Back in the day, aspiring authors hoped to have a book published, get a big advance, and become a best selling author. But that’s old school!
Now you can build your own publishing empire without the help of the “big boy” publishing houses because the birth of the internet and digital printing has now dramatically changed the playing field. In fact, even non-writers are getting in on the action!
If you know how to solve the problems of people in your marketplace and can write simple articles explaining how to do just that, then you have the serious makings of an information publishing mogul! Here’s how to do it step by step.
I’ve designed this article info-publishing product pyramid based on cost to the client. For example, the first product is free for the client, but the cost of each product increases as you continue – making the most expensive product the weekend workshop. As your customers follow along the pyramid, you grow your empire, and best of all make more money. All originating from articles.
Product 1 – Write an ezine or newsletter.
Offer a simple one page electronic newsletter on a weekly or bi-weekly basis and center it around information in your niche. This is important to get right, because subscribers will probably decide whether or not they will want to buy from you based on the quality of the information you provide in this newsletter.
Product 2 – Write a traditional book
Believe it or not, there is not a lot of money in publishing a print book. Maybe for Harry Potter and Twilight authors or President Barack Obama, but not for most. But what a print book can still do for you is provide credibility. Don’t panic though – you can create a great book using articles.
Product 3 – Write an ebook or ecourse
Writing an ebook or course should come next in your information publishing outline, because you can always charge more for niche-specific information then traditional books. Think $15 bucks tops for a NYT bestseller and then $67 bucks for an infoproduct. We’ve all paid more for information online then we have for books on Amazon – haven’t we?
Product 4 – Home Study Program
Take your articles, audios, videos and organize them into a great multimedia home study course for your prospects. If your readers bought your lower end products, they are probably ready to learn a lot more from you and a home study course is a great way to do this. Again – you can create this system using content that you have already written. Think editing.
Product 5 – Create A Membership Program
All memberships sites or programs are based around information and content. You just are delivering it in spoon-fed doses and holding members’ hands as they move through the program. It’s a great way to learn and a great way to build a community of “fans” who are all interested in learning all that you know about your field.
Product 6 – The Weekend Workshop
Live events rock! Whether you have 5 people or 500. It’s a great way to truly connect with your clients/members, and you can create the entire program around content that you already have written. Just flesh it out and add a few powerpoint presentations and you have the makings of a great money-making weekend.
*Optional Service – Coaching
As an information publisher, you can create information packed or curriculum based coaching programs for your clients. Instead of working with the clients one on one, you can group coach several clients and coach them through a series of lessons that you create.
Remember that you have an additional option of selling a physical copy of your home study program once you no longer offer the coaching program or you offer a new version of the program every year.
While you may not be able to complete all of these products overnight, you can absolutely get started creating your first product if you have at least 5 articles on tap.
**Remember that you do not have to drive yourself crazy creating new content to make all of these products on the pyramid. In fact, all of these products can be created from articles that you have already written and even published – fantastic huh?