Today's economy is driving two basic needs for solo business owners -- staying in front of customers and identifying new opportunities. Both of these can be accomplished by writing a book or booklet.

“It’s a great time to write a book,” says publishing expert Elaine Floyd. “The process of writing your book fuels short-term marketing by repurposing content as blog posts, newsletters, or white papers. Long-term, your book catapults you to expert status in areas that you may want to be expanding into. Plus, during the research process, you can reach out to new networks and potential clients.”

Here are four easy, proven steps Elaine uses with clients interested in publishing:

1. Target Future Opportunities.
Identify a new specialty that will serve emerging markets. For example, depending on your area of expertise, you may want to target your book to industries such as health care or energy, and to readers such as risks managers, environmental specialists, or career counselors. What new information can you bring to these areas based on your personal and professional experience?

2. Slice It Into 10 Speeches.
Consider the ten most important questions someone may ask you about your topic and what your advice might be. These sub-topics form the basis for the table of contents and your book chapters. Keep in mind that a good book attracts and holds attention like a good speech. Envision the way you would deliver a speech (think of the clarity needed for PowerPoint and the pacing of an engaging narrative) and let that drive the book.

3. Break Each Speech Into 5 Sections.
These are your chapter sections. Use each of these segments or main points as blog posts. Or, take the entire chapter and use it either as a newsletter or a white paper.

4. Create Content That Connects.
Identify experts and potential clients that you’d like to meet. Interview them for case studies and quotes. One of Elaine's clients, a career coach, conducted more than 100 interviews with top-level executives as part of her book research. Because of the insight shown in the questions asked, many executives inquired about the coach’s services.

Once your book is ready, use it to open doors to local, national, and international presentations. “The most powerful marketing combination on the planet for reaching new customers is the speech/book combination," says Elaine Floyd. "It's what I call, ‘You are there and there’s a book in the chair.’ People get to meet you, hear you, and then have something to remember you by when they need you.”

What better time than now to start your book project?

-- Terri Lonier
Founder, WorkingSolo.com