do this. You may need to write a sample for them to endorse. Do whatever it takes to make it easy for them to say yes.
Beta readers and testimonials
Like the cover design spec, it's a great idea to set your expectations for your beta readers. Choose people who you know will read your book and give you a good critique. These can then be the first people you ask for a testimonial.
I don't know about you, but I always read testimonials. These give me some guidance about the book and if there are enough of them which instill confidence in me then I will make a purchase.
You could give your book away in return for testimonials. When I am given a product to try I will say that in the review.
CHAPTER 3
Publish
Choose your publishing route
Publish your book
It sounds very glib to just say publish. You will need to know if you want to self-publish, use a hybrid publisher or go all out for a traditional publisher. Please ensure you research which option suits you, your aspirations and your budget.
Today no matter which option you choose you will have to do some marketing. So make sure you have your marketing plan mapped out.
CHAPTER 3
Marketing
Craft your brilliant marketing plan
Promoting your book
From your brainstorm create a tactical outline plan.
What could you include?
You could elicit interviews with various online platforms. After researching which blogs would be a good fit, these will be approached to host a book blog as part of a virtual tour.
What about approaching a bookstore or a venue which works well for your kind of book. Check out networking groups and do a tour with these as well as finding suitable speaker opportunities.
Many people love challenges, and these can be tied to specific events.
Contests with copies of the book and complimentary sessions with you could be run in the lead up to another activity such as a challenge.
A carefully selected list of people can be approached to review with the aim of getting testimonials.
Consider a launch promotion, followed by regular promotions. As the book will most likely contain links to resources, it will build a list of ‘followers’ who can be marketed to for any subsequent online program and books.
CHAPTER 3
Optimising your idea
Beyond the book
What else can you create from your book
Your book is never just a book, it is the gateway to many other products and services. I like to think of writing a book as a way to create clarity around a process or a set of ideas. When you have the clarity you can build on it.
Let’s imagine that your book is written or at least outlined. What can you create from that?
Once you have an outline you have the outline (pretty much) for an online course. With a course you can present your ideas in a different way. Take a look at your outline and ask how can I present each of my ideas in a different way. For example, you might not tell your personal story in a course, but you could turn what you did into a series of activities using talking head videos, screen casts, pod casts, and worksheets.
Never just present your ideas in one way as your reader will have different learning styles and will want to learn in a way that suits them. Link your lectures to the content in you book, so that your student can be guided to buy your book and your reader can be guided to enrol on your course.
When I talk about webinars I am talking about value driven training sessions. If you are anything like me you will switch off after 37 minutes of the presenter talking about how awesome they are.
Consider how you could use your outline and turn that into a series of webinars, which lead your reader into buying your book and your course.
Find out if a book is really for you with the