Could a book be your new business card?

by Dr. Shana Hartman, certified BodyMind Method© Coach, Embodied Writing Experiences

Has anyone ever told you that you should write a book one day?

Or maybe you’ve always had the idea to write a book in the back of your mind.

There’s a rough statistic floating around that says around 80-90% of people have wanted to write a book, but only 2-3% actually wind up writing one and publishing it. Those odds are not forever in your favor (Hunger Games, anyone?)

So, why does it seem like more and more business owners suddenly have a book out there? It’s almost like those folks are passing out their books like they would pass out their business cards. So…

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Is a book really the new business card?

As a former English professor turned embodied book writing coach, here are three reasons why I think books can very much serve as your new, most effective business card:

1. Powerful introduction

The clients I work with share their most important, core messages from their business and life in their personal growth and business strategy books, so the book really becomes an amazing greeting card of sorts to potential clients. A book might speed up the “know, like, trust” factor many businesses are striving for because the reader gets a sense of you, your personality, your work, and your approach to that work in one place.

2. Renewable resource

Books have a long shelf life (pun intended), meaning you can write and publish something this year that could impact someone who buys your book years in the future. Authors also use their books to launch speaking gigs, podcast interviews, and more. The book becomes a resource that encapsulates lots of your brilliant ideas, and you can tap into that brilliance in so many ways and for a very long time. I don’t know of any business card that lasts like that.

3. Far reach over big gains

I always hesitate to guarantee that authors can earn a lot of money from their books. It’s possible, but not likely. Instead, I like to think of your book as having a far reach, connecting you to more people than any other marketing you probably do right now… and certainly more than a business card can! If you self-publish on the common platforms out there (KDP Amazon, IngramSpark, etc.), you have the potential to connect with people from around the world due to the huge audience those platforms market to. It’s almost like an amped-up referral system where you do the writing, and the platform refers people to you through their marketing work. This increased reach can potentially lead to new and/or more clients working with you through your services and programs, which is a far better return than your book sales will probably provide you.

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What do you think?

Does a book sound like your next, best business card? If the answer is “yes,” then I’d love to connect with you. Simply receiving the external nod from someone that you should write a book or thinking you want to is not what actually gets the book written. And, if you’re like most business owners I work with, you may be relying on how you were taught to write to get your book started. Unfortunately, a lot of what we learn about writing in school doesn’t serve us beyond school. (Yes, that’s why you might be staring at that blinking cursor for so long as you work on your next newsletter!)

My team and I love supporting heart-centered, mission-driven folks like you in connecting within to find the words that are waiting to be shared! There’s a lot of body-mind work and support needed to go from idea to published book, and we’re here for it!

To get started, check out my breakdown of “How to Know if You're Ready to Write Your Book (Without Wasting Your Time or Taking Years to Write it).” I’ll share 3 simple ways to know if you’re ready to share your powerful messages from business and life in a book your audience will love and explain how to take that next, powerful step.

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Dr. Shana Hartman

Dr. Shana Hartman is a certified BodyMind Method© Coach that brings embodiment to the world of writing in her Embodied Writing Experiences.

She’s on a mission to change the landscape (and book covers) of the business and personal growth publishing world! Gone are the default pale, male, stale voices being the primary contributors to these spaces and conversations. She helps other mission-driven folks get connected to their hearts and souls and write from that place. She helps them get embodied, leave behind baggage they may have about their writing skills, and quiet the “shoulds” and false beliefs about what makes “good writing.” Writing takes time, but even more so it takes intention and connection. Embodiment is key to creating this.

There are plenty of book coaches and editors out there who have “proven” templates, formulas, and methods to follow. But Shana knows that you’re the true teller of your story, and she’s excited to support you in sharing that message with the world. Shana’s latest writing, This is the Year You Write Your Book, can be found on Amazon.