You know that you’re an expert, and so do your clients. But if you want to get to the next level in your business, consider writing a book about your expertise.

Why?

Not only does devoting time to writing a book say that you are serious about your topic—anyone who has written can assure you that you can’t properly write a book in just a week—but it also shows that your knowledge is deep enough that you can discuss it over multiple pages of text.

If you have a belief system or a process that you stand behind, letting the public know more about it may sway them to your side and help you meet your goals. When people understand what you can do to help them, it makes them more likely to actually ask you to help them! If you don’t believe me, check out this incredibly creepy blog post about content marketing (writing books, etc.) that demonstrates just how powerful a book can be!

We’ve all written an essay or a term paper with a word count that we never thought we would reach. Maybe the topic didn’t interest us to begin with, and now we are struggling to find something else to say. That certainly shouldn’t be the case if you are an expert in a certain area! Personally, I could talk ad nauseum about writing. If you’ve been keeping up with my blog, I’m sure you were getting that picture. Once I find the time and pinpoint my exact topic, a book is definitely in my future.

So I’ve convinced you to write a book in your area of expertise. Now what? How do you pinpoint an exact topic? Remember, you have so much to talk about!

FAQs

One source of content is frequently asked questions. What do people usually ask you about your topic? Could you write a whole book about it? Think about your audience and what they need to know, and you might have an easy answer to your book topic conundrum.

Blog Posts

Many of us write them every week, so why not use them?

First, look at your posts that get the most attention. Which ones are the most shared, liked, or commented on? This might be something that your audience would like to know more about. You could gather all your posts on this topic or related topics and use them for inspiration, or if you have enough of them, put them in an order that makes sense for a whole book.

Presentations

Are you a speaker, too? This is perfect! What topics are you usually asked to speak about? Not only do you have an easy way to figure out what your topic should be based on this information, but you likely already have notes or talking points to start off your book. You might even use the same outline that you use for your presentations and just expand upon it for your book.

Deep Knowledge Works Best!

But before you start typing away, keep in mind that you can’t just give basic information. Delve deeply into your topic and give the best information you can. Experts don’t just skim the surface, so really show off your knowledge.

• Think about what your audience knows and expand upon it.
• Explain it in a way that makes sense to your audience. Use analogy; avoid jargon.
• Organize your text chronologically, sequentially, or in another way that keeps the information clear and allows the reader to move along without confusion.
• Engage your readers. Depending on your topic, you might be able to ask questions at the end of the chapters to have the readers think more about what you said. Encouraging them to consider the text keeps your thoughts in their mind longer, which increases your chances of gaining fans.
• Don’t forget to include a call to action! You might encourage people to connect with you on social media, especially if you offer a Facebook group to guide your followers. Always list your website and all your social media somewhere in the book. Even if you don’t have social media, include your website and an email address (you could even get a specific one for your book), so you can easily be contacted.

You never know what connection your book might cultivate. If you aren’t already a speaker, it may lead you to speaking engagements. At the bare minimum, it should get you noticed in your community and lead to more clients.