The women who come to me for help with self-publishing a book have two main reasons for writing their book.
1. They want to get their message out into the world, and for the book to affect lives in a profoundly positive way
2. They want the book to showcase the quality of their work so that readers can see how much they’d benefit from uplevelling into my client’s other services and products.
Both of these reasons are extremely important.
However, when a book is being published to benefit your business, it’s the second reason that needs some very careful attention. After all, the upsell will more than cover the investment you make in producing your high-quality book, if you are willing to market both the book and its upsell offering in a big way. The product or service that you’re promoting could be a huge asset to your business, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of its lifetime.
Have you thought about what upsell you’ll be offering readers in your book? (PLEASE don’t make a it general “head to my website for a look at the services I offer” invitation. You really need to have a specific, logical “next step” for your readers/potential clients.)
Will you be offering an existing program that neatly carries on the journey readers have taken throughout the book, or will you be creating an offering from scratch?
I helped a publishing client of mine, naturopath Michelle Glassbrook, plan and produce a gorgeous, transformational “upsell” detox program that leads on naturally from the plant-based recipe book that she has self-published (the book is called Tastes of Eden).
If you’d like a peek at what’s offered in Michelle’s Vibrant You program, head here. It’s held a few times a year, as a live group event. Within the book, we mentioned the program a few times – where appropriate – and at the back of the book we included an enticing, full-colour, double-page spread that promotes the program. Unfortunately this screenshot doesn’t show the text clearly, but you get the idea!
Isn’t that a great photo of Michelle? It really captures her energy and heart. If you’re publishing in black and white, you can still include an image that captivates.
Many readers who are drawn to the life-enhancing recipes in Michelle’s book could well be interested in upgrading their health in an even bigger way, so Vibrant You is the perfect next step for them.
To inspire you further, here are other upsell programs or services offered by publishing clients of mine:
The Woman Awakened
This is a spiritual, sensual guided tour of Paris and Provence, with Jody Kalpenos. With my assistance, Jody self-published the book Finding Freedom, Finding Me: An Extraordinary Journey Out of Pain and Darkness into Love and Light, and the gorgeous tour that Jody has created is a natural extension of the book’s teachings.
Inspired Life & Business Design
This self-paced, online program was developed by Rachel Allan, and is promoted within her book When Business Meets Baby. The book is beautifully comprehensive and offers a goldmine of advice, and this program allows participants to dive even more deeply into the process of setting up their life and business for success.
There are so many factors to consider when planning your upsell product or service. The price point and niche market (generally a little more niched than the market for the book itself) are just two factors that need some careful thought… If you’d like expert advice and guidance when planning an upsell program, email me at joanne@richlifebydesign.com. We can chat about whether a one-on-one program-planning VIP day would be right for you.
I hope you’ve been inspired to think beyond the book that you’re planning on writing – I encourage you to be smart and strategic about creating a fantastic “next step” that will transform your readers’ lives AND grow your business!
