Authors...How to Use Visibility to Generate Revenues

Are you a nonfiction author who uses your writing to fuel revenues? Do you want to use books to generate interest in your other services and products such as information products, consulting, coaching and/or speaking?
Whether you’re a seasoned author, or first time author, books are a great way to build a loyal following, drive traffic to your various offerings and generate revenues.
Granted, there are may authors who only want to write and writing is not part of their business model. Yet, there are untold numbers of experts who do want to write books to fuel a highly successful business.
Consider this; the more visible you are, the more buzz your books get, the more opportunity you have.
In days gone by, gaining visibility was a lot tougher than it is today. Now it’s a matter of having a plan and working the plan...consistently.
Gaining visibility for you and your book(s) is not something you do once your book is published. Visibility needs to start as soon as possible and be an aspect of “business as usual.”
With all that’s available to virtually any expert who writes, it’s merely a matter of making the decision to do something every day to raise awareness within your market.
• Social media marketing
• Media releases
• Email marketing
• Interviews
• Blogging
• Guest blogging
• Virtual book tours
• Book website
The more you utilize this list, the more each will fuel the other ways you can gain visibility. The key is to be strategic about what you are doing, avoiding a haphazard approach.
As an expert and author, one of the best ways to position your message is with interviews. There is ample opportunity to be heard and seen. What with traditional radio, television, trade journals and newspapers, there is more than enough choice. Add to the traditional avenues, online means and you will not want for opportunity.
Two outstanding resources for securing interviews are Radio Guest List and HARO - Help a Reporter Out.
Radio guest list
Radio Guest List is an online resource you register for to get frequent announcements of show hosts seeking guest experts.
There is a free registration level and a paid level where you pay a nominal fee for a monthly subscription.
To get the best choices, invest a few dollars for the paid subscription. Subscribers get more announcements and they do seem to be better quality.
HARO - Help a Reporter Out
HARO is an online service set up for journalists to quickly gather feedback from the public. It is designed to enable journalists to connect with people who have expertise or experience in particular issues, so that journalists can obtain valuable advice and quotes for stories they are covering.
Anyone can sign up. Subscribers get up to three emails a day, five days a week, filled with queries from reporters from top news outlets like Forbes, CNN, ABC, Entrepreneur, INC and many more.
Ample opportunity
With just these two resources you will have more than enough opportunity to be interviewed in your area of expertise. Show hosts, journalists, columnists and the like are in need of outstanding content. There’s no reason you can’t be one of the experts who provides them with what they need.
However, avoid a hit and miss approach. Put systems in place that allow you to consistently be seen and heard by way of interviews.
In addition to Radio Guest List and HARO, a Google search brings up a lot of information on where you can be interviewed. iTunes is a great resource for podcast shows you can reach out to.
Preparation is essential
99% of the time, you will need to provide the following:
• Bio - This establishes your expertise and credibility.
• Photo - Depending on your expertise, the type of photo may be a head shot or an action shot.
• Questions - Some hosts insist you provide questions they can ask while others prefer to use their own.
• List of previous interviews you’ve done - This list minimizes the risk to the host. If you’re just starting out don’t let this stop you, but keep a running list of the interviews you’ve done.
Conclusion
With all that’s available, there is no reason whatsoever that you cannot get ample visibility for you, your book(s), speaking engagements and product rollouts. It truly is a matter of desire, commitment, focus and being incredibly organized.