25 for 25: Unleashing your book's full power
Every book has different aims and outcomes—and some of those outcomes can be transformative.
This essay is part of my 25 for 25 book writing series. The lessons in this series are meant to simplify the book writing and production journey. You can find a guide with links to the entire series here.
Every book has different aims and outcomes—and some of those outcomes can be transformative. Maybe you want to document your family’s history or build your legacy. Maybe you just want to say that you could write a book.
Whatever the reason, it’s good to know the full stakes and opportunities.
The truth is …
… You probably won’t make money on your book itself. Most books don’t sell more than a few hundred copies. And only about 4% sell more than a thousand copies.
I’m not stating that to discourage you, but to enlighten you. If you base your book’s success only on books sold, and book sales are the be-all, end-all, you could be frustrated if not enough people buy the book.
Which is why you should consider secondary outcomes.
By building an underlying sales funnel and connecting it to your book, you could generate five- and six-figure revenue from a single book sale by offering coaching or consulting services, or a retreat.
One of my clients who offers high-value services had a reader sign up to work with him, and the customer paid tens of thousands of dollars. This author turned one book into real money.
If you sell 50 copies of the book and make $9 in royalties for each book sold, that’s $450.
If you sell 50 copies of the book and five of those purchasers enroll in your $10,000 coaching service, you’ve turned 50 book sales into $50,000.
And $50,000 is a lot more lucrative than $450.
Book mindset
Instead of focusing on book sales, think of the doors your book opens. Maybe you get better speaker rates. Maybe you generate stronger media interviews. Maybe you grow your business or attract higher-tier clients.
A CEO’s book could attract interest in their company, which could fuel business growth. Or an emerging thought leader’s book could drive better speaker fees.
In order to capitalize, you need to align your book with your larger aims.
You need to have the pieces aligned and in place in order to unleash your book’s full power.
This is all about choosing your adventure.
Choosing your outcomes.
Seeking opportunity and securing it for yourself.
Watch this!
I cover book mindset and thinking beyond book sales in this video.