What Happens After You Publish? Insights from 33 Successful Authors
I asked the authors in my book review interview series how publishing their books transformed their lives. You will be surprised by some of the answers.
I must admit that I failed in the German literature subject in High School back in the days. The teacher said: “Don’t worry, your bad form of today might be a good motivation to write a book one day.”
You can guess that was a pretty strong motivation as a book reader to eventually write and publish a book on my own - which happened 25 years ago for the first time.
From there I asked myself not just about what drivers authors to write theirs but also which doors the label of a published author would open for then. Not a surprise that this became one of my favourite questions in my book review series which I started a couple of years ago.
Posted in the meantime as monthly reviews in my LinkedIn newsletter Learn From Books (check it out on my Substack here), I kept the structure of my reviews and the interviews pretty similar.
My favourite question is: “What is the outcome in having this book available?”
Here are the top ten tips across the 33 reviewed books by their authors (you can find more about the respective book reviews in the links):
Speaking: A published book is a good magnet to become a speaker as organisers and participants anticipate interesting stories to hear when the author climbs the stairs. In the review for Swap, Therese Tarlinton remembered: “After leaving corporate, I now get to speak on stages around the country sharing how to do ‘marketing without money.’ To see their faces spark with ideas of who they could partner with is all the fuel I need to keep going and to speak in front of bigger audiences.“
Confidence: Especially those who are not standing regularly in the spotlight, a published book can elevate them in an unexpected way. I remember that I once connected Jacqueline Hofste, the author of The Free Spirit of Your Life Purpose, to her publisher. Her answer about the outcome: “I didn’t expect it, but it is a great boost in confidence, and it is helping me to build my coaching business. It is such a great feeling when marketing myself to other business owners or coaches to be able to say: ‘… and here is my book’. It creates instant rapport.”
Credibility: An important aspect is the reputation as a published author which can be further transformed. This is what Geoff Anderson told me in one of my earlier reviews of Shoot Me Now: “This has significantly increased my credibility and confidence in the industry. It has translated into hundreds of thousands of dollars of business.”
Connected: On the transition from reader to client, a good book can move mountains. This happened to me when I read Quiet Confidence from Joel Annesley before the launch - where I had the feeling to know him well. He confirmed that in his lines: “The book speaks to my ideal clients and creates a sense of connectedness even before the coaching relationship begins.”
Program: A business book could be more than a marketing tool when it is integrated with the content of a coaching program. This is how Duncan Fish created his book Engage alongside his program: “I use the book as the core text of my Engaging Executive Program. Being able to integrate the book with a very powerful 90-day behavioural change program whereby participants can cross reference the learnings is just a fantastic combination.”
Resource: Many business authors add a lot of knowledge into their books that work as a reference in addition to their teaching or programs. This was also the case with Listen Innovate Grow from Michael Haynes and Garreth Chandler. Michael summarised that aspect with the statement “The book has been a great resource to help startups and SMEs to understand how they can take advantage of the opportunity to win larger customers.”
Gift: The book can become an ideal companion for the business and the personal brand of the author. As Dr. Beat Bühlmann said in the review of Stuck? Unhappy?: “Having written a book is not only a transformative experience for yourself, but it is also an amazing door opener. It is a great and super-personal gift as well as a useful “leave behind” at events when I give speeches or when I teach.”
Alignment: Writing a book is often also a reflection of the various aspects of our characters. Not all sides of us are visible from the outside. A good example is Michele Gennoe, the author of Mindful Leadership, when she wrote: “I love all the aspects of who I am and writing the book helped me to claim these different aspects of who I am. Once I had that internal alignment then the external alignment also came and now I am known as Mindset Michele.”
Achievement: Not every book is written super fast. Adrienne McLean needed three years to compile the best episodes of her podcast in form of a book with the same title Think Bigger, Grow & Succeed. Her views on the outcome: “It is so wonderful to see a goal completed and to have the book in my hands! From 19 hours of interviewing, a long list of tasks to capture the professionals' advice in the written format, finally after three years, it is completed. To have "Author" as a title is also an achievement.”
Reflection: While most authors answered the question about the outcome in their own view, Andrew Hoggard rather thought about his readers. In the review of Business from the Heart, he mentioned: “My belief is that education alone doesn’t change our behaviour, so the hope is that through readers reflection some of this will touch the heart where changes take place for a better tomorrow.”
TL;DR:
Speaking: A book opens doors to speak and share impactful stories.
Confidence: Publishing boosts confidence and professional credibility.
Credibility: Being an author strengthens reputation and drives success.
Connected: A good book builds a connection with potential clients.
Program: Integrating a book into programs enhances applied learning.
Resource: A book serves as a lasting reference for insights.
Gift: A book is a personal, impactful gift at events or meetings.
Alignment: Writing aligns personal and professional identities.
Achievement: Completing a book is a rewarding milestone.
Reflection: A book inspires reflection, sparking meaningful change.
Find my book review series here to learn more (new episodes coming soon).
Which one resonates most with you for your own book(s)?