Written by: Cori Wamsley, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
It seems like everyone who is famous, wants to be famous, runs a high-end company, or is looking for more time in the spotlight in general is writing a book.
Something I’ve discovered, though, is that a lot of people see that and think that they need to “just do it,” check the box, and get that book done because their coach told them to or because lots of people have mentioned that they “should” write a book.
And that’s not the best way to approach a project that will often take up a lot of time and should be an investment piece for your brand.
With the sheer volume of books being cranked out every year, it can almost feel like no matter what you write, it’s just going to be lost in the shuffle.
8 billion people are living in the world today
So one out of every 8,000 people each year publish a book. Which makes it seem a little less challenging to get noticed. Unless of course, you write a book that stands out.
In reality, a book is a tool for managing the conversation around your brand. And helping it stand out means that you need to look at it from a different perspective: you’re not checking the box; you’re being strategic with what goes inside.
Here’s how I like to think of a book. It helps you build—
Legacy
Authority
Connection
Experience
Or LACE. The “Experience” part is more what you bring to the book than what you’re building, but you get the picture.
When you are more purposeful in the construction of your book, you have the LACE component working for you, and that’s a big flex on those who practice haphazard pagecraft and don’t think it matters what they put out there because, “No one will read it anyway.”
And yes, I have heard that from business owners.
So here’s the big why for creating a book that builds legacy, authority, connection, and expertise: it’s a piece of the puzzle with your brand, not a stand-alone. It acts as an additional connection point, a know-like-trust factor that drives people back to you as the expert.
Your experiences are gold. They let people know that you understand them, which builds trust. But they have to be written in a way that actually connects. So instead of just listing the experiences, talk about them in your book. Get into storytelling mode so the reader gets it. Anyone can read a step-by-step blog post any day of the week. They pick up your book for something special: a relationship. Writers who care about their readers’ experience are leaps and bounds ahead of the writers who are just instructing.
When you connect with those readers, it naturally leads them down the path to the next thing… if they need it. First though, your book should be something that helps the reader get a small win. They should be able to gain something from the book. It’s not just a glorified sales page that the reader needs to get through to work with you. Remember, they paid for the book (or got it as a bonus with a conference seat, etc.), so there needs to be value.
Then, once your book gives value, you can move them along to the next piece.
So when you’re thinking about that book, there is a lot to think about up front, before you even get started writing so you can create something that creates a legacy, demonstrates authority in your niche, connects with the reader, and is built on your experience.
Here are some initial questions to consider:
Where are you meeting the reader in their journey? What are they dealing with right now that they need to overcome? When you were at that point in your journey, what did you most need to hear?
Who is that reader, and what do they need most right now? How can you reach out a hand to them (you know, in the text) to help them overcome? What are the feelings they have that you can connect with them on because you had them as well? How can you share hope?
What stories will connect best with them? What are some things that you went through that they are likely going through as well? You want them to see that you get them.
What do you need to get across about your brand? How can you control the conversation by explaining the why behind what you do? What emotions do you want to evoke?
What would the obvious next step be in the cycle after the book? Let’s say the reader needs more of you after the book: what next? Give them the obvious next step at the end. With that in mind, write the book in that direction.
Starting your book with the intention of creating a powerful piece for your brand that connects and shows off your expertise and does all the other wonderful things that a book does is the best way to actually make the time you spend on your book worthwhile.
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Cori Wamsley, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Cori Wamsley, CEO of Aurora Corialis Publishing, works with business owners who have a transformational story to share. She helps them quickly and easily write and publish a book for their brand that helps them create a legacy and be seen as an expert while building a relationship with the reader. Cori has 17 years of experience as a professional writer and editor, including 10 years with the Departments of Energy and Justice and 4 years as the executive editor of Inspiring Lives Magazine. She also wrote eight fiction books and one nonfiction book, The SPARK Method: How to Write a Book for Your Business Fast, and contributed to two anthologies. Her newest book, Braving the Shore, was released in June 2022.
