- If you think you're gonna write your book,
launch it and have a brand, sorry.
That is not how it works.
You still have to do the work so people know you exist.
The good news is now you have an almost magical tool
in your hands to get out there and get noticed.
If you want to build a brand from your book,
then this video is for you.
(upbeat percussion music)
Hey there, I'm Julie, the Book Broad
from Book Launchers.
We're your professional self publishing team
helping you write, publish, and promote a non-fiction book
that will help you have a huge impact on your readers
and done right.
We'll help you grow your brand,
build your business and make you money.
The best part?
You! Yes, you, keep all rights and royalties.
Many non-fiction authors write a book to grow their brand
and become the known expert in their field.
But they expect that will happen when their book comes out.
But there's a whole lot more to it than that.
First, not just any book is going to build your brand.
You have to stand out to build a brand.
If you want to have an impact on others,
you must stand out, I just said that.
But when you stand out you will be judged
and that can be terrifying.
And a lot of authors get really afraid of standing out.
So, they don't say the very things
they know need to be said,
and those are the very things that probably would have
helped you build a really strong brand.
So let's just clear the air, shall we?
Your book is gonna be judged, heck,
I get judged on YouTube just about every video.
I've had everything from my hair,
to my clothes, to how much coffee I drink,
to my voice, to what I say be judged and criticized,
but here's what you need to know.
I stand out, my videos are not boring,
and I take a stand and say some things
that people don't agree with,
and that is okay.
That is what your book should do.
And, the people who judge and criticize you
are not the ones, typically, achieving greatness,
creating success and having
lasting positive impact on others.
Also, most people do want to support you
and see you succeed.
Just look at how long my list of YouTube besties is.
Look.
You guys are great.
Oh boy, and that is not even all of them.
If I missed you, I'm sorry.
But the besties are my best supporters
and I am so grateful for them every day.
So know that there are a few folks who may criticize you
but those are not the ones that matter,
and they're not the majority.
So find your voice and use it.
Stand out so you can build your brand.
Second, use your book to define your brand.
One of the things we spend time with our clients on
is figuring out how to brand themselves.
Think about it,
ZZ Top would just be another band without those beards.
Lady Gaga would not make so many headlines
without her outrageous outfits.
And William Nye would just be another scientist
until he labeled himself "Bill Nye, the Science Guy",
I've called myself, "Julie, The Book Broad" for a reason.
So how do you want to be known in your marketplace?
How will you be memorable?
Your book is a tremendous opportunity to define yourself.
So, you need to spend some time thinking
about how you want to be defined.
Most of us resist who we really are or who we want to be.
We see many authors hold back the good stuff
because of fear.
And that's gonna make brand building very difficult
because the very thing that makes you memorable is you.
So share yourself.
Three, use your new identity to unlock doors,
there's the key.
One of the things I discovered as I made the shift
to my author identity was my peer group went from being
in the audience to being on the stage.
I was now one of the folks featured in magazines,
speaking on stage and getting interviewed by the media.
But that didn't happen only because my book was out.
I had to make sure my book was in the hands
of event organizers, that the media was getting pitches
so they knew I existed.
I was writing and submitting articles to those magazines.
And I submitted for tons of speaking opportunities.
And I hunted down like-minded blogs and media
that would be interested in the things I was sharing.
Every day I made it my mission to contact
at least one place to offer something of value
in exchange for shout out about my book.
It's definitely work,
but what you need to know
is being an author makes this easier,
because you can say,
"I wrote the book on..." blank
and your email will be more likely to be moved
to the top of the pile when you can say that.
It is more credibility
or it does give you more credibility.
This is also, by the way,
what I think is so powerful to write a niche book
because you will stand out more being the person
in a smaller category than trying to be the person
in a big category where there's already a lot of experts.
For example, Pat Watson came out with the book
on lock picking for emergency responders.
It's called "Tactical Lock Picking".
When we were pitching him to those in the space
of training firefighters,
it was a "Heck, yes, we want him and his book."
Let's get that guy on our show on our webinar
or even featured on our website.
Eric Brotman wrote "Don't Retire, Graduate"
and he's positioning himself beautifully
in the crowded personal finance space
as the guy who will help you transition from your career
into a really great time in your life
that isn't defined as retirement anymore.
You're not done working,
you're starting something new
and it's a really great spin on things.
He takes you through all the freshmen, sophomore, junior
and senior year, as he walks you through options
and what to do as you're planning your "graduation",
not your retirement.
I know you might be afraid to ask for it,
and that's where hiring a company like Book Launchers
that does a bunch of pitching and asking
for you can really help.
If you ever want to see Sarah Bean
our book marketing manager light up,
ask her about one of our authors.
Sometimes it's easier to shout about someone else
from the rooftops,
and it can be more difficult to do it for yourself,
but you should and doing so is how you're going
to build your brand.
Four, approach your conversations from a place of service,
not selling.
Ask questions and you can uncover opportunities to serve.
If you've ever wondered why networking events don't work,
take a look at how you network.
When you speak, is it all about you?
Or do you carefully consider the person you're speaking
with and what will matter to them?
One of my favorite deals I did was with my first book,
"More Than Cashflow", and it was a partnership
with "Canadian Real Estate Wealth" magazine.
I was speaking at one of their upcoming events
and chatting with the organizer,
I was trying to get clear on what would make
my talk a success for them?
And I was asking, you know, questions like
"What do they really want a speaker to do?
Who will be in the audience?
Who do they want the talk to appeal to?"
And this important question of
how do they judge the success of their event?
It was that question that got us talking about subscriptions
because it turned out a huge number of their attendees
signed up for their magazine subscription at the event,
and that was one of the driving reasons for events.
So I started asking questions about what else worked
to get subscriptions,
and they said, when we give away books
with a new two-year subscription,
it tends to do really well if the book is a great fit.
I told them about my book that was coming out
and that I would love to do that with them.
And boom, I gave them 250 copies of my book
and got massive value,
in exchange for this including magazine ads,
features in every magazine for my book, stage time and more.
If we ever meet, you might be surprised at how quiet I am.
I'm a very strong introvert,
but, if I think I can add value or help you in some way
I come to life and asking questions so I can find
how I add value is something I've always tried to do.
If this isn't already something you do, try it,
you'll be amazed at what you might learn
and what opportunities you might uncover for you
and your book.
There you go.
Be brave enough to stand out,
write a book that clearly defines your brand,
and use your new author identity to grow your brand,
and finally serve, don't sell.
And that's a crash course in using your book
to build your brand.
What did I miss?
Let's chat about it in the comments below
and right before you do that
please smash that thumbs up button on your way down.
Go on, try it, it feels so good.
And when you comment the day a video is released
you'll be entered to win some sweet #noboringbooks swag.
Sometimes we even have these hoodies,
super soft, this is our newest one.
We have new videos every Tuesday and Friday.
Make sure you catch everyone by subscribing to the channel
and turning those notifications on.
Well, would you like to keep hanging out?
I know I sure would.
This video right here
is the one YouTube thinks you need to see.
And this one,
is all about how to write a book
that stands the test of time.
You know, the kind of book that someone could build a big
and powerful brand around.
Hint, both are pretty much guaranteed
to give you something great to think about
and maybe even make you smile.
So go on, click on over.
I'll put the coffee on and see you there.
(upbeat percussion music)