“Always design a thing by considering it in its next larger context – a chair in a room, a room in a house, a house in an environment, an environment in a city plan.” – Eliel Saarinen

You want to write a book. You need to, yearn to write a book.

OK–write a book. It’s done. You’re holding it in your hands, feeling a glow of pride and accomplishment. Not thinking about where the boxes will go will go when UPS delivers them in the next few days.

Now what?

What role does this book play in your business, in your life?

I suggest you consider those questions now, while the book is just a yearning in your heart. That way, when the boxes arrive, you’ll know how they are going to leave and give you back your garage or basement. Or living room.

Here are some possibilities:

• The book is your new professional brochure, your credentializer. It goes out with every resume, with every business proposal. You leave one in the hands of every prospect.
• Your book is part branding, part revenue source. You offer quantities of them at a discount to every meeting planner who engages you. You sell them by the box-full to existing and past clients. You sell them “back of room” at your speaking engagements. You offer a book as a bonus with the purchase of your more expensive products.
• You promote the book as a product. You get it on Amazon.com, into bookstores, and on its own sales page. You work out joint-venture deals for partners with big lists to offer it.

Those are just 3 of many ways the book can serve you. But if any of them are to happen, there are some things you should include in the book:

• Frequent references to your website, perhaps as a footer on every page. You want book buyers to join your list. Offer a gift to anyone who comes to the site and signs on.
• A cover that suits the audience and the purpose of the book.
• Appropriate testimonials on the back.
• At least one chapter that tells about your “secret sauce,” the approach that makes you different from and better than your competition.
• Case studies of the wonderful things you’ve done for clients.

In sum: I encourage you to view your book as an element in your business pursuits, not a goal unto itself. Sketch out the whole business, then fill in the details. That way you’ll know where the book fits, when it must be done, and what to do to reach that point.

Questions? Write to me: joel@joelorrcoaching.com