Writing a book - so far, so good

The book - Raise Your Visibility on LinkedIn is written. It has been edited. Proof-read. Type-set. Now comes the next bit.

I didn't really know how to write a book - I mean, I have been writing blogs and articles since the business began 11 years ago, but a book is a different animal.

Years ago, I heard Pat Flynn say that he took all his blogs, and turned them into a book. Oooh that sounds relatively simple I thought. ... that's where I will start.

I think Pat has a bigger team than me.??

Here is the current situation:

Book Cover Design

When you write a book with the word LinkedIn in the title, you need approval from LinkedIn. Thanks SO much to Miranda ?? VonFricken who is the only person who told me this. I now have to redesign my book cover as the colours don't pass the approval test. This is ok - I forgot the colour scheme I wanted in the first place.

It can be easy to get your head turned when you start to include others. My team are wonderful, but the design for the cover is a long way from the books I took photos of when I was in Waterstones a month ago. I forgot. Now, thanks to Miranda and the trademark request folks at LinkedIn, I remember!

Getting Quotes for the book

This has been fun. A lesson in being BRAVE. I have jumped out of my comfort zone and asked some influential people if they would like to get a preview copy of my book and possibly give me a quote for it.

I might have asked this in the way that I am in restaurants... when I ask the waiters for help, my 'excuse me' is so quiet, you would need supersonic hearing to pick up on it.

Now I am waiting to see if any of them respond. Possible misstep - I didn't give any of them a timeframe to reply to me! Which leads me to the next point

Launch Date

I don't have one.

There you go.

When people ask me how am I writing a book while my YouTube channel hits 100k subscribers (and 2.5 million views this weekend ??????) and I am speaking on stage in Wexford this week, Ballymena next week, and then two events in London in early December... I laugh.

A lovely friend, Janine Coombes described me this week in a WhatsApp group as someone who just gets stuff done.

So there is not a launch date. January looks good right now.

I just keep moving the pieces forward one at a time.

Waitlist

I do have a waitlist! And I am also planning some extra-curricular additions to the book. We are working on a workbook. I have a landing page. I have two people lined up so far to host LinkedIn Live launches - one in North America, one in Australia/NZ. I have a person in mind for my UK/EU launch.

I would be DELIGHTED if you joined the waitlist to find out about all the above - here it is www.louisebrogan.com/waitlist

Getting it Published

The big piece, is figuring out Amazon KDP. It is so funny, sometimes your secret ingredient is hiding in plain sight. For fear of boring people to death with my projects, I tend only to talk about the one they are interested in - the book OR the YouTube channel OR LinkedIn video.

So total bonus conversation yesterday in Belfast - I have a person who has ALREADY DONE IT. hooray... so....

No more excuses

I have run out of reasons why I cannot publish the book yet.

Here are my dominos all lined up:

• Get new cover
• Get a quote or two for the cover
• Get new cover approved by LinkedIn
• Organise launch gang (wanna join?)
• Build new website for the book (this is the REAL reason it is not getting launched in 2024...)
• Organise all the freebie bonus material (at least the starter bits)
• Upload book to Amazon
• LAUNCH ??????

Those of you who have been reading this newsletter for over a year know that half the book was written here... and guess what, so will the next book.

If you have written a book, please tell me your best tips below and also link to your book!