Why you should write a book

This why you should write a book post is like a follow-up post to the 5 lessons I learned from writing a book post. There are so many people out there who want to write a book some day. Sadly very few follow through with their aspirations to have their book published. The main reason why not many people meet their dream of writing a book is because they get overwhelmed by the thought of it.

I felt this way when I started writing my first book. But my motives were simple: I wanted to write a book that will help people. Making money from book sales was never the primary goal. I just wanted to help and impact people. I also wanted the credibility I knew the book would give me, so I went for it, and How to Cash In as a Blogger was born.

 

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But as good as my intentions were there were moments when I got frustrated along the way. Thankfully these moments didn’t stop me. I kept writing my book.  Little did I know that my perseverance will open doors to opportunities for me in the future. So, if you are thinking of writing a book or if you started and gave up along the way, here are some reasons why you should keep going and write a book.

 

It will increase your business and personal credibility

When you write and publish your book, it gives you a lot of credibility as an expert in your niche. It is well-known that writing a book takes a lot of time and work. People also believe that only those who know a lot about their niche are the only ones who are able to write books. This makes people trust you and your business even if they haven’t read your book before.

 

Writing a book elevates you to expert status

While I was writing my book, I was writing a lot about my experiences on the topic. Writing my book gave me the opportunity to share my knowledge with others.

There is this belief that authors are experts as it is only those who know their craft that are able to pass down knowledge and expertise. This is really good as it increases the trust people have in you. People will start looking out for you as someone who knows a lot in your field.

 

Brings you consulting opportunities

Since being an author requires you to share your knowledge and expertise by writing your book, more people tend to reach out to you for consultation. Your book let’s people know that you are a go-to resource. This makes them see you as someone who is in a better position to advice them anytime they are faced with a problem that is within your niche.

 

Creates opportunities for speaking engagements

Writing a book could create opportunities for speaking engagements, if you are interested in that sort of attention. Your new status as an authority figure can bring you the attention you need to land speaking gigs.

 

Helps you sell your other products and services

A good number of people say that selling books is not a profitable venture. The truth is that the real value is not really in how many books you sell, but in how your book markets your other products and services. Those who read your book get to know what business you’re into and consequently would be more willing to buy from you. Your book acts as an avenue to showcase your other work and draw in patronage.

 

These are just a few reasons why you should write a book. Have you written a book? If yes, please share the title in the comments section.

 

 

5 Lessons I Learned from Writing a Book

My book – How to Cash In as a Blogger was written over a year ago. It was released February 2016 on Amazon and my second book is still under construction. The second book would be on an entirely different topic, so watch this space. It promises to be good!

So what did I learn from writing a book? I learned a lot. It could take me a day and a half to write all I learned from writing a book on here, so I will summarise the main lessons, and try to keep it as brief as possible.

 

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Lesson 1 – Writing an eBook was the smart way to go

I released only an e version of my book. There are no paperbacks and this was deliberate. I only read ebooks on my Amazon Kindle. I have not bought a paperback in years because I don’t have the space for them. I love reading. I read about 2 books a week easily. So imagine if they were all paperbacks? We won’t have a place to sit!

I also didn’t want to put myself under pressure to sell! Having the paperbacks would have been an issue if I couldn’t sell them quick. I was not prepared for that added pressure  So you won’t be reading a paperback version of How to Cash In as a Blogger or any of my future books anytime soon.

 

Lesson 2 – Self-promotion is the only way up

This kind of took me by surprise. I thought all I had to do was to write a book worth reading and the buyers would come. I was so wrong. Self-promotion is the only way up! I am still working on this. I am very good at promoting blog posts and all, but I struggled to promote my book as much as I should for reasons I am not aware of. It just didn’t come natural to me.

Maybe because it is my first product. I guess I would have to wait to see if self-promoting my second book would be easier. Regardless of how hard I find the whole promotion process, it has to be done. So be ready to self-promote like crazy if you want to write a book.

 

Lesson 3 – Be ready for the attention

Writing a book brought myself and Fashion and Style Police a lot of attention. So it was a good thing I was ready for it. I expected some attention but as much as I got, especially in the early days. This attention can be a blessing and a curse at the same time, depending on your circumstances and how long you look at it.

The best way to handle this new found fame is to make sure your social media accounts and blog are looking the part. Also, remember to make the most of the attention.

 

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Lesson 4 – I can’t live on the sales of 1 book

This was never my intention but it is good I have experienced this first hand so I know. My book sales are less than 10% of my yearly income, so surviving on the sales would be impossible. I plan to write more books in future, and I don’t plan on surviving on the sales I make from those either, although it would be amazing if I could. Having said that, I have collaborated with many brands, in various ways because of my book. So I am living on some collaborations thanks to writing a book, if that makes sense.

 

Lesson 5 – The reviews or lack of them

Before I though of writing a book, I didn’t think about how many authors struggle to get their book buyers to leave reviews. Now this does not affect only authors, but all businesses. Reviews are like oxygen to a business owner, and we all need them. As I type this post, I have less than 10 reviews and I have had my book downloaded hundreds of times. So why do I have only 9 reviews? Big question that no one can answer. All I know is that book readers do not enjoy writing books reviews.

Now that I have written a book, I know how important book reviews are to an author so I make sure to leave a review, whether it is good or bad. If you have read my book, please leave a review. I need those reviews like I need air. If you have not read my book, you can download it here.

 

Thanks for reading. Have a lovely week.

 

 

 

 

 

6 Small Business Ideas for Bloggers

Blogging is hard work, and for some, it may be all for little or nothing in return. I always like to look at the big picture, and looking at the Blogging Industry, I know it will be around forever, but will continue to evolve. And that is why I keep thinking of additional ways of making money from home. Which has pushed me to writing this post about 6 Small Business Ideas for Bloggers. I hope someone out there finds this post and the small business ideas useful.

 

 

 

Small Business Ideas for Bloggers
Blogging Coach

The Blogging Coach field has taken off with a bang, starting from the US and now in the UK. There are so many coaches in various fields, and it may look like a saturated market, and it is, but I believe there is always space for Quality. For you to be a Coach of something, means you are a Guru in that field. It means you are successful in what you do, and you want to guide, inform and educate others on how to achieve the same level of success.

The issue I have with many Blogging Coaches and Coaches in general, is that many of them are not successful in what they do. You can’t teach me how to earn £3,000 a month from blog, when you are not earning half of that. The same way you can’t help me get up to 20,000 monthly views on YouTube, when you are only getting 1000 views a month. Many of these Coaches just sell the dream, and take your money. That is a scam, the success dream is free.

Before you pay a Coach to lead or mentor you, make sure the person has a successful track record in the niche. A good Blogging Coach would put the success where the mouth is!

 

Ghost Blogger

Apart from writing your blog, you could also write for other blogs as a Ghost Blogger. The way it works is, you write articles for other websites and blogs and the blog owners go on to publish the articles as their own, with no reference to you or your blog. I know a couple of people who are Ghost Bloggers and they make a decent income from it. If you are super creative and a good writer, this might be the best job for you.

 

Copywriter

I am a copywriter. I have a few clients I supply articles on a monthly basis, and I enjoy it. It is a great additional income stream, and it keeps me busy. Most of my clients find me through my blog and my social media platforms. I also find some clients on Upwork and People per Hour. It can be tricky to get paid what you are worth, but I know what I am happy to accept and stick to it. At the end of the day, the quality of my work speaks for itself, and I only target clients I know would appreciate my work and my rates.

 

Author

I wrote an eBook – How to Cash In as a Blogger, last year, and although I am yet to get rich on it. It has opened doors to loads of collaborations. I plan to write some more books in future, and I think it is a great way of having an additional income, if you have a great topic or theme to write about. It is unlikely you would get rich or even comfortable from your book sales, but it may open doors to greater things. It may also give you the credibility you need to excel in your other businesses. And it could also be a bestseller. You will never know until you try.

 

 

Vlogging

Many Bloggers are Vloggers, so YouTube is worth paying some attention, as there is a whole new market waiting to be tapped. I know many Vloggers many crazy amounts of money, some earning more than my GP. It is a field I am seriously contemplating getting into. If you are happy and confident being in front of a camera, this might be the right job/hobby for you.

 

Podcast

This is like the audio version of YouTube, and worth looking into if you have great content to share and you rather stay off the camera. Plus it helps if you speak well and have a great voice. I love the Pro Blogger Podcast.

 

These are just some of the many small business ideas available to bloggers. Do you find any interesting?

 

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