“Books are no longer simply books, they are branding devices and credibility signals — not to mention the reason their authors command large speaking or consulting fees.” So says Ryan Holiday, in a recent column on the Fast Company website. His point is that authors of non-fiction books are increasingly diversifying their income streams, with many making “substantially more money through new business generated by a book, rather than from it.”
This is a trend that’s been building for some time; I’ve seen it reflected in my own work with clients. Discussions about non-fiction book projects go beyond content and audience to encompass ideas about what the book can do for the author and the author’s business.
Smart thoughtleaders think of their non-fiction books as multi-purpose tools. Books can be a calling card for the author’s business, a demonstration and confirmation of his or her expertise, a vehicle for sharing new ideas and valuable content, and a way to build additional revenue streams from consulting and/or speaking engagements. For a concise take on how this works, see my colleague Ken Lizotte’s excellent book, The Expert’s Edge.
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Kate Victory Hannisian has extensive experience as a writer, editor and content developer. Kate works with emersongroup clients on a variety of projects, including book manuscripts, book proposals, articles for professional and trade journals, and content for websites, special reports, blogs and e-newsletters. To contact Kate, click here.
