With the ubiquitous e-book, or PDF download being offered by business owners, what are the reasons why great content isn’t being published into a proper physical book?
Is it a fear of committing to print?
Most business owners who have written a report (or e-book) seem to resist this last step, which in my eyes is a mistake because the majority of the business owners I work with produce fantastic content, and could be differencing themselves from their competitors by offering a proper book, rather than just a free report, or PDF download.
Why is there this resistance…? Usually it’s one of 3 issues, and in this blog, I’m going to explore each one and hopefully reassure you that none of them need apply to you (and your book project!)
The top 3 reasons why great content doesn’t get published.
- Fear of content not being good enough
- Fear of success
- Assumption of cost (too expensive)
1. Fear of content not being good enough.
This is probably the most common issue, and interestingly a self-fulfilling prophesy, because if YOU don’t think your content is good enough to ‘commit to print’ – then your readers are going to think that too…(otherwise, why would you be giving it away, or not taking that last step to publishing?) But let me assure you that your content is invaluable to your audience. You’ve probably done a lot of research, or you’ve been in the industry for many years which makes your knowledge gold dust, and you must never underestimate what value you’re imparting to your readers.
You may feel your writing isn’t worthy of a Pulitzer Prize, but hey… you’re not wanting to achieve that! Surely your aim is to help your prospective customers with their most challenging issue, or simply help people by sharing your expertise. They are not looking for the next best-selling novel, they are after information and that’s just what your book is giving. So, without sounding harsh, get over your fear, and remember the value of the information you’re sharing. (And if you’re still worried, then there are always people available to help with your writing, either a book coach or hiring a ghost writer are options you can look into.)
2. Fear of Success
Okay, so this is a biggie, and I know there are lots of books out there that cover this subject in much better detail that I can (and I’m no psychologist) – BUT it’s a fear many of us have and some of us aren’t even aware we suffer from it. We just resist ‘putting ourselves out there’ in case we get rejected, OR conversely, we actually MAKE IT and suddenly we are in demand! The classic symptoms are procrastination and taking any seemingly ‘risky’ steps (like committing to print) when you think that a report will do (and not reach as many people as it could). After all, you’re putting yourself out there to be scrutinized and criticized, and exposing yourself to new pressures and demands, and because we’re taught to avoid fear, we shy away from anything that can lead us to success.
So, what to do about it? Well there are lots of books available that deal with this (notice that I reference a book, and not a report, or free PDF!) in much more detail (Feel the fear and do it anyway, by Susan Jeffers is a great one) but here are a few things you can think about in the meantime. Firstly you need to acknowledge that this is something that could be holding you back, then you need to remind yourself of all the good things that will happen, rather than focusing on the negatives, such as a boost to your confidence, a better network of qualified leads, a healthier bank balance and most importantly a growing reputation that positions you as an expert in your field.
Just remember that although the idea of success can be scary, the reality is usually much easier to cope with than what you had before. If you’ve managed to keep yourself going during the tough times, surely you’re ready for the good times. Yes, you’ll have to make changes and learn new things, but I’m sure you’re creative and adaptive enough to do that.
3. Assumption of cost
If you think that getting your report or e-book into print is too expensive, then perhaps you need to look at the costs again. I’ve just printed 100 books for a client for under £200, and I know that one new lead (hopefully from one of the books she sends out) will easily cover the production costs. That then means she has the remaining 99 books all working hard for her, to attract higher targeted customers who could end up spending hundreds of thousands of pounds with her company. Staggering your print run from a small number to a higher one is a smart move, and hopefully will alleviate any of the other two fears we’ve looked at.
Conclusion
Getting your free report, or up grading your e-book into a properly published, physical book is a really smart tactic. Not only does it cement your readers beliefs that you are the expert to deal with, but also you’re able to stand head and shoulders above your competitors who are just offering the digital version.
A physical book makes people take notice, and can provide you with hundreds of targeted customers. In fact one of my clients who used his book to do just that managed to secure a ‘million pound’ bid, and one of the major reasons he got chosen, was because he had written a book! So have a think about ‘committing to print’ and get rid of the reasons why you could be holding yourself back and get that report or e-book off your computer and onto Amazon!
If you have a report or e-book that you think is ready for publication, then drop Alexa an email at alexa@thebookrefinery.com with committing to print in the subject line. She will take a look at your project and give feedback on what steps to take next. Or if you simply have an idea for a book, but don’t know where to start, then get in touch. Alexa will gladly help you at any stage of your writing project.