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#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Turn Your Content Into a Book with Leah Ingram

#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Turn Your Content Into a Book with Leah Ingram

by | Oct 20, 2017 | ContentWritingChat

Have you ever thought about turning your content into a book? If so, you might be wondering how to get started with this process! In this week’s #ContentWritingChat, this is exactly what we talked about.

We talked about what you need to do first if you want to write a book, the pros and cons of working with a publisher versus self-publishing, and more! If this chat is right up your alley, keep reading for out recap. It’s loaded with all the tips you need.

#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Turn Your Content Into a Book With Leah Ingram

Our guest host this week was Leah Ingram. Leah is a regular #ContentWritingChat participant, so we were thrilled to have her guest hosting. As a writer, she had a lot of amazing tips to help you create a book of your very own.

Q1: Why would you want to turn your content into a book?

Whether you’ve already been thinking about writing a book or you’re not convinced it’s worthwhile, this first question is for you. We asked everyone to share why they felt writing a book could be beneficial. Check out some of the responses:

Leah feels writing a book is a great way to build your platform as an expert within your niche.

Writing a book allows you to reach a new audience through a different medium, which is always a plus.

Julia said publishing a book instantly gives you authority in your niche. She was able to land a paid speaking gig and even secure new clients from publishing her own book.

For Carla, she felt a book was a beneficial way to answer all the questions she was commonly asked.

A book is a great way to put everything into one place, which makes it easier for your audience to consume.

As Ken said, portability is another benefit of writing a book. With all of your best content in one place, it’s easy for your audience to read and take with them wherever they go.

Q2: How do you know that your content is something your audience will be interested in?

Before you get started with a book, you want to make sure the topic you choose is something your audience will value. If they aren’t interested, they won’t buy! Here’s how you can make sure your book will be a hit with your target audience:

If you’re receiving a lot of comments or traffic on certain types of content, Leah said that’s a good sign you’ve got a winner. This is a great way to get started when turning your content into a book.

Make sure you’re listening to your audience. Take their feedback into consideration and allow it to guide your content.

Sarah’s advice is to research what your audience is responding to and sharing. This gives you a good idea of what their interests are so you can create the content that resonates.

If you aren’t sure what your audience truly wants, there are a few great options for you. Carla suggests doing surveys, asking questions, checking blog comments, and even viewing your Google Analytics. Discover what’s been a hit with your audience and go from there.

If you’re going to be repurposing some of your blog content as a book, that’s already going to be a good indicator of your audience’s interest. Were people sharing those posts or leaving comments? Those are signs that they liked what you were sharing.

Never be afraid to just ask your audience what they want. If you have an idea, present it to them to get their feedback.

Q3: What comes first — the book idea, the agent, or the publisher?

Do you need a book idea first or should you secure an agent or a publisher beforehand? To help answer this question, here’s some feedback from the chat:

Leah has always relied on traditional publishing, so she would create an idea first, then find an agent, and finally a publisher.

Iain recommends starting with a book idea. You want to have a topic that your audience will find valuable.

Julia said the book idea always comes first. She feels everything else will fall into place from there.

Carla starts with a book topic, plans out her idea, and then begins pitching.

Without an idea, there’s no book to be written!

As Tony said, it’s pretty hard to get someone to back you if you don’t have a great idea first.

Q4: How do you stay organized and productive throughout the writing process?

Once it’s time to start writing, you could use some tips to help you stay on track! Here are some organizational and productivity tips you can use:

Leah recommends setting daily word limits to give yourself a goal to work towards. This will keep you on track and ensure you’re making progress every day.

Don’t forget to block off writing time on your schedule!

Once you’ve got your writing time blocked off in your calendar, make sure you eliminate any distractions. You need to just focus on your writing.

You can get started by creating an outline of your ideas first. It’ll make the writing process much easier.

Julia recommends writing to match your flow, pacing yourself, and committing to deadlines.

Devin also sees the value in deadlines. They’ll ensure you’re progressing and staying on track.

Having a journal or a planner is a great way to jot down ideas and deadlines for yourself. It’s nice to have all of that information in one place for easy access.

Sarah said you should have a writing system in place. You can set deadlines to meet your goals. And make sure you’re taking breaks when needed to give yourself a mental reboot.

Whenever you get stuck, walk away from your writing for a bit. Do something else to refresh your mind and then come back to it later.

Q5: What are the pros and cons of working with a publisher versus self-publishing?

These days, many writers are choosing to skip working with a publisher in favor of self-publishing. There are benefits and downsides to both, so here’s what you need to know:

Leah said she’s more inspired when she already has an advance.

Working with a publisher gives you access to a wide array of contacts that can increase the visibility of the book, but that publisher will get some of your money from sales.

As Julia said, you can make more royalties with self-publishing.

Ken said that a publisher will hopefully set money aside for marketing, which is a major plus. If you go the self-publishing route, that task falls on your shoulders.

A publisher can also help keep you on track with deadlines, but some writers might not like having deadlines to meet.

With self-publishing, it’s all up to you. You have to be prepared to write, edit, and promote all on your own.

Q6: Once your book has been completed, what’s the next step? How do you spread the word?

Your book is done. Now what? To spread the word and increase sales on your book, check out these tips:

Social media, print, TV, radio, and guest posting are all great options to get your book out there.

You can reach out to your own network of friends and colleagues to help you with promotion. Influencers in your niche are a great way to expand your reach as well.

Your connections and influencers can really help get your book in front of more people.

Ken suggests engaging in online forms and on blogs. You want to put in the work before your book is released to build your audience and increase anticipation.

Utilize your social media outlets, network, and schedule TV and radio appearances.

Javier recommends running promotions that offer chapters for free or exclusive content. This is a great way to encourage sales and pique the interest of your audience.

Telling friends is great, but sometimes they won’t be your target audience. Make sure you’re spreading the word to people who would be most interested.

Q7: How do you actually make money once you’ve written a book (beyond an advance if you’ve gotten one)?

Your book is out there in the world and now you’re probably wondering how you can make money with it. Check out this advice for some great tips:

Leah makes money through her spokesperson income, as her books have helped her land gigs. She also suggests getting magazine assignments to continue building your platform.

For Julia, it’s all about the royalties that come in. She makes residual monthly income from her book.

You could even consider turning some of your book content into webinars that potential readers could tune into. The webinar should leave them wanting to buy your book. You can also run ads or land speaking engagements.

Make sure you continue spreading the word about your book via social media. Don’t forget about it!

As Cheval said, your book could help you land clients for your business. If your competition hasn’t written a book, you’re sure to stand out.

Zachary recommends building a website to continue growing your brand and to also try speaking gigs.

Q8: Any final advice on successfully turning your content into a book?

To close out the chat, we asked everyone to share their final tidbits on how to turn your content into a book. Here’s what some of them had to say:

Leah’s advice is that you shouldn’t try to go it alone. Having an agent can be a great support system for you as you write your book.

Work hard, set deadlines, and make sure you get an editor. These are important reminders from Iain!

Julia said you shouldn’t rush the process. It’s going to take time, so put in the effort that’s required. She also said to create a book you’re proud of.

Believe in yourself!

Katie said you shouldn’t force your content into a book format if it’s just not working out. You might find that something isn’t best as a book, which is totally okay.

Want to join our next #ContentWritingChat? Follow @ExpWriters and @writingchat, then join us every Tuesday at 10 AM Central!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Using Twitter for Book Marketing & Promotion with Rachel Thompson

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Using Twitter for Book Marketing & Promotion with Rachel Thompson

by | Jul 21, 2017 | ContentWritingChat

Calling all authors! Are you wondering how you can use Twitter to market and promote your brand new book? If so, you’re in luck! That’s exactly the topic we discussed in our latest #ContentWritingChat. Some amazing tips were shared from our guest host and our chat participants. We’ve compiled some of the responses into this helpful recap, so let’s dive in!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Using Twitter for Book Marketing and Promotion with Rachel Thompson


Our guest host this week was Rachel Thompson. She’s an author, a marketer, and the owner of BadRedhead Media. Having used Twitter to market her own books, she really knows her stuff! We were excited to have her join our chat and share her expertise.

Q1: What’s the best way to use Twitter to sell books?

To kick off this week’s chat, we asked everyone to share how they felt was the best way to use Twitter to sell books. We received some great responses to this question, so here are a few of the answers:


Rachel’s advice is not to use Twitter to sell. Instead, she said to focus on building relationships with your current and potential readers. When you make that connection with people, it’s going to help you in the long run because people will be more inclined to buy from someone they know and trust.
She also suggests strategically following readers in your demographic. Provide them with valuable content, listen to what they have to say, and be authentic and helpful. They’ll appreciate you for it!


Even though it’s not something that Sarah has experience with just yet, she offered some great advice. She says you need to find your audience, meet their needs, and focus on networking.


Jenn has a great way of looking at selling! She says you need to sell yourself and why your words are worth reading. You also need to sell your words and why they should be read. If people don’t see the value in what you’ve created, they aren’t going to bother making a purchase.


Annaliese agrees. She says it’s all about focusing on the value you can provide. If you want to be successful with book marketing, showcase the value you have to offer.


You can also get creative with how your promote your next book. Have your audience get involved through a contest, which is a great way to get them doing some marketing for you. We love the idea of having them create fan art inspired by the book.

Q2: How many Twitter followers do you need to be successful?

Do you need to have a specific amount of followers in order to succeed at promoting your book? Or does it not matter? Here’s what some of our chat participants had to say:


Rachel was spot-on with her answer here. As she said, it’s all about quality and not quantity. You want followers who are truly interested in what you have to say and the work you’re creating. That’s key to seeing results with social media.
She also said that you should follow readers, book bloggers, reviewers, and publishing influencers. It’s a great idea to keep up with what those people are talking about and taking the time to engage with them.


After all, tons of followers who don’t engage with you won’t matter. You’d be better off with a smaller, engaged group than a larger group who isn’t pay any attention.


Andrea agrees! He said that 100 engaged followers on Twitter is much better than having 10,000 followers who are silent. You need an audience who is actually listening to you and engaging. Those are the people who will be most likely to buy.


Focus on building a following of current readers and potential readers if you want to succeed on Twitter.

Q3: What’s better: automation or no automation?

How do you feel about automation? Is it acceptable when promoting your book on social media or should it be avoided? Here’s some advice:


Rachel recommends ditching the automated DMs on Twitter, which typically come off as spammy and irritate your followers. But she says there’s nothing wrong with scheduling in promotional tweets or valuable content.


Varun doesn’t have a problem with automation as long as it’s monitored. You don’t want to automate conversations you have with your audience because that’s not genuine. Instead, you need to be there in real-time for those types of interactions.


When it comes to automating promotional posts, there’s nothing wrong with that. You simply shouldn’t automate engagement.


As David pointed out, it can help you reach people across multiple time zones.


Javier suggests finding a balance when it comes to social media automation. It can free up time for you to schedule certain pots in advance, but he agrees that you need to engage in real-time.


To really drive that point home, do not automate engagement with your audience!


On the flip side, a few of our chat participants recommend saying NO to automation.


But as Sarah said, it’s all about doing what works for you and your brand. That’s what matters in the end.

Q4: How can an author brand themselves on Twitter?

How do you go about branding yourself on Twitter? Check out this helpful advice from Tuesday’s chat:


One of the main things to keep in mind when branding yourself on social media? Keep it consistent! Rachel also says you need to tailor your message specifically for Twitter.


Elizabeth suggests using branded images, which makes your content recognizable on social media. She also says you can get involved in Twitter chats to establish your brand’s voice.


Varun’s advice is to build a relationship with your audience and don’t forget to connect with book lovers and reviewers as well. This is essential for book marketing!


Make sure you aren’t ignoring your fans on Twitter. Take the time to engage with them and build a relationship.


Cheval recommends focusing on providing valuable content for your audience. This will help you bring in new followers and build your brand’s presence overall.


David also said to share your insights and expertise to provide value to your audience. He had a great idea of sharing your writing process for a little behind-the-scenes content.

Q5: What’s the best way to build relationships on Twitter?

Now that we’ve already mentioned the importance of building relationships on Twitter, you need to know how to actually going about it. So, what’s the secret to connecting with your audience? Check out this advice:


Rachel’s advice is to follow people who are your ideal readers. Make the time to interact with them. They’ll take notice! This is the start of building a relationship with new people so you have to be willing to put yourself out there.
She suggests asking questions and even asking for opinions to get the conversation started. It’s so simple, but it works!


This is such a great reminder for all of us on social media! Talk WITH your audience, not at them. Conversation is a two-way street.


Annaliese says to engage with people one-on-one. Find new people and give them a follow. If you’d like to reach out to someone who is high-profile, she suggests sending a personalized message to start the conversation.


Sarah knows Twitter chats are where it’s at! They’re an easy way to make connections with other like-minded people. Find some in your niche and start participating.


Courtney also recommends joining Twitter chats. As she pointed out, it’s also an opportunity to learn new things. You can find out a lot about your audience by connecting with them through chats.


Varun’s advice is to engage in real-time conversation. He suggests starting your own Twitter chat or being a guest on another popular chat. It’s a great way to leverage someone else’s audience.


Twitter chats, one-on-one conversations, and genuine interaction are essential in Elizabeth’s book.


Zala says you should be a cheerleader for others! Be interested in what they have to say, reach out, and support one another. This is so effective when it comes to building real relationships through social media.

Q6: How can an author incorporate blogging and Twitter?

As an author, you probably know how effective both blogging and Twitter can be. But how do you go about incorporating these two things into your online strategy? Take a look at these suggestions from this week’s chat:


On Twitter, you can find relevant hashtags for sharing and promoting your work. As Rachel mentioned, she started a hashtag that encourages people to share their blog content. This will really come in handy for authors who want to expand their reach on Twitter.
She also mentioned how blogging consistently can help with SEO. This is great if you want to increase traffic to your website and build your online presence overall.


Jenn sees it as an opportunity to share your words, your thoughts, and your experiences. You can make use of both Twitter and blogging for this.


Elizabeth suggest using blogging as a bite-size way to give people a taste of your writing. It’s a subtle way to go about book marketing that can yield great results. If people like what they see on your blog, they’ll be more inclined to purchase your book.

Q7: What are Twitter Lists and how can authors use them?

You can add specific users to a “list” on Twitter, which helps cut down on the noise and gives you the chance to see updates from just those people. But are you actively using this feature? Many people forget all about it, but it’s worth making use of it! Here’s how you can use Twitter Lists as an author:


Rachel recommends using Lists to filter your followers. She encourages you to create as many as you want. They can also be private or public.


As Jenn said, Lists allow you to segment people into specific groups. An author might opt to create lists for readers, influencers, and bloggers.


Create Lists for promoters and readers for efficient book marketing on Twitter.


Lists allow you to filter out the content that doesn’t matter and focus on what really counts. You’ll be able to easily keep up with what’s going on in your niche with these curated lists.


Annaliese also suggests using Lists to stay used on trends relevant to your audience and industry.

Q8: How do you find readers/your demographic?

To wrap up the chat, we asked everyone to share their advice on how to find your readers on Twitter. Here’s what you need to know:


Rachel recommends using Manage Flitter, which allows you to input keywords for tweets or bios. You’ll be able to easily find people you’re looking for.


Eddie’s advice is to scope out other Twitter Lists and check out social media groups, like the ones on Facebook.


Varun knows Twitter Advanced Search can come in handy when searching for your target audience. He also said to use popular hashtags or search generic terms to locate them. You can even check out your competitors! After all, you need to locate your audience and connect with them for successful book marketing on Twitter.
Join the fun every Tuesday at 10 AM Central Time! Follow us on Twitter (@ExpWriters and @writingchat) and be there for the next live chat!
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