One Way to Expand Your Thought Leadership
Lately, so many people have been asking me if a book should be a part of their next chapter.
My answer is always YES! If—and this is a big if—their idea is actually a book.
And if it's not a book, that's totally ok. Maybe it's a podcast, or a Substack, or even a business. What really matters is that you know where you're going, and why.
Because here's the thing: good ideas come and go, but book ideas are obsessions that just don't go away.
So, how can you know if you have a book idea on your hands?
Here are five ways to test your book idea:
I'm obsessed with this idea, but is it a book? Ideas that excite both publishers and readers offer a life-changing promise, are often counterintuitive, or have a strong guiding metaphor.
What kind of book is it? Traditional, hybrid, or self-published? Your publishing path will depend on your goals, budget, and platform. I have a terrific grid that provides details on each path. DM me if you'd like a copy.
What's in the middle of proof-of-concept and white space? Hopefully, your book! Your marketing plan needs to be developed before you write your book.
Is there an audience? The key to publishing success is finding the person who needs to read your book (hint: it might be past-self you.)
Am I the one to write it? Do you have a story you can't stop telling and a unique position of author-ity? Because that's all it takes.
If you think a book may indeed be part of your next chapter, we'll explore all of this and more in the BOOKBOUND Accelerator, a spring program I'm running with my friend, bestselling author, and podcast co-host Bethany Saltman.
We designed this program for female writers, experts, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders ready to accelerate the development of their nonfiction books AND finally get published!
Specifically, you'll walk away with:
📚 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵: Big 5, indie, hybrid, or self-publishing
📚 𝗔 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸: including a refined and sellable idea, an organizing principle, a table of contents, market positioning, comps, and an elevator pitch.
📚 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺: A community of hype women ready to amplify your launch.
📚 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲: 200+ of the most active indie publishers and how to submit your book to them.
You can learn more about the Bookbound Accelerator and apply here.
One last note: writing The Myth of the Nice Girl changed my life. It launched a whole new chapter for me—both personally and professionally, and nothing makes me happier than helping other women on their bookbound journeys.
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