Many savvy business owners know that, when it comes to growing a business, a book can be the ultimate marketing tool. But even if you’re just getting started, writing a book on a topic related to your business establishes expertise, expands your marketing influence, and generates new leads—all while bringing in a little extra income from book sales.

However, you can’t just write ANY book. You need to strategically design your book to attract the right kind of leads and clients to your business. Where should you start? Consider the following three steps.

1. Fill a Need in Your Market
If you want to write a business book, then the first step is to figure out what need you will fill. Like all products that are invented to satisfy some useful purpose, your book should offer a new process or solve a problem in your readers’ lives. So think about it: what does your market need and want? What solutions can you offer them? What can you show them that will make their lives easier? Figure this out, and you’ve got the foundation for a successful business book.

2. Develop Your Process
Once you know what solution you will offer your book’s readers, you need to distill that down into steps or a process that they can apply on their own. Although you may not realize it, you probably use the same process, or explain the same concepts, with all your clients. To get this process down on paper so readers can use it, start by listing all the steps. What do your readers need to know (or do) first? What step comes next? What actions will take them from the place they are now to the place where they need to be? Each of these main steps should have sub-steps, which can then be grouped together into chapters. By putting all these pieces together, your book’s structure should start to develop.

3. Sell the Benefits
With your steps in place, you need to look for the big-picture benefits this process helps your target market achieve. What goal will your readers reach if they implement the strategies provided in your book? How will their lives ultimately improve? What deep human need does your book help fill? The answers to these questions are the benefits. These are the things people want that you can provide. And these benefits are what will sell your book. Keep this in mind as you’re writing your book, and your readers will find it irresistible.

Business by the Book
Writing a book is an excellent way to expand your influence, create new leads, and generate new income in your business. And writing the perfect book for your market starts with identifying a need, developing your process, and then communicating the benefits of your solutions. When you use these three steps for designing your book as the ultimate marketing tool, your market will hear your message loud and clear—and they’ll only want to work with you!

Comments? Questions? What did you include in your book that brought in new clients and leads?

Want a creative and inexpensive way to get a lot of eyes on your book? Try an online event. In this week’s guest post, branding expert Lisa Orell shares advice for arranging a successful virtual book tour.

Book authors are on a never-ending quest to promote their books and sell their books. Yet, unfortunately, many of them struggle with this. I know this first hand because a lot of my clients are authors and come to me for help with their book marketing. Plus, I’m the author of three books and know what it takes to get book sales going.

One effective book marketing strategy that most authors do not use is conducting a Virtual Book Tour; using blogs as the vehicle. There are many ways to conduct one, so this article will give you some general guidelines to follow and you can adjust, alter and brainstorm additional ideas for your own tour.

And the great thing about Virtual Book Tours is that it doesn’t matter if your book is new or not! There are many authors who have books that are several years old and their Virtual Book Tour brings their book back-to-life, generates interest for the book amongst people who didn’t know about it when it first came out, and ramps sales for it again. So don’t think this strategy is just for NEW books!

Here are the steps you can follow to get your Virtual Book Tour organized:

1.) Establish a timeframe for your tour. This can range from one week to one month. And you’ll want to start organizing it 1-2 months ahead of time for effective planning.

2.) Find blogs that reach the audience you want to target for your book, and contact the owners of those blogs. This can range anywhere from 10 to a million blogs! How many blogs involved on your tour just depends on the time you have to do this outreach and how many blogs are the right fit for your book’s topic.

3.) Tell each blogger the tour’s timeframe and what your expectations are when they participate in the tour. This may include: During the tour, they need to write a review of your book that includes the book’s cover linked to your Amazon page or wherever your book is sold; and you’ll provide them with 1-3 articles that pertain to your book’s topic that they will run during the tour as “guest blog posts” (from you) on their blog. And in the articles you provide them, they’ll include your short bio, pic of your book (or of you), and link to your website. You’ll provide EACH of the blogs that participate the same articles and each of them can run the articles in any order they want during the tour.

4.) Send each participating blogger an organized “kit” for the tour (via email). This should include: General tour info (restate expectations, tour timeframe, roll-out schedule, etc.); file of your book cover; file of your headshot; and the articles you wrote for them to use as “guest posts” (as Word docs with links embedded to your website, Amazon page, etc.). Don’t rely on the bloggers to find the correct links to YOUR stuff!

5.) Mail each blogger a copy of your book. Obviously you need to do this so they can read it BEFORE the book tour launches. And, no, don’t ask them buy it! Mail them a free copy!

6.) Offer several copies of your book to each blogger who participates to use as a giveaway item for a contest they can create (or use it as a free gift for something the blogger wants to promote). You may not want to do this with every blogger who participates (if you have TONS of blogs on the tour), but you’ll want to offer it to the ones who have a lot of traffic. This is a good strategy because aside from them writing a review for your book and running the articles you provide to them during the tour, they can create a contest (or promotion) “around your book” which will be additional exposure for your book.

7.) Thank and mention the blogs who participate on YOUR blog throughout the tour, tweet the links to the blog posts they do about (and from) you, mention them on your Facebook Fan Page, etc. Doing all of this is critical because you are giving the participating blogs exposure to YOUR social networks, and that’s good business. The bloggers who participate on your tour are doing YOU a favor so giving them some “link love” and exposure is only right.

8.) Consider sending each blogger who participated in your tour a Thank You gift when it’s over. Again, show them gratitude for their time, effort and help in promoting YOUR book!

Okay! That’s a general overview of how to do a Virtual Book Tour. Yes, I could go on and on with more ideas for conducting a successful tour, and ways to make it more elaborate (but that can get costly), but this gives you a good starting point. The “basic” approach I provided can get you great results as long as you PLAN ahead of time and connect with enthusiastic bloggers who are excited to participate in your Virtual Book Tour. Good luck!

About the Author:

Lisa Orrell, The Promote U Guru, is an in-demand Branding & Marketing Expert and Certified Success Coach with over 20-years of experience. And, for select clients, she also acts as their Publicist. Lisa works with small business owners, solopreneurs, industry experts, speakers and authors. She helps her clients with their Branding & Positioning, Marketing, PR, Book Marketing, Social Media and Sales strategies. Plus, she herself is the author of 3 books and a professional speaker, and has been interviewed by countless media, including: NY Times, Wall Street Journal, Cosmo, WomenEntrepreneur.com, BNET.com, ABC, MSNBC and NPR.

For more info about Lisa’s background and services, and to sign-up for her free monthly Promote U Guru Tips (you’ll receive her FREE e-guide: “How to Write a Killer Press Release & Distribute It for Mass Coverage”!), visit: http://www.PromoteUGuru.com.

After writing a book, a writer’s greatest challenge is giving their reader a reason to read what they’ve written. As writers, we’re communicators. We have a message to share, so whether we think about it during the writing process or not, getting them to read is what writing for publication is all about.

This is a great challenge because readers are busy—we all are. And with so many options for how we spend our time, like other books, television, magazines, web sites, hobbies, families, etc., your book has to be pretty compelling if you want it to be read.

That means your book needs a great topic and great writing to make it successful. The quality of writing is important because people who take time to read books do so because they love reading. Think about it: if a person doesn’t like reading, no matter how much a book’s topic is of interest to them, they don’t have to read it. So why would you slack on the writing quality when that only gives a reader one more reason not to read your book?

Now, having your book read is important because if no one reads it, no one will talk about it or review it or buy it. Your book has to be read, and so you must give your ideal readers a reason to stay with you and finish it.

So how do you do that? Well, a lot goes into it—after all, I did say it is the writer’s greatest challenge. But you must start by knowing who your readers are and what they’re struggling with, particularly for self-help and how-to nonfiction. What problem can you solve for them? What keeps them up at night? Why? And most importantly, how will solving this problem change their life for the better?

Writing a book is about sharing a new solution. So it really helps if you have to have a deep and intimate understanding of the problem, whether through personal experience, professional experience, or research. If you haven’t experienced the problem yourself, then you should talk to people who have to see what it was like for them, how it affected their everyday life. Understanding this will help you connect with your readers and solve their problems in a meaningful way.

You have to write your book in a voice that appeals to your readers—a voice that both entertains and informs. Think about it like this: you are the narrator, or voice over, of your information. And you have an audience—your reader. Even though you can’t see them, you have to remember they’re there.

So you can’t always say whatever you want however you want. You have to be conscious of your tone and approach. If your readers don’t like you or if you offend them in some way, they aren’t going to read your book. And you have to give your best ideas, information, and strategies to them on every page so they’ll only want more.

Now back to the original question: why would someone want to read your book? While I can guide you through important choices about your material, that’s a question only you can answer. Taking the time to answer it, though, will make your book successful.

About the Author: Melinda Copp helps aspiring nonfiction authors write books their readers will love. Get a copy of her FREE “Jump Start Your Book E-course!” by signing up here: www.FINALLYWriteaBook.com.

I’m often asked about the name of my business. What does it mean? And what is a “sherpa,” anyway? So, here goes…

I fell into business ownership, rather than set out for it, which is something I think happens to many freelance writers. I didn’t do a business or marketing plan or any other kind of getting-started stuff that business-minded folks do. I just hung out my shingle and started winging it. So, my business never had a name.

Three years ago or so, I wanted to start taking it more seriously and needed a name–an identity. At the time, I was focusing most heavily on ghostwriting (rather than editing or copywriting). Ghostwriting is a collaborative effort that takes both parties (me and my client) through a monumental and arduous process of writing a book. It’s kind of like climbing a mountain, right? Even if it’s your job, you remember each trip and the things you learn along the way. Plus, I wanted a business identity that would stand out against all the other ghostwriters.

A sherpa is, literally, a person from a mountainous region in Nepal who is employed as a mountain guide. They know the mountains, make decisions about how to proceed, and carry much of the heavy equipment. When I chose this as my business name, I was hoping to conjure the image of an experienced and supportive professional who helped aspiring authors achieve the milestone goal of getting their book done. As a ghostwriter, it felt right because the ghostwriter has to do all the heavy lifting (the writing work).

Now that I focus just as much on teaching people how to write a book, the sherpa image of an experienced guide works even better. My programs are the path that will lead my clients to success.

Cool, eh? Well, at least I thought so.

If you’re working on a book, make sure you get a free copy of my “Jump Start Your Book E-course!”

We all have things we’re great at. I have clients who are good at coaching other people to find their passion; building and running successful businesses; helping people lose weight; and motivating others to change their lives. This is what I call their “brilliance work”–the stuff they were born to do.

However, to do their brilliance work in a way that benefits the most people, they have a list of other things they have to do, but probably aren’t so good at.

For example, I’m a good writer and I’m good at teaching other people to write. To do that, though, I have to run a business, keep financial records, update my web site, and market my programs and services (this was the toughest one for me!). I can’t just write and teach all day because I wouldn’t have anyone to teach if I weren’t marketing. I am not a natural marketer, but I know it’s absolutely critical to my success, and so therefore I have invested a lot of money over the years in training and programs to help me market my business.

I COULD have tried to figure it all out on my own, but that would be hard and not fun. And it would take away too much time from the things I LOVE to do. I am not ashamed to say I chose the easy way–I chose to leverage other people’s knowledge and brilliance about marketing to save time, avoid effort, save money, and make myself more successful.

You see, there is a hard way and an easy to do everything. You can try to figure it all out on your own (the hard way); or you can skip the hurdles and follow a system that works–this the fastest path to success.

That’s why the most common and critical mistake I see aspiring authors make when writing a book is this:

Trying to figure it all out on their own!

When I’m talking to people about their books, they get so bogged down in figuring out how to organize all their ideas, how to make it all fit, how to make the book a great read, how to incorporate their personal story, and on and on. They’re smart, right? They should be able to figure it out. And then they beat themselves up and don’t finish the book because they get stuck in the figuring out and never move on to the writing.

They ARE smart–they wouldn’t build a house without a blueprint; they wouldn’t climb a mountain without a map; and they wouldn’t take medication without reading the instructions on the bottle. Why should writing a book–something that’s often critical to their success–be any different?

Attempting to figure your book out on your own only puts your most important goals on hold–it holds back your success! There’s nothing smart about that.

Now, there is a step-by-step process you can follow that will give you the confidence and clarity you need to open your creative flow and write freely and easily. Start by signing up for my “Jump Start Your Book E-course.” It’s FREE, and will guide you through creating a solid foundation for your book.

The e-course will also introduce you to my Summit Book Writing System, which gives you everything you need to plan, write, and finish, not just any book, your BEST book, so you can start leveraging it to establish expertise, get more media attention, attract more ideal clients, and share your story with the world.

And most importantly, the whole book-writing process works with your goals, your unique personality, and your voice, so your book becomes an extension of YOU–representing you in the world, working for your business, and attracting all the right opportunities and readers to YOU!

Just imagine, you could be unstuck and your best book could be well on its way to completion. No more frustration, guessing, or figuring needed! How cool is that?

Stop wasting time and click here to get your copy of the FREE Jump Start Your Book E-course.

…literally rips my pages apart!

Happy Friday, all!

In my last post, I wrote about that gnawing feeling that something is missing from your book manuscript. I also promised to continue that conversation with some tips about how to figure it out.

Well, I went a little overboard–in a good way, I think–and wrote a whole report on the seven most critical pieces that many aspiring nonfiction authors miss when writing a book.

It’s free, so please enjoy, and please share it with anyone and everyone you think it might help!

Get your copy of this special report, hot off the press, here: The 7 Most Critical Mistakes Aspiring Authors Make When Writing a Book.

Enjoy!

Over the past week or so, I’ve been editing a chapter of my book-in-progress. I completed the first draft a long time ago–a year or better–then I set it aside for a while.  I knew the chapter was missing something, but I wasn’t sure what. I had other chapters to draft, and I wasn’t sure what to do with it next. Anyways, now I need to polish it up and get it ready for publication.

So last week I pulled the story out and started reading it. Yep, I thought when I’d finished, it’s still missing something. But what?

Have you ever read something you’ve written–a chapter of your book, or maybe even the whole manuscript–and known it wasn’t quite right? Something seems to be missing but you can’t put your finger on what exactly it is. Many times, as was the case with my chapter, a piece of writing is missing several things. This happens to every writer at some point, and in a way, it’s a good sign–not so much that your writing is missing something, but the fact that you recognize it.

I, for one, am thankful that I recognized something was missing from my chapter. Why? That means–after all the years I’ve studied writing–I am good enough to at least know something isn’t right. I didn’t read my crappy draft and think, “Okay, good enough.” I realized the chapter wasn’t ready and I care enough about my work to want to fix it. Then it was just a matter of figuring out what was missing.

Part of being a writer is figuring out what’s missing from our manuscripts. Figuring out what’s not working and then figuring out how to fix the problems to make them right. This also means we have to acquire the knowledge and understanding required to recognize problems in the first place. We don’t know what we don’t know, right?

So how do we learn to recognize the faults in our own writing? And what if we don’t know what to look for?

In a few days, I’ll continue this discussion with a few tips. In the meantime, please share your thoughts in a comment!

Want to write more this year? In this week’s guest post, Meggin McIntosh, the Ph.D. of Productivity, offers a few of her favorite writing strategies.

Writers love to have techniques that will support their writing. What are your favorite ones? Here are seven of mine.

1. Read about writing. Many writers write eloquently and inspiringly about writing. Runners read about running. Gardeners read about gardening. Teachers read about teaching. Why shouldn’t you read about writing?

2. Put yourself in the most positive space possible. This entails both a positive mental space and a positive physical space. You know what those spaces look and feel like. Get thee to those places and write.

3. Take classes about writing. Regardless of how much you’ve written or how successful you have been in your writing career, you don’t know everything there is to know about writing. Real writers know this. Take a class and learn more.

4. Have a log that is just for you. You can record how many words you’ve written each day, how many consecutive days you’ve written without fail, what your current writing passions are, what your next project will be, what you’ve learned each time you write, new words you’ve learned or what to try out in your writing…there is no limit to the possibilities. If you’re part of a writing group, you might share your log with others, but if it’s just for you, review it periodically and see what your growth has been and what your future holds. Mine your log for gems.

5. Teach others about writing. Since no one learns more than the teacher, if you have something you really want to learn about, teach someone else about it. I’m sure you can find willing students. Nearly everyone wants to know more about writing.

6. Keep a list of writing projects that are waiting in the wings. Just sit down and generate all the topics that you would love to write about – and all the formats you would love to write in. Keep this list somewhere that it is easy for you to access and add to. Having a scrumptious master list like this allows you always to have some project to work on – no matter what mood or frame of mind you’re in.

7. Start a folder system for your writing projects. Whenever you get started on an article, book, chapter, series, information product, or any other format, create a physical and digital folder where you keep ideas, quotes, citations, related pieces, and so forth. Having all of this information handy when you get ready to work on this project will allow you to delve in and write instead of roaming around looking for information.

At the beginning of the article, I asked you what your favorite technique was – and I hope you’ll let me know because

Hey, we’re all in this together, right? And if you would like to join me for inspiration, direction, and structure for your writing, be part of the upcoming tele-workshop & coaching event, “30 Articles in Just 30 Days.” Here’s where you can learn all the scoop:

** http://30articlesinjust30days.com/

You will see what others who have participated in previous events have to say. Check it out!

About the Author:

(c) 2009 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., “The Ph.D. of Productivity”(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh works with bright people who want to be more productive so that they can consistently keep their emphasis on excellence. She also publishes Top Ten Productivity Tips for Writers.

Most people I meet don’t know very much about ghostwriting. They have some idea of what it is, and often think it’s completely unfair for one person to write a book while another takes the credit. Kind of like plagiarism or cheating on a paper. I even had a woman at a dinner party give me a hard time about how foolish it was of me to sell my art and voice in such a way. (I thought her stance was ironic because she was a graphic designer, but I just smiled and nodded and got away from her as fast as I could.)

Writers, especially, seem to tangle with the idea of writing something and then letting someone else get the credit. And readers often think less of an author when they’ve used a ghostwriter to do the writing (which is foolish, as far as I’m concerned, but that’s a topic for another post). It’s an odd–and at times polarizing–niche of writing, for sure.

In fact, I didn’t even really know what a ghostwriter was until I became one. My first “real” job out of college was working as a ghostwriter’s editorial assistant. I was like the ghostwriter’s ghost, which must be the lowest gal on the totem pole because I didn’t even get thanked by the clients. Though my boss, I’m pretty sure, loved me.

But that’s where I learned all the ropes of writing in someone else’s voice—working closely with someone who’d been doing it for a long time. And on my first day as her assistant, my boss asked me if I was okay, as a writer, with letting someone else take the credit, I said, “Sure, no problem.”

Why was I okay with it then? Probably because she gave me a job, and jobs were in short supply then too. Today, I’m still okay with it because the projects I work on are my clients’, not mine. They’re the ones who are passionate about the topics and who’ve done all the research and who have the experience to author the books. Not me so much–but I know how to write about it better than they can.

Everyone needs a day job, right? At least until I achieve literary stardom. But there’s more in it for me than a check. I get to learn about new topics, practice writing in the long form, and help others bring their dreams to fruition. So I’m not compelled to put my name on the books either, either.

All those things make me a happy ghostwriter. And when I’m old and gray, I want to look back on my career and know that I’ve put my name on MY books—the one’s I’m passionate about and come from my experiences.

What do you think? As a writer, would you be okay with not getting credit for writing a book?