For lots of entrepreneurs, sitting down to write an entire book on their own seems ridiculously daunting. They have no idea how they’d ever come up with that much content.
But imagine getting others to do the writing for you. Even better, imagine attracting ten times more business by getting your current clients to write the book for you. Or imagine getting together with members of your network, your affiliates, and writing a book together.
Well, if that idea appeals to you, it may be time for you to write an anthology.
Here’s the definition of an anthology:
A book or other collection of selected writings by various authors, usually in the same literary form, of the same period, or on the same subject: an anthology of Elizabethan drama; an anthology of modern philosophy.
You may know the business coach Lisa Sasevich. In a nutshell, Lisa teaches female entrepreneurs how to create talks, and to sell their products and services from the stage.
Lisa has a huge following; tons of clients who pay big money to work with her. (Last I heard, her inner-circle clients pay over $25,000 to study with her.)
For a very long time, Lisa did not have a book to her name, unlike most experts at her level.
She needed a book to even out the playing field because you can’t be a credible expert without a book, not for very long, anyway.
And here’s what she did to rectify the situation. She gave her inner-circle members the opportunity to associate themselves with her name, and to share their stories of success. She invited them to write a story about how they learned to make big money and a big difference doing what they loved while working with her. (In all likelihood, she charged them for this win-win opportunity.)
Here’s what Lisa (or members of her staff) did to produce this book:
- She set the theme: Make big money and a big difference doing what you love.
- She served as the manager of the project.
- She handpicked those who would submit chapters, those who would end up in the book.
- She paid the associated costs of producing and publishing the book.
- She promoted the book on line and at her well-attended live events
Lisa got a book out into the world with her name on the cover, a book chock full of wonderful client testimonials. Social proof that the work she does actually makes a difference, which is what potential clients want to see. She got the credibility associated with writing a book. AND she gave the contributors huge visibility, a publication credit, and the reflective glory of being associated with her.
As you can see, everybody wins.
Tom Sawyer got others to paint his fence. Perhaps it’s time for you to do the same.
