PODCAST: Planning Your Book’s Impact from Day One: Insights with Guest Emily Crookston

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In the latest episode of our “All Things Book Marketing” podcast, Smith Publicity’s President, Marissa Eigenbrood, sits down with ghostwriter and business strategist Emily Crookston to discuss how authors can make the most of their book as a marketing tool for their business. Emily brings a fresh perspective, highlighting strategies that integrate business objectives with the book-writing process—beginning long before the final chapter is written.

Here are some key takeaways from their conversation:
1. A Book is More Than a Standalone Project—It’s a Business Tool
Emily emphasizes that authors should view their book as part of their overall business strategy, not just a one-off project. When aligned with business goals, a book can boost your brand, generate leads, and support your broader business objectives. Emily advises authors to ask, “What is the business case for my book?” before they start writing, ensuring it connects with their suite of offers or services.

2. Start Marketing While You Write
Too often, authors wait until after publication to start marketing their book. According to Emily, this is a missed opportunity. By weaving marketing strategies into the writing process, you can build anticipation and engage your audience early. She recommends involving potential readers in decisions like the book’s title, using tools like LinkedIn polls to gather feedback and create buzz.

3. Keep the Momentum Going Post-Publication
Many authors think the hard work ends once the book is published—but this is where marketing should kick into high gear. Emily and Marissa stress the importance of maintaining marketing efforts long after the release date to maximize the book’s return on investment (ROI). This approach ensures your book continues to open doors, attract media coverage, and drive business growth.

4. Overcoming Mindset Challenges
Writing a book comes with mental hurdles, from procrastination to perfectionism. Emily discusses common mindset challenges authors face and shares practical pre-writing exercises to help them stay on track. She also dives into one of the toughest challenges—choosing the right book title. As they explored the significance of her title, Unwritten, Emily showed how much weight a title carries in shaping the book’s brand and message.

5. Collaboration is Key
Lastly, Emily stresses the importance of collaboration. Whether working with a ghostwriter, a marketing professional, or a publicity team, building a strong support system around the book-writing process can make it less daunting and more effective. Having partners who understand your vision can help you keep the project aligned with your business goals and bring your book to life in a more powerful way.
If you’re an author, publishing professional, or anyone looking to leverage a book to grow your business, this episode is a must-listen. Learn how to get ahead by aligning your writing with your business strategy, and make sure your book works as hard for you as you worked on it!

Emily Crookston is a best-selling business book ghostwriter, author, and developmental editor. She specializes in helping founders, experts, and business owners write a book that sells. As the Owner of The Pocket PhD, she creates and implements content strategies for self-published business book authors who are ready to find their best angle, align their current content, and prime their audience for the book. Her first book, Unwritten: The Thought Leader’s Guide to Not Overthinking Your Business Book, launches on October 1, 2024. Emily is also a former philosophy professor, speaker, and podcast guest. When she’s not writing intensely, she’s most likely practicing yoga intensely. She lives for desserts topped with *real* whipped cream.

We invite you to listen to other episodes of Smith Publicity’s All Things Book Marketing and join us on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook for industry insights. If you’d like to explore if Smith Publicity is a good fit to help you promote your ideas, book and brand, we’d love to hear from you. Email us at moc.yticilbuPhtimS@ofnI.