In the current economic slowdown sales are tough and income is falling, leaving fewer dollars to spend on advertising and promotion. But there are effective ways to promote that won't break the budget. Take advantage of the fact that most businesses are tightening their belts and reducing promotional expenses, allowing you to rise above the competition.



When you share your wisdom in an article or possibly a book, the payoff multiplies many fold. You, the author, automatically become an expert in your field and your business benefits from a hefty boost in recognition. Publication also offers the gratification of assisting others

Publishing a book, even an article, has always seemed like a formidable challenge. It isn't any longer. With the amazing advances in publishing technology it can be done with minimal effort even by those with little or no writing experience. The amazing advances in publishing technology and the Internet have combined to make it all possible. So let your fingers (on the computer keyboard, that is) build your business.

Distributing Articles

For decades, trade journals were the primary outlet for business writers. They still are an excellent source of publicity for your company because they are targeted directly to readers interested in your specialty. More than that, trade journal editors are usually hungry for informative articles, and are far more interested in the content of your piece than in your writing style. The latter can be polished by the editor, but the content must come from the writer.

You need little more than a computer and a copy of Writer's Market to get started. That directory will provides you with a list of trade journals broken down by subject. It will tell you exactly what each editor is looking for, the favored length and how to submit your piece to the magazine.

With your knowledge, the process of writing the article should be a “piece of cake.” Take the time to outline precisely what it is you want to relate. Be very specific. Editors don't want to know that bottled water is a hot commodity. They know that already, but they want to be able to tell their readers what you have done to make your specific brand of water so successful.

When you've completed your outline, covering every question you suspect a reader will want answered, select the most salient, the most unique or the most informative point, and make that your opening paragraph. Use the middle of the article to expand on your most relevant points and wrap it up with a positive statement. That may be a quick restatement of the most important element of the article or perhaps a very brief summary of what you have written. The choice of an ending is yours, but it must leave the reader feeling fulfilled and satisfied that the time he/she has spent reading your words has been spent wisely.

In addition to the printed journals, the Internet offers endless opportunities to expose your writing and your company to thousands of others. Head to your favorite search engine, and enter the key words or phrases that characterize your specialty. Up will pop hundreds of outlets for your article. When you submit your article to an article directory like www.ezinearticles.com, it will be circulated to thousands of sites throughout the Web at no cost to you.

Tackling a Full-Length Book

This task is a bit more challenging. In the first place, it requires a good deal more writing and careful planning. The organization of a nonfiction book, probably a how-to in your case, is critical. Think of the sequence very much like the assembly directions enclosed in any do-it-yourself kit. The book moves forward step-by-step adding additional information with each chapter.

Responding accurately to the following basic questions that I outline in my book The Writer Within You will get your project off to a healthy start:

- Does the specific approach I chose offer enough material to fill a full-length book?

- Should I limit it to a magazine article?

- How broad is its appeal?

- Is the audience for the book large enough to make the effort worthwhile for me and broad enough to interest a publisher?

- What is different about my approach that will make my book unique?

When the answers to these questions validate your decision to move ahead, the next step is research. While your experience and your knowledge are both extensive, you will undoubtedly need to expand them. You also will want to quote other experts in the field and be able to include facts and figures that you may not know off hand. A nonfiction book is judged on the quality of its content, so be certain that yours is meaty and informative and most of all accurate.

Getting It Published

Just a few years ago, there was little chance of seeing your book in print cost-effectively. Press runs were lengthy. However, new printing technology makes it possible for you to print much smaller quantities, and to reorder additional quantities as the need arises.

Publishing on Demand companies are an excellent starting point for inexperienced authors. For a set fee upfront, they will format your manuscript, design a cover and handle all the nitty-gritty of securing ISBN, barcode, copyright, and more. As a result, the price of your book will be a bit higher, but still in the competitive range.

The chances of your book being accepted for publication by a major traditional publishing house is essentially nil unless you are already a nationally recognized expert. But there are smaller independent publishing houses that may accept your book if it falls into a category their catalogue normally includes. These can be approached either directly or through a literary agent, and are generally quite effective.

While this article is simply a brief introduction into the possibilities of helping to build your business through writing, there are a number of excellent books as well as capable writing coaches that you can call on for guidance.

Take advantage of this marvelous way to promote your business and your own personal expertise. It really is a lot easier than you think.