Ideas, Influence, and Income

April 30, 2018
Tanya Hall, the CEO of Greenleaf Book Group, contributes a useful how-to for turning one’s idea for a book into a marketable and profitable product. Broken up into sections on writing the book, “building a platform” to publicize it, and publishing it, Hall’s text also digs into the related process of developing and selling a personal authorial brand. Her writing is open and accessible, directly addressing the reader and focusing on instruction with actionable advice (e.g., “calendar it”), and chapters that end in helpful summaries. Hall’s expertise is clear when she lays out the process for tailoring a pitch, understanding sales figures, and exploring alternative publishing routes. Directed at first-time authors, the book advises on various pitfalls, including the consequences of not securing copyright protection or registering a trademark. The book also suggests elements that can be part of an author’s platform, including websites, videos, and speaking engagements. Additional digital resources are made available at the book’s close, effectively creating a convincing guide for creating a media platform that acts as its own illustrative example of how to do so.