If you’re interested in growing a personal brand-based business that will last, and you want to add a published book to your brand assets, choosing a traditional publishing deal (rather than self-publishing) is a much wiser long-term ‘investment’ of your time and efforts. Getting a traditional book deal with a big publishing house such as Hachette, Penguin or Simon & Schuster for your leadership, memoir, how-to, coaching or health book is going to establish your personal brand on a global level.
TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING GROWS YOUR PERSONAL BRAND IF YOU’RE A COACH OR EXPERT WHEREAS SELF-PUBLISHING YOUR BOOK WILL NOT
If you’re a professional who provides coaching, consulting, training, or mentorship services in areas like business, career development, personal growth, health, wellness, or relationships, using your personal brand to attract clients and build credibility, the benefits of a traditional publishing deal over self-publishing are clear. Traditional publishing means not just that you have the best professional editors and publishers producing your work, but that you can then benefit from the clout and prestige of THEIR brand and industry credibility.
Professional publishing houses such as Macmillan, Penguin and HarperCollins have established networks, big global brands, markets and distributors across the world, relationships with book retailers and certain media that you simply cannot access when you self-publish your book.
A traditionally published book is an ASSET to a personal brand-based business because it shares your work (and your brand) with a whole new market and a book is an accessible way for people across the world to access the most valuable messages, stories and tips you want to share. You then get to extend your own networks via the media, distribution, editing and author connections you make through your publishing deal… and the whole thing expands.
LET’S BE CLEAR: Making a decision about your book ONLY based on the potential advance is short-sighted and won’t give your work the chance of success on a global level it really has when you make a publishing decision from empowerment and education.
WHO BENEFITS THE MOST FROM A TRADITIONAL BOOK PUBLISHING DEAL?
If you’re a personal brand-based business owner such as a creative artist, designer, musician, photographer, you can then use this professionally published book to attract clients, sell products, and invite collaborations. The clout and industry reputation of your publisher matters, and having their brand on YOUR book then expands the perceived value of your personal brand. It’s not about the potential advance (although that may be large) and it’s not even about the royalties.
A traditionally published book is proof that you are at a certain level with your creative work.
Likewise, if you’re a personal brand-based business owner such as an entrepreneur or business owner who wants to establish themselves as a thought leaders, build trust with their audience, and differentiate yourself from the MILLIONS of competitors who are self-publishing (the growth in self-publishing has meant that having an Amazon bestseller stamp on your book isn’t enough to elevate your brand).
Think about global leaders in your field and those who are clearly in a category of one. I think of life coaches like Marie Forleo and Brendan Burchard – even Oprah Winfrey, who owns her own media network…. did she self-publish? No. Leaders go with the best. And traditional publishing is more professional and established than guessing your way through sending your PDF to some print-on-demand company.
A TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING DEAL CAN ESTABLISH YOUR PERSONAL BRAND
A book deal is a huge career boon to fitness and health and wellness professionals such as Personal trainers, yoga instructors, nutritionists, or wellness coaches. Cookbooks, nutrition protocols… many relatively unknown personal brands made their global mark with their first book deal. And, if your work is relatively niche and your audience is very specific, it can establish you as the go-to expert in your field. I think of Pharmacist and Nutritionist Isabella Wentz, who wrote a cookbook specifically for Hashimotos, based on her personal experience AND her professional expertise, which was published by HarperCollins and hit the New York Times bestseller list.
As someone who suffers from hashimotos, which was relatively unheard-of years ago and i had to sift my way through various snake-oil merchants and self-published pamphlets that hadn’t been medically checked or vetted, I’m really appreciative of healers and wellness experts who take the longer route and decide to do things properly by getting their book traditionally published.
It means people like me, on the other side of the world, have a much better chance of finding it – and I trust that the expertise inside the book has been checked and edited professionally. ie. it’s not guesswork, stream-of-consciousness rubbish (some self-published wellness books are written SO poorly and not even edited), and it’s also been commissioned and edited by professionals.
MARKETING TAKES WORK FOR ALL BOOKS – BUT IT’S EASIER IF YOU TRADITIONALLY PUBLISH
While you need to contribute to the marketing of your book whether you self-publish OR have a great publisher like Penguin or Hachette or Hay House behind you – as I said in the nonfiction publishing masterclass, the author is the BEST person to market their own book (and publishers, big or small, are NOT marketing companies!), when you’re published by a reputable publisher, you can actually grow your brand value and market authority simply by having the backing of their brand associated with your book.
Which does NOT happen when you self-publish.
So what does this mean in real terms? It means media considers your book more valuable, your authority more proven, and your work more significant. It means that you benefit from the brand assets of your major publisher in every aspect of the publishing timeline and beyond – meaning your book is stocked and distributed in retailers across the world (and libraries).
Again, this does NOT happen with self-published titles.
So how can you use social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or X to both grow your personal brand AND successfully sell your first book to a major publisher? or even leverage a podcast, a media piece, an essay, a talk or a live event… to then very quickly pull together your first nonfiction book deal?
The great news is, it’s easier than ever to build a personal brand based business AND get a lucrative publishing deal… The not-so-great news is that, well, the market is more crowded than ever because it IS so easy.
So you need to be strategic and you need to know the little details that can make or break the timing piece – particularly with media and how traditional publishers and literary agents work.
Pulling in the four aspects to a bestselling nonfiction book is how you secure a major publishing deal which then elevates your personal brand.
In real terms, this means you can then use your first publishing deal as a launch-pad for a personal brand based business and expand on your messages and legacy work from your book in the work you do to promote it. You might create courses, or a signature talk or framework you then teach or speak on, or perhaps you expand the business you’re already in (music, design, psychology, coaching), because your book is a bestseller and instantly recognisable.
Whatever vision you have for your publishing deal and your personal brand-based business, it’s all possible with strategy, behind-the-scenes know-how, and a little work.
If you’re a conscious individual focused on building a strong and authentic personal brand, engaging with and growing your audience, providing value, and cultivating trust and loyalty to grow your business and achieve your impact and revenue goals, I can help.
SUCCESS AS A PERSONAL BRAND IS ABOUT WHO NOT HOW
My private coaching container, PUBLISHED, is where I’ll guide you through the aspects of media, storytelling, marketing, publishing submissions, agents and editing that you need to understand if you want to effectively secure yourself a traditional book deal that establishes and grows your personal brand-based business.
Success in this process comes from a clear and consistent story, a deeply aligned and authentic mission, and understanding how to negotiate the necessary partnerships in publishing that equal sure success.
Writing the book is only part of the process to becoming a bestselling author!
If you’re ready to work on your media positioning, your sales strategy, the assets publishers and agents want to see from your personal brand in how you see – and TELL – your story, and you’re ready to work with a coach in a 3 month accelerated process, PUBLISHED is for you.
Take a look at the video here and apply for further details.
Personal brand is just about you being authentic and clear – and publishing success comes from understanding that nothing is random (not even book deals!). It’s all about patterns and maybe you don’t recognise them now. But by the end of our twelve weeks together, you’ll see how clear and consistent the sales and positioning piece of publishing really is.
I can’t wait to help you launch your publishing career! Limited places available starting next month. More info and apply here.
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