Don’t do it yourself. Rare is the day that you find a business owner who’s highest and best use of their time is sitting in front of a computer trying to type out their book. It is much faster, easier, and better to hire somebody who can do all of that for you. You deliver the content, let them do everything else. You will make a lot more money when you focus your efforts on serving your clients and let somebody else create your book.
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 Michael DeLon.
Michael DeLon helps business owners Create a Book Without Writing a Word™. As The Credibility Coach™ and President of Paperback Expert, he helps business owners clarify their message and capture more clients using their Amazon Best-Selling book. By implementing his Credibility Marketing System, you’ll gain more clients, get more referrals, and grow your revenue. Michael is the author of On Marketing, a #1 Amazon bestselling author, and the creator of The Credibility Game Plan. Since 2013, he has worked with business owners across the United States and internationally to establish and market their credibility. Michael is the husband of one and father of four. He’s a committed follower of Jesus Christ who is deeply involved in his church. You can normally find Michael investing time with his family, reading a great book, or facilitating growth in the lives of those around him. Learn more about Michael at www.PaperbackExpert.com
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?
Can you share a pivotal story that shaped the course of your career?
After spending 9 ½ years selling Christian radio to local business owners and learning how to do marketing for small companies, God let us into a ministry to marriages. I invested the next decade of my life building godly marriages. Then on January 1, 2013, I left the ministry and started a marketing consulting firm. As I would go out to talk with prospects, they would not hire me because they saw me as a “ministry guy” and not a “marketing guy.” I knew I had to fix that. So God gave me the idea to put all of my marketing ideas in a book. I wrote and published my first book, “On Marketing” in 2013. I would then set an appointment with the prospect, mail my book to them, and walk into the office a week later, and see my book sitting on their desk dogeared, highlighted, and underlined. They had read my book! In that meeting, they would pick up my book, say, “Michael, in your book, you said, _________________. “How can you help me do that?”
I started gaining clients and then asked myself, “Why don’t business owners do this?” That was the seed that has grown into Paperback Expert.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Are you working on any new writing projects?
We are constantly working with business owners across the nation to help them create their book without writing a word. Once their book is published, we run a promotion to make them an Amazon best-selling author to further bolster the credibility. Then we teach them how to use their book to gain more clients using our Credibility Marketing Systems.
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?
Since my focus is specifically for business owners, who become authors, I will limit my focus to that area.
- Give your book away, do not sell it. Your book should be available on Amazon and Kindle and other retailers for a price. When you give your book to somebody they understand it has value. This begins a relationship of trust and draws more people into your circle.
- Integrate the core message of your book into all of your messaging. You must be consistent, clear, and compelling with your message.
- Use your book on all of your social media channels as a lead magnet for your ideal prospects.
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?
- Offer a PDF copy of your book on your website for free. This will allow people to learn more about you and put them on your list so that you can continue to nurture the relationship.
- Give physical copies of your book to prospects before you meet with them. This gives them an opportunity to get to know you and how you operate so that many of their questions are answered before the first meeting. This will shorten your cell cycle and increase the number of clients your gain.
- Give multiple copies of your book to every happy client and ask them to hand copies of your book, out to their friends, neighbors, relatives, business associates, church members… Getting referrals this way is very simple and organic. It works phenomenally well.
- Have a short sentence in your email signature mentioning “Get a free copy of my Amazon best selling book by clicking here.” That link sends them back to your website where they can get a free PDF copy (see #1above).
- There are plenty others I could share, but that’s a good start for now.
What role does social media play in book marketing, and how can authors leverage these platforms to boost their book sales?
Social media is simply another marketing channel. It can work as effectively as any other channel, and it can fail miserably at the same time. The issue is not social media, but how do you position yourself as an authority in the eyes of your audience. Regardless, of which social media platform you are using, you can position yourself as the authority in the eyes of your audience, by offering them a free copy of your book. In the posts that you make, use content from your book, and refer back to your book as often as possible, as long as it doesn’t sound forced.
Social media can be a very good way to reach your audience but, with the amount of noise that is on every platform, you have to be able to stand out. You do that by speaking about your book and the content therein.
How can you leverage the book to position you as an expert in your field?
Be sure to refer yourself as an author as often as possible. Put images of your book on your website and on your social media profiles. Speak on topics that you cover in your book often. Always, always, always come back to your core central message and give people an opportunity to learn more by getting a free copy of your book.
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?
Building a personal brand is very important. You need to be known for something. One of the key components of building a personal brand is having a clear and compelling message. The other component is consistency in delivering that message over time. The more value that you give to your audience, and the more that they connect your message with your brand, the more influence you will gain.
Do you know who your most valuable avatars are?
Yes.
Beyond just selling books, what other revenue streams can authors explore to maximize their earnings, such as speaking engagements, online courses, or merchandise?
I’m not a huge proponent of generating revenue for business owners through selling books. The royalty percentage just isn’t there.
What is profitable, though, are the massive revenues generated by gaining new clients. Whether you’re doing speaking engagements, online courses, merchandising, or whatever… The focus of a business owner author should be to gain more clients. That is where the money is made.
Have you created scaleable derivatives of your work? Can you explain?
Yes. From the cornerstone of my book and expertise in marketing, we now have a thriving publishing company, we also create numerous done for you marketing systems for our clients, and I run a high-level coaching program for authors. All of those have come from creating my first book.
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?
The delivery channels will continue to change. Print will always be around. Audiobooks are great. PDFs are a staple. And having your own podcast is a must. Be certain that you do the fundamentals well and keep an eye on where things are going. Don’t chase the shiny new thing unless you have lots of money to spare. Focus on the fundamental channels: print, PDF, podcast, and audiobook.
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.
- Never write a book. Most business owners are not good writers. They are however, communicators. We recommend that you speak-to-write your book. You can do that through the dictate function in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or by recording yourself on your computer. You will get your content out of your head and onto paper much faster. Then, you can edit it and get it ready to publish much faster.
- Write like you speak. You want your book to “sound” like you. That happens when you speak to write your book and capture some of the unique phrases and idioms that you use naturally when you talk. Too often, a book is sterilized in order to conform to some industry standard. You want people to come to understand who you are through the pages of your book. That will happen when you write like you speak.
- Build your outline first. Too many times people sit in front of a blank screen and start typing. That’s the wrong way to approach this. Invest more time building your outline and then, when it’s time to write, the words will flow much more easily.
- Hire an excellent editor. Getting your thoughts out of your head and onto paper is step one. Making it sound great is another game altogether. You will be way ahead of the game if you hire an excellent professional editor to make your book as good as it possibly can be.
- Don’t do it yourself. Rare is the day that you find a business owner who’s highest and best use of their time is sitting in front of a computer trying to type out their book. It is much faster, easier, and better to hire somebody who can do all of that for you. You deliver the content, let them do everything else. You will make a lot more money when you focus your efforts on serving your clients and let somebody else create your book.
For authors just starting out, what common mistakes should they avoid when trying to turn their books into a significant source of income?
Avoid the traps of selling your book and trying to earn royalties. That should be reserved for the likes of Stephen King. Your job is to build relationships and open doors and talk with people. You do that by telling them you are an author and handing them a signed copy of your book. This will not only capture their attention, it will also give you an opportunity to follow up with them in a few days to discuss what they read in your book and build a relationship so that you can discover whether or not you can serve them or someone they know.
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?
We have numerous clients who have used their books to grow their existing business. I would be happy to share any of those with you through email or a conversation. Business growth through authorship is what we do.
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 🙂
Keith Cunningham. He wrote the book, “The Road Less Stupid.” It has been an incredibly influential book in my personal and business life. Keith is a no nonsense person whom I would love to spend a couple of hours with.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
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.
Michael DeLon of Paperback Expert 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.