Have you ever thought about co-authoring a book?
If you have a blog or do a bit of writing on the side, it’s a great way to earn some money without spending too much of it in return.
Let's assume that you're a part-time blogger. You blog about the internet industry, or you blog about fashion and lifestyle – heck, you blog about daisies, it doesn’t really matter.
You’ve managed to build 2,000 subscribers and get a fair bit of visits to your page on a monthly basis. A small trickle of money comes your way every month.
However, you know that you could make much more, if only you had something to offer to your readers – and if your list was bigger!
Sadly, it’s a part-time gig and you just don’t have any more time to spare for it.
If you’re in this predicament, I have a rather elegant solution for you.
For the purposes of today’s post, we’ll be focusing on co-authoring in the realm of non-fiction – e-books about how’s, why’s, and the ins and the outs of a specific industry you blog in or know a lot about.
Why is Co-Authoring a Great Way to Make Money Online?
There are several reasons why co-authoring might have an edge to writing and publishing something all by your lonesome self:
It takes a lot less time to contribute a chapter to something than write a full-blown book
Co-authoring is cheaper as all expenses are shared equally between co-authors
Marketing responsibilities are shared – your book can reach a lot more people
A well-known author contributing to your book can do wonders in terms of sales
6 Questions to Ask Before Co-Authoring a Book
It’s easy to look at co-authoring as a shortcut to making more money.
While it is easier than writing everything from scratch yourself, don’t go into it if you haven’t thought about it and are not willing to commit – you will be wasting everyone’s time.
Do you want to publish right now? Is it a priority for you? If yes, then pursue the project, or accept the invitation to participate. If not, do your thing for now and grab the next opportunity.
What excites you? Is it the collaboration or the writing? If it’s the writing that excites you and you feel you have a lot to say, why not write a book yourself and tell your story in full?
Is the opportunity challenging? Are you excited to work with those other authors? If you think that your collaboration will make for an excellent book, then go for it.
Who’s participating? Are the other authors’ experts in their field? Work with people you can trust to hold up their end of the bargain.
Will the book sell? That’s hard to tell – do you trust your fellow co-authors to do their bit when it comes to marketing? If ten bloggers with 10,000 people strong email lists co-author a book, they still have to put in the effort to promote it. You can’t expect 10,000 sales without working on it.
What am I getting for my effort? Well, you get to be a published author, that’s one thing. You might even position yourself as a thought leader in the industry if your book hits the bestseller list.
Where to Start
Co-authoring a book can be a confusing process, but if you chunk it down it’s going to become a lot more manageable.
STEP 1 – research your niche and find out what other people are saying
STEP 2 – reach out to other bloggers with a proposal for collaboration
STEP 3 – assemble a team of writers your comfortable working with
STEP 4 – decide on the topic
STEP 5 – agree on assignments and chapters
STEP 6 – write furiously, compare notes, and then write some more
STEP 7 – edit (or hire an editor)
STEP 8 – publish your book – assisted self-publishing or traditional publishers
STEP 9 – market your book to your lists, social media followers, and try to generate a buzz
Prepping To Co-author A Book? Watch this video
Recommended Co-Authoring Resources
1. Co-authoring Platform
2. Co-authoring Tools
Google Drive | Draft | Trello
One chapter is a hell of a lot easier than 15 chapters and after being in your niche so many years there are bound to be 15,000 to 20,000 words of fresh, original content that you can contribute.
Don't let fear stop you - co-authoring can be your stepping stone to the bestsellers list!