Your book needs to solve a specific problem for a specific group of people. It can’t be too general if you want to attract your target audience, so you want to make it as niche as possible. For example, when I wrote my book, I started with a broad topic — “writing and publishing” — and it quickly spiraled out of control as I tried to answer every question for every person. But when I niched down to “lightspeed writing publishing for women entrepreneurs,” I was able to focus on how I can help my people (women entrepreneurs) solve their problem (writing and publishing at lightspeed).
Writing a book can be a rewarding creative endeavor, and it can also be a profitable one if approached correctly. What are the strategies and steps needed to turn a book into a significant source of income? How do authors effectively market and sell their books, and what should they consider when navigating publishing options? As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Lilly Penhall.
Lilly Penhall is a writer and publishing expert with over 15 years of experience helping authors transform their ideas into professionally published books. As the founder of Stellar Author Accelerator, Lilly has guided entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and creatives through the self-publishing process, blending innovative strategies with her deep industry expertise. With a BA in Creative Writing and extensive experience designing books for self-published authors as well as the world’s largest spiritual publishing house, she has played a key role in launching more than 50 successful titles. Passionate about empowering authors, Lilly specializes in helping entrepreneurs create books that amplify their message and transform lives worldwide.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share a story about what motivated you to become an expert in the particular area that you are writing about?
Publishing kind of fell into my lap. I always wanted to be a writer and even went to school for it, but after graduating college, the job I landed was writing obituaries and wedding announcements for a local newspaper. That’s where I learned Photoshop and basic design principles. A few years later, my mom wrote a book and asked me to design the cover. I studied the published books on my shelf and created one that looked just like them. From there, I went on to design six more of her books and eventually started working with other authors. It’s been a fulfilling career ever since.
Can you share a pivotal story that shaped the course of your career?
After working with self-publishing authors for over a decade, I decided to explore opportunities in the traditional publishing industry. After nine months of job searching across the country, I had to take a retail job at a used bookstore to make ends meet. One of the perks of the job was being able to read and check out books from the shelves, which I did often.
One day, while shelving the spiritual section, I came across Wishes Fulfilled: Mastering the Art of Manifesting by Dr. Wayne Dyer. I thought, “I want to manifest a new job — let me see what this is all about.” I took the book home and started reading it. Being the book nerd that I am, I also flipped to the copyright page to see who published it. It was a company called Hay House located in a city close to me.
On a whim, I checked their careers page and found a job opening that matched my qualifications perfectly. I knew this was the job I was manifesting! Taking a leap of faith, I quit my retail job, rebuilt my portfolio, and applied for the position. And guess what? I got it!
Now, I’ve been designing books for the #1 spiritual publishing house in the world for more than three years. The experience I’ve gained working for a traditional publisher has uniquely positioned me as an expert in both self-publishing and traditional publishing. I know I was meant to work for this company, and the knowledge I’ve gained has been a tremendous asset to my clients as well.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Are you working on any new writing projects?
I just finished writing my book, Speak Your Book to Life, which is currently in the publishing stage. It’s a guide for entrepreneurs who want to write and publish their books at lightspeed using my proprietary blueprint. In addition, I’m always working on my clients’ books because my passion lies in helping authors bring their stories to life.
Thank you for that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview. In your opinion, what are the key strategies that authors should focus on if they want to generate significant income from their books?
For entrepreneurs, the primary value of your book isn’t in sales, it’s in using it as a lead generator to sell your high-ticket offers. A book is the best business card you can give someone, instantly establishing your authority in your field — because you literally wrote the book on it. That $10 book you place in someone’s hands can lead to a $10,000 sale, which is why I always recommend keeping your books affordable and accessible.
With my Lightspeed Launch Sequence, we focus on creating buzz through advanced readers and reviews, building funnels to promote your book, and repurposing your content for social media and your email list. This strategy ensures your book reaches the people who need your message most — the people who want to hire you.
Hosting a launch party is another exciting way to announce your book to the world. Pair it with a workshop that showcases your expertise, and it could double as an income-generating event.
Marketing is crucial for book sales. What are the most effective marketing techniques you’ve used or seen others use to successfully promote their books?
The best marketers are always repurposing content to create different ways to engage viewers on each platform. Take Mel Robbins, for example. She has the #1 bestseller in the world right now, and much of her social media content comes from repurposed clips of her successful podcast. She’s also a master networker, skilled at getting into the right rooms with the right people who help sell her books for her.
Equally important is setting up systems to nurture your audience. Once a reader discovers you, you want to ensure they don’t lose track of you in the overwhelming sea of social media content. The best place to connect with them? Their inbox — where you can speak directly to them.
What role does social media play in book marketing, and how can authors leverage these platforms to boost their book sales?
In this era of overwhelming information, social media plays a significant role in marketing — but navigating it as an author can be challenging. Thankfully, there’s a way to market your book on social media even while it’s still in the creation stage: repurposing content.
By creating your content within the framework of your book, you’ll naturally promote it without having to wonder what to talk about. You can produce long- and short-form videos, images, carousels, blog posts for your mailing list, and more. This approach helps generate buzz around your topic, and once your book is in the publishing stage, you can start sharing sneak peeks to build excitement!
How can you leverage the book to position you as an expert in your field?
For an entrepreneur, a book is an invaluable tool that showcases your expertise in an accessible way while positioning you as an authority in your field. It opens doors for you to appear on podcasts and stages as the go-to thought leader, and having copies of your book by your side instantly boosts your credibility.
You can also use your book to qualify potential clients — if they’re not willing to read it, they’re likely not ready to do the work required for success. On the other hand, if they read it and are eager to work with you, the book has already “closed the sale” for you, saving you time and effort.
A book is the ultimate sales tool for entrepreneurs.
How important is building a personal brand for an author, and what steps can authors take to establish themselves as credible and influential figures in their niche?
A personal brand is essential for an author because it’s the persona you present to the world. You need to decide which aspects of yourself align with your brand and allow them to shine. Your uniqueness and quirks are what will attract your audience, so embrace who you are! However, keep in mind that not everything about you needs to be shared, or your brand could lose its focus.
For example, my client David, an 80-year-old author of a suspense novel, established his brand as a romantic, nostalgic man whose wife suffers from dementia. He wrote the book as a tribute to their love story, and videos highlighting this aspect of him led to comments asking where to buy the book — before it was even published.
It’s also important to step into your authority by confidently claiming your expertise. Showcase this through your content. Leveraging client testimonials is another powerful way to provide social proof that your method works. The more proof you offer, the more confident you’ll feel in your work, and the more confident others will be in hiring you.
Do you know who your most valuable avatars are?
Women spiritual entrepreneurs are my favorite clients!
Beyond just selling books, what other revenue streams can authors explore to maximize their earnings, such as speaking engagements, online courses, or merchandise?
With the book outlined and written, entrepreneurs can easily repurpose it into a signature talk for speaking engagements. Online courses, workshops, and memberships are other ways to maximize earnings from the content of your book. Most of my clients teach a course based on the subject of their book which gives more proof of the method, which gives more credibility to the book. It’s a beautiful cycle. Some authors also create associated merchandise, such as journals and card decks, to sell alongside their books, adding even more value to their work.
Have you created scaleable derivatives of your work? Can you explain?
Because I’m passionate about empowering authors, I created the Speak Your Book to Life Weekend Workshop to help 10 entrepreneurs at a time write their books in just 3 days. This immersive workshop, available both virtually and in-person, teaches my unique writing method that allows entrepreneurs to write their books at lightspeed.
I designed the workshop to break through the common barriers of writer’s block and time constraints that hold many entrepreneurs back from sharing their message. In just three days, participants will not only have the structure of their book but will have the tools, strategy, and momentum to complete it quickly and confidently. Whether you’re looking to establish your authority or share your story, this workshop helps you bring your book to life without the overwhelm.
The world of book publishing is constantly evolving. What trends do you see shaping the future of book marketing and sales, and how can authors stay ahead of the curve?
As more people start using AI as a gimmicky way to publish on Amazon, your unique, authentic voice is going to set you apart from the rest of the noise. It’s your personal story, experience, and perspective that people are drawn to — and that’s something no AI can replicate.
Additionally, in an increasingly virtual world, hosting workshops and in-person events to personally network with your audience will connect you directly to them, which is 100x more valuable than any online networking you can do. When you show up in person, you’re building real relationships, not just virtual ones, and that kind of connection sticks.
Wonderful. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your own experience and success, what are the “Five Things You Need to Know to be a Successful Writer?” If you can, please share a story or example for each.
- Your book needs to solve a specific problem for a specific group of people. It can’t be too general if you want to attract your target audience, so you want to make it as niche as possible. For example, when I wrote my book, I started with a broad topic — “writing and publishing” — and it quickly spiraled out of control as I tried to answer every question for every person. But when I niched down to “lightspeed writing publishing for women entrepreneurs,” I was able to focus on how I can help my people (women entrepreneurs) solve their problem (writing and publishing at lightspeed).
- Your beliefs about yourself as an author can make or break your confidence in writing. If you believe that you are not a good writer or that your story isn’t important, you won’t have the motivation to start writing your book (much less finish it). But once you drop all the limiting beliefs, you discover that you are the only person who can tell your story and teach your method. You have a unique set of skills and experiences that no one else can replicate, and you have a purpose for writing beyond just making money. If you want to change the world, first you must believe that you can.
- Setting a launch date is my best tip for finishing your book. When you set a date, especially if it’s for a specific reason or event, you are more likely to finish writing because you have an incentive. Without a set date, the writing and publishing process can drag on for months or years. My client Ally came to me with a deadline of 3 weeks until she would be speaking at a luxury retreat, and we were able to write, design, and publish her book in just one week so her shipment of books would arrive at her hotel ahead of her event. With a tight deadline, we made it happen!
- Self-publishing isn’t just for vanity presses anymore — it’s the quickest way to get your book from idea to market. When you empower yourself to be the CEO of your own publishing company, you gain full control over all aspects of the writing and publishing process for yourself and any other authors who you choose to publish. You also retain full ownership of your work, your ISBNs, your timelines, and your marketing strategies so you can promote in the best way for you. You could start by publishing yourself and eventually become an influential international publisher like Hay House!
- If you want to be successful, you must understand that not everyone will love your work. Putting yourself out there to help people also means opening yourself up to criticism and harsh comments. You need to develop a thick skin and strong sense of self so that other people’s negative opinions don’t derail your career. Even the most kind and loving books receive bad reviews. For example, Louise Hay’s groundbreaking bestseller, You Can Heal Your Life, has 423 1-star reviews on Amazon, which is crazy to me! But it’s only 2% of the total reviews. Just remember, one person’s “What a joke” is 50 other people’s “You changed my life.”
For authors just starting out, what common mistakes should they avoid when trying to turn their books into a significant source of income?
Don’t focus on book sales. Being an Amazon bestseller is fun and totally possible, but your book is much more valuable as a sales tool, lead magnet, and content generator. If you write it with those purposes in mind, it will guide people confidently toward working with you, because your expertise will shine through the pages. They’ll know that you’re the one.
Can you share any success stories or case studies of authors who have effectively turned their books into profitable businesses? What lessons can other writers learn from their experiences?
My first paying client, Catherine, is a licensed marriage and family therapist who wanted to change the way that our society thinks about dating and partnerships. She wrote a short book called Tantric Dating which became an Amazon bestseller and won awards. She followed up with two more books, Tantric Mating and Tantric Relating, which launched her career as a Tantric relationship coach. A decade later, her business is thriving, and she works alongside her husband to host speaking and dating events in LA.
What writers can learn from this is that short books can be very successful for an entrepreneur. Her book was only 108 pages, but that made it a quick, easy read for anyone. She could have written one long book, but instead she wrote three short books and focused each on a specific topic. This approach allowed her to build credibility with multiple titles and made the books more accessible to her audience.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them 🙂
I would love to meet Gabby Bernstein, my favorite bestselling spiritual author whose most recent book is titled Self-Help.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
I’m on Instagram @lillystellar and you can also visit my website, https://www.lillypenhall.us
Thank you for these excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent. We wish you continued success with your book promotion and growing your brand.
Lilly Penhall of Stellar Author Accelerator On How to Make Money by Writing a Book was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.