Adapt Your Nonfiction Book and Unlock New Revenue Streams

Book adaptations have been around forever in the world of fiction, usually prompting the question: “Which was better, the book or the movie?” and endless discussions. The idea of an adaptation is to convert the original work into a different format to expand the reach and its relevance to a broader audience. These days, books have been adapted not only into movies but into video games, stage plays, and even smart phone apps.

But have you thought about adapting your nonfiction book? After all, you’ve invested time and money into getting it published. Adapting it is a way of saving time by leveraging the research you’ve already done for the original format. Your book can become a series of blog posts, social media posts, videos, infographics, or even podcast episodes and can give your audience ways to consume your content in their preferred learning style.

You can take it a step further by creating different formats of your book such as an eBook and an audiobook. In addition to attracting a new audience, these adaptations will provide new streams of income. Don’t stop at creating different formats. Some topics lend themselves to creating a workbook by turning the chapters into lessons and adding questions or exercises at the end of each lesson. The workbook can be used as a read-a-long companion book for the reader to take notes and apply the lessons they learn. It could also be used as a handout for a free or paid workshop you host based on the book. A good example of the workbook strategy is used by Dave Ramsey with his NY Times Bestseller The Total Money Makeover and the companion workbook: https://www.amazon.com/Total-Money-Makeover-Workbook-Principles/dp/1400206502/.

For some books, adaptations can take the form of a journal as opposed to a workbook.?Michelle Obama’s memoir, the bestselling, Becoming https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Michelle-Obama/dp/1524763136/ was published originally in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook versions. Later, a companion journal containing questions and quotes to help the reader discover their personal story was published and recently, a Young Reader’s edition geared toward kids was published.

Of course, there is additional work involved to create a workbook or journal but the most difficult work of creating the structure and the bulk of the content is done when you first publish. The adaptations don’t have to done at the time you first publish but can be used to extend sales after the original launch, generate new interest as part of a re-launch or attract new audiences with a specific marketing program.

If you’re a published author, let me know in the comments if you’ve published or plan to publish additional versions of your book.?