I had the opportunity to interview J.J. Hebert recently. He’s known for his success in self-publishing, having worked with thousands of self-published authors throughout the country as well as publishing four #1 best sellers of his own. His work has also appeared in major publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc and Yahoo Finance. He’s the founder and owner of MindStir Media, rated the #1 self-publishing company by Penny Matters, iTech Post, BestTechie and Kev’s Best.
During the interview he shared 3 ways self-publishing a book can grow your brand.
- A book can help you become a trusted authority. There’s arguably no better way to build trust than becoming a published author, especially if your book is focused on your field of expertise. As an example, J.J. Hebert shared that he helped produce a book for Cindy Klement. Klement is an expert on understanding and avoiding toxins in your everyday life. Hebert used his leading book publicity company to help her achieve bestseller status and win awards. “Now she uses her bestselling book at the center of the marketing for her personal brand at https://cindyklement.com,” said Hebert. “As a trusted authority figure, she’s able to book paid speaking gigs and consultations to help improve her clients’ health and wellness.”
- A book can make your online reputation shine. Reputation is everything these days. Research shows that about 97% of consumers depend on reviews before making a purchase. Hebert described one of his author clients, Danielle DiPietro Hawkins, an expert on helping people learn Italian. She runs a Youtube channel and a company, Learn Italian for Travel (LIFT). Hebert explained her situation: “Prior to publishing her book she and her company didn’t have many if any online reviews to showcase her expertise on the matter. However, once she published her book, The ABCs of Italian Travel, with MindStir Media, she was able to use her 20+ online book reviews to convey a positive reputation to potential customers and get more sales.”
- A book can attract high-paying clients. Many affluent consumers seek to align themselves with the best of the best and are less concerned with price than the average client. J.J. Hebert himself described how he has leveraged the success of his own four #1 best sellers to prove to high-paying clients that he’s one of the leading experts on self-publishing and win sales: “There are plenty of self-proclaimed self-publishing experts out there, but I set myself apart by literally showing potential clients the best sellers I’ve personally authored and the best sellers I’ve helped produce for others and that sort of ‘been there, done that’ track record is usually all the proof high-paying clients need to pull the trigger.” Hebert added that your book doesn’t need to be a best seller in order to attract wealthy clients, concluding, “It’s usually enough for a service provider to showcase their book on their company website. If there are five other companies they’re researching but you’re the one who wrote the book on the subject, they’ll likely choose you and be willing to pay you the big bucks as the best option.”