How to Use Your Book as a Marketing Tool to Promote Your Freelance Writing Business

By Jess Lander

​We’re not going to sugar coat it. Writing a book is a lot of work and it can also cost you some money up front. At William Ballard Enterprise, LLC we know this all too well.
 
But what if we told you that by writing a book you could grow your freelance writing business immensely, increasing your visibility, credibility and bringing in new clients from all over the world? Would it be worth a slew of late nights then?
 
We think so--and know so.
 
You should look at writing a book not so much as potential cash flow, but as a sort of resume or portfolio to showcase your talent and experience to potential clients.
 
Business writer Randy Myers wrote about the realities of writing and selling your book in an article for Entrepreneur.
 
“‘Writing the book’ about your industry may not lead to big royalties and could cost you a fair chunk of change up front. But it also could lead to more riches for you and your business, both in the form of new customers and new opportunities to capitalize on your expertise.”
 
Here are five steps to writing a book that will convert your readers into paying customers.
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1) Write a Book for Your Clients 

​You know what your clients want, or need to improve on,  and the common issues they face in their industry better than anyone, so write about them. For instance, if you’re a freelance copywriter for small businesses, write a book for small business owners on the necessity and value of great copywriting for marketing their business.

In turn, this would hopefully convince your readers that they need to invest in good copywriting because most likely, they’re not going to want to do it, have the time to do it or have the skills to do it effectively. Instead, they’ll go looking to hire an expert copywriter, and who better for the job than the author of the book they just read? 
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2) Make Sure The Writing is Great

​This should really go without saying, because you’re a professional writer, but writing a book can take up so much time that it would be easy to get a little lazy and not put forth your best work. Yet if at the end of your book your reader is looking to hire a writer, they’re not going to hire you if the writing was just mediocre, or riddled with copy mistakes. Treat your book like you would any other project that a client is paying you to do, and it will speak for itself. 

3) Include Real-Life Examples 

You’re going to make a lot of claims in your book and if you want to be taken seriously, you’ll need to back them up. One of the best ways to do this is with examples, but instead of making up a hypothetical situation or pulling an example from someone else, insert your own real life experiences and success stories.

Here’s one of my own as an example: If I were writing a book on the importance of social media for businesses and discussing social media’s value for lead generation, I might mention the time that I created several different workouts for a fitness company, and then gave them away for free on social media. In one year, this resulted in 30,000 new email leads generated for the company—and that was without paying for ads.

Impressive right? If you were a business owner, wouldn’t you want to hire me so that you could reap the same results?

This is a subtle way to showcase your freelance writing experience and expertise throughout your book so that by the last page, you’ll be ripe for hire. 
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4) Don't Forget Your Bio and Contact Information

​This may seem obvious, but how many times have you met someone and when they asked for your business card, you realized you’re weren't carrying any?

Rule No. 1 of freelancing: You never know who you’re going to run into, so you should always have business cards on you.

The same applies for your book. You never know when it’s going to resonate with a reader and move them to get in touch, so it’s imperative that you make it as easy as possible for them. Don’t make them Google you—include all points of contact including your email address, website URL and social media handles. It’s also smart to include a bio that explains your wide range of experience and success with other clients as a little extra push. 

5) Consider Giving Your Book Away for FREE

This step is optional, but hear us out. After all of the time, money and effort you put into writing your book, we completely understand the desire to make some direct profits from it. If you do choose to sell your book, it can still be a great marketing tool for your business.

But these days, most writers sell their books online for less than $20, oftentimes just a few bucks. You’d have to sell quite a few to make a solid profit, or even make your investment back. The real money will come via new clients or opportunities.

Best-selling author Jeff Goins said it best when he reluctantly put up one of his eBooks, which was selling just fine, up for free. It received 24,000 downloads in three days.

“Anonymity is a writer’s greatest enemy. And the best way to beat it is through generosity.”

The most successful strategy for acquiring new customers is to get them on your mailing list. If you give your book away for the low price of an email address, your reach will increase tenfold and you’ll be able to market to those readers over and over again through email until they’re ready to hire you. They’ll also never forget the time you threw them that free bone. 

Self-publishing is easier than ever. Bite the bullet and get to work on a book that will turn heads in your industry and bring in a new slew of clients that you never would have reached before.  

​Need help putting your book together? Click HERE and request our FREE High Profit Writing Service Information Kit. 

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(Copyright 2016 William Ballard Enterprise, LLC. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) 

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Certified Content Marketing Specialist -- Jess Lander  ​

​Jess is a Freelance Writer and Certified Content Marketing Specialist. She joined the Content Creation Department and Top of The Funnel Content Marketing Team  here at William Ballard Enterprise, LLC early June 2016.  
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She tried the 9 to 5 life, but realized real quick that it wasn't the life for her. She is a major asset to our Content Creation Department and brings many cherished and appreciated gifts and talents to the table (The Writer's Round Table, that is...). ​ ​

View all Posts by Jess Lander ​

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