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NOTE: Today’s post is written by Jamie Dykstra, Coach & Writer who helps athletes and businesses tell their stories.

Writing a Book as a Branding Tool

Social media is one of the most popular ways to build a brand these days, and for good reason. And while the desire to go viral is great, it’s a short-term step in the long-term game of building your brand. Building a brand requires consistency and discipline over the long-term.

To do this, you can also look outside of the world of social media. One impactful way to build your brand is to write a book.

Or better yet…. Have someone else write that book for you! 

We’ll get to that in a second. But let’s first talk about the benefits of a book to your brand. 

Benefits of Writing a Book

Authoring a book is much more than just seeing your name on a shiny cover for other people to buy. In fact, sales from a book don’t even make the cut for our benefits list.

So what’s the power of a book?

• Build your brand by allowing other people to better understand you, your story, and your mission. 

• Open the door for more opportunities. Did you know many speaking engagements require you to have a book? Even podcasts will frequently ask if you have a book when applying to be on their show. 

• Drive traffic to you. At the end of a book, you can direct people to follow you on social media, purchase other products or services you offer, or engage in other business opportunities. 

• Increase your reach. An autographed book at a camp that you host will build your brand, drive more traffic to you, and give back to the next generation of athletes. 

Get Someone Else to Write It For You

You spend your days with your nose in your books and perfecting your athletic craft, so it’s understandable that you wouldn’t want to spend your free time and energy writing your own book. 

This is where you have the power to hire someone else to do this for you: a ghostwriter.

What does a ghostwriter do?

• Takes care of the heavy lifting of actually writing the book

• Advises you on the structure and content of the book

• Conducts carefully planned interviews to help you most effectively reflect on and share your message

• Utilizes their expertise to create a seamless process

Some ghostwriters will even go further than just writing the manuscript; they will connect you to other players that are needed to complete the book, such as designers and publishers.

The Ghostwriting Process

Now you’re thinking, “Well that all sounds great, but my schedule is already PACKED.” So, let’s talk about what you can expect from an example ghostwriting process. 

1. You’ll start with an introductory call to establish your goals, intentions, and “why” for the book.

2. Next, you’ll work on an outline for the book to serve as a foundation for the rest of the process. 

3. The ghostwriter will then set up a series of ~1-hour interviews with you based on the outline at whatever cadence works for your schedule (i.e. once a week, once every two weeks, etc.).

4. Once the first draft of the book is complete, you will get some time to review it (~1 month). 

5. The ghostwriter will incorporate your feedback and give you the final manuscript. 

6. As an added bonus, certain ghostwriters will help connect you to and manage the process of working with other key players, such as designers and publishers. 

If you’re looking to add a new tool to your brand arsenal that will last for years to come but don’t have the time or energy to invest in it, a ghostwriter may be a great option for you.

Thank You for reading today’s newsletter

Want to take the first step in writing a book? You can book a free strategy session with Jamie. You can also download her free Non-Fiction Book Blueprint!

^{I discuss insights and news related to NIL and personal branding for athletes every Wednesday at 12p ET/9a PT.}

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