a book is a business calling card.
I once got a call from a literary agent who had a tall, handsome, rugged-looking guy in her office pitching a book idea. The college flunkout had a dazzling rags-to-riches story. After a stint in the Green Berets, he became a rafting guide down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon where, one day, he had a chance encounter in his boat with a successful investor who took him under his wing. The unnamed mentor told him he “could be doing better than pumping rubber all summer and living on welfare in the off-season.” Within five years this bootstrapper of a guy turned $1,000—a quarter of his yearly earnings—into a cool $5 million.
That was a lot of money in the 1980s. He then went on to hone his newfound investing skills and by the time I was introduced to him in the fall of 2004, he had perfected his formula and was deft at leveraging data easily found online to study stocks, make quick calculations, and know what to buy and sell. This was when the internet was democratizing the esoteric, “secret society world” of investing so anyone could now get in the game and become an individual stock trader from the comforts of home in a bathrobe. No college degree or MBA required. No need to work on Wall Street.
Of course, a book to share his million-dollar methods with as many people as possible—people who couldn’t make it to his seminars or afford his intensive workshops—was in order. And he’d attempted to write a book proposal.
But the proposal needed work. A lot of work. Hence the call I got that day. I was charged with reengineering and rewriting it. Pretty much from scratch. We made sure that his personal story of triumph leaped off the page in addition to suggesting that beating the S&P and cashing in on the stock market like a pro was only a few clicks away. I’ll never forget sitting on the floor of my local print store making color hard copies of the finished proposal in early 2005 for the agent to send out via snail mail (it’s how we did it back then). I knew we had a winner. Publishers clamored for the book, and it sold for seven figures to Random House.
Rule #1: The Simple Strategy for Successful Investing in Only 15 Minutes a Week! became an instant #1 New York Times bestseller and propelled Phil Town’s career into the stratosphere. He suddenly had regular bookings on national television, a massive following (before social media was a thing), and people flocked to see him live and join his programs. His follow-up book, Payback Time, also became a bestseller and firmly planted Phil Town in the space as an expert.
In the twenty-odd years since that experience, I have watched many authors turn their books into calling cards for their brands and businesses—advancing their careers, building new revenue streams, and strengthening their reputations and platforms. Some went on to give TED talks. Others left the grind of their day-to-day job to fully immerse themselves in lucrative speaking gigs across the globe. Even those who didn’t have books that became huge bestsellers anointed by the likes of a high-profile newspaper still fared well. None have regretted the time and effort it took to write and promote their books. They’ve lived the lesson: Books are an excellent way to launch yourself forward no matter where you are today or what you envision for your future success.
Here are 5 reasons why a book that dispenses your “secrets,” often couched in an engaging narrative that tells your personal story that led to your expertise, can help you promote yourself and accelerate your business:
1. Establish authority and credibility: A book helps you stake your claim and position yourself as an expert in your field. It also builds trust with your audience, as you show your in-depth knowledge. This can further open the door for media opportunities because authors are often sought after for their insights that can land in articles, live interviews, speaking engagements, and more.
2. Boost visibility and reach: You can’t talk to everyone who wants or needs your intel and hard-won advice, but a book can go wide and far—reaching people you never thought possible, including those in other countries. A book will extend your current network and attract new potential clients, customers, and followers.
3. Build a brand, community, and more profitable business: Whatever products you sell or services you provide, a book allows you to promote your brand and set it apart from the competition. Your personal story can also help connect with readers and automatically make your brand more relatable, memorable, and, ultimately, more lucrative.
4. Provide value and generate more business: By offering ideas and solutions in your book, you’ll not only educate your audience, but you’ll be helping them to make informed decisions. And by doing so, you’ll become a valuable resource that can further generate sales, new connections, and loyal followings.
5. Leave a legacy: All books are legacies at their core. A book has a long shelf life and can continue to attract readers as you build your brand over time. Books are tangible assets!
If you need more proof of the power of a book to build a brand, look no further than the following examples:
Start with Why by Simon Sinek: His first book, his most popular, established Sinek as a thought leader and fueled his brand around the concept of inspirational leadership.
Crushing It! by Gary Vaynerchuk: Vaynerchuk crushed it with his book that reinforced his brand as a digital marketing and entrepreneurship expert.
Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg: Although Sandberg was already a well-known figure as the COO of Facebook (Meta) when she wrote this book, she hadn’t yet established her brand as an advocate for women’s leadership and empowerment. This book changed that and launched her forward in her new role.
Now get writing!