Online Self Publishing: Good or bad idea?
Many times Self-development professionals feel to be threaten when they accept to expose publicly all their methods in an e-book. They have a big list of ideas on how an e-book might affect negatively their business and income. So, in this article I will discuss three of their biggest quarrels – as I have faced them several times from my own coaching clients:
Quarrel #1: If I have my book online, people might “steal” it: they will find a way to download it for free and then they will share it with their friends without letting me know and paying me for what I deserve. It could happen this, right?
Of course it can happen. People hack, steal and share illegally all the time. But I want to ask you another question: Is this a problem or a bliss? Let me tell you one little secret: No best seller author has become rich from their books alone. Your books are not designed to make you rich. As I understand, you are a self-development expert, such as Psychologist, therapist, healer or Life Coach, and your main income comes from your 1:1 sessions. Obviously, you need to sell more than 20.000 online copies of your book in order to reach the same annual income you earn from your profession. This amount of copies is huge: it is totally insane to believe you can reach it with your very first book.
Get used of the idea that the book-income alone is not worthy. What really is worthy, is that your book will be read by thousands of people who will want to become your Group or 1:1 clients. So, YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SHARE YOUR BOOK, whether it is with a percentage – as affiliate promotion, whether it is as a referral or even for free. You write and promote online your book not in order to become rich, but in order to spread the word about YOU and your more expensive programs.
Quarrel #2: If I share all my knowledge and exercises through a book, then people won’t have a motif to be my 1:1 paying clients.
This concern is very common, but still, it has no real base, and let me tell you why. How many books have you already read, and how many of them changed your life? The ones that were better than the others couldn’t change you totally because they were general and you needed the personal connection with the professional who wrote it. They were good enough though for you to move on to a more close cooperation (with the author). If you haven’t been a 1:1 client of those professionals whose books changed your life is only because their prices were too high for your budget… but still, they might have some more affordable programs – group coaching – home study courses, etc. This is how Self-Development Authors make money (and sometimes 7figure fortunes): By exposing their expertise through a book for very little or even for no money at all, they get recognized as authorities on their field, and then they promote to their readers high end programs, expensive home study courses and 1:1 sessions for a lot more than $400 per hour.
I hope you got the idea (the strategy to be precise): You provide your reader with all the information available. Some months after they have read your book they won’t remember a single thing. It sounds sad, but this is how a normal reader’s brain works… but they will remember your name… and they might be in your emailing list as well. This is all the gain you get from an online book and this is what your readers also expect to receive: just a taste of your ideas, not a permanent healing. But in order for them to get this “taste” you should be as descriptive as it gets. Don’t hide anything and they will adore you, they will trust you and they will happily pay you for more.
Have you heard of Jack Canfield? He is one of the most famous Best selling authors on the self-development field. Do you think he is a millionaire only because of his books? No, he is extremely wealthy because through his books he sells home study courses, online coaching and 1:1 coaching for extremely high fee. Why can he do that? Because EVERYONE knows him through his books… He knew that the book itself couldn't make him rich, it could only position him as an Authority who deserves high end clients.
Quarrel #3: If I expose my findings with an online book, antagonists will steal my methods and they will use them for their own clients!
C’mon, we live in an abundant universe. The more you offer out there, the more you receive. By hiding your gifts and findings, the only thing you manage is to keep your business Invisible from your own clients. After all, you owe it to the society. Let’s be honest, your findings have not come from Parthenogenesis, you have also been inspired by many professionals, psychologists, Self-Development leaders and Philosophers, right? No one can do your work the way you do it yourself. Even the professionals who are using your methods, have their own ones as well, and a lot more from their teachers and mentors. No one can steal your personal style.
One more thing, many people TEACH what they have found and they are very happy to see their students turning into respectful “antagonists” of theirs… would you really mind to know other people respect you so much so that they copy your methods? After all, you can just write in your book “You may use my methods for your own Therapy Practice, but please give me the credits whenever you do so, as an act of respect for my research and work” Do you know what will happen then? Many respectful professionals will give credits to you, while they coach, while they heal, and in their own books, in their speeches or any other kind of public exposure. You want this to happen. It is honest recognition as well as an amazing way of having your “antagonists” promote you on a global scale.
So, as I can think, these have been the biggest dissents I have witnessed when it comes to writing and publishing an online book. Have I answered yours? Or do you still have concerns? Please, share yours I really want to hear from you and I will defiantly reply.