Authorship: Researching Your Topic

Authorship: Researching Your Topic and Determining Your Goal

Writing and publishing a book on your topic can grow your business in exciting, new ways. Some marketers, online entrepreneurs, and small business owners use books to grow their platforms, increase their income, and even develop a fan base. When it comes to authorship, researching your topic and determining your goal is crucial, before you ever write a word.

**Scroll to the bottom to download a checklist on How to Choose Your Book’s Category**

You can write and publish books to create an additional source of passive income in your business, too. Use these to boost your credibility and heighten your visibility, making it easy for you to become a sought-after speaker or well-paid consultant.

You might think that writing and publishing a book is a difficult process but it’s not. In fact, the journey to becoming a published author can be fun and enjoyable if you know what to do. Here’s how to get started…

Determine the Goal for Your Book

Before you write a single word or start researching your topic, take some time to consider what you want to accomplish with your book. This is the most important step you can do so you don’t want to skip it.

You may have one goal for your goal or you might have several goals for it. For example, my client Marcus wanted to use his book to establish himself as an expert in the home improvement niche. However, he also planned to use the book to create a passive income stream, too. This meant that when he chose his topic, he picked one that he could easily turn into a series of books over time.

One thing to keep in mind, when determining the overall goal of your book, is that it doesn’t have to be monetary. For example, you might plan to write a book and give it away for free. The reason some marketers do this is because they use the book as the first step of their funnel.

Once someone has downloaded the book, they are presented with an upsell. Usually, this upsell is a product or service with an excellent discount. If you have a large fan base or you have strong relationships with well-known affiliates, then you can still make hundreds or even thousands of dollars by offering the book for free.

Another reason you may want to publish a book could be to establish authority. That was what Daniel planned to. He was known in his field but he wanted to be thought of as an expert and to jump start his speaking career. He thought of his book as a “big business card.”

Once his book was for sale, he began networking with professional journalists and established bloggers. It wasn’t long before he was quoted as a source and began receiving regular invitations to speak at various industry events. Daniel was in the enviable position of having to pick and choose between speaking engagements due to time and travel logistics constraints.

As you consider your goals and determine how you’ll sell your book, don’t fly blind. Do the necessary research and due diligence to learn what others in your niche are doing. Do most of your competitors use their books as an introduction to their funnel? Are they cross-selling similar products like workbooks or journals to their audience? Knowing this information can help you shape your offer so that your community responds favorably to your book.

When you do find marketers who have built funnels around their books, take the time to sign up for them. Whether you can download them for free or you have to pay for them, it’s worth the investment. By being part of their funnel, you can see how they’re selling their book and using it to achieve their goals. And over time these are the people you may wish to joint venture with or become affiliates for as your business grows. With authorship, researching your topic and determining your goal is first and foremost.

Check out all of my titles here. I write on topics ranging from entrepreneurship to “inner game” thinking to time management.

Download a checklist on How to Choose Your Book’s Category here…

I’m author, publisher, and entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green and would love to connect with you. If you’re new to the world of online entrepreneurship please check out my training on how to sell yourself at Sell Yourself and Your Stuff and learn how to gain an unfair advantage when it comes to building a lucrative online business.