9 Ways to Spread the Message of Your Book

This is the question I’m asking every book writing client now.

Why?

Because I’ve seen too many amazing people write and publish amazing books that they can’t sell.

Why?

Because in the 90s, there were about 260,000 books published each year. Nowadays that’s about how many books are published every 3 weeks on Amazon.

There are a lot of books.

Your brain is pregnant with a message from God and you feel like you’re going to die if you don’t write it down and give it away.

So why is no one buying your book?

Maybe you could write a better book. We all could.

But maybe it’s just that God wants you to do more with your message. He didn’t just want Jesus to say some things for Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to write down.

He wanted Him to preach! To go from city to city, from house to house. Lay His hands on people. Heal their specific diseases. Speak to their specific problems.

Here are 9 ways to steward, not only your book, but the message and audience God has given you:

1. Speaking

Get out there. Your book contains a keynote. Offer it to churches, conferences, retreats, schools, businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations. Every talk introduces new people to your message. Lately, I’ve enjoyed belonging to Kingdom Communicators. It’s a monthly Skool group that offers a massive value for those seeking to build speaking platforms. Check it out here at my affiliate link:

2. Substack

Keep the conversation going. A weekly newsletter lets you deepen your readers’ understanding and build an audience that wants to hear from you long after they finish your book. In fact, start this before you finish writing your book. You’ll find that much of your discarded rough draft is perfect for a Substack article. If you’re reading this, you probably already know this.

3. Podcasts

Start your own or become a guest on others. Podcasts allow you to tell stories, answer questions, and connect personally with listeners. I use Riverside for my own.

4. YouTube

Teach, encourage, answer questions, and tell stories on video. One helpful video can reach thousands of people searching for exactly the message God has given you.

5. Social Media

Think of social media as your opportunity to have thousands of tiny conversations instead of one giant advertisement. Don’t constantly tell people to buy your book. Instead, give away enticing fragments of your message.

Share stories. Ask thoughtful questions. Offer practical tips. Record short videos. Quote your book. Respond to current events through the lens of your message. Let people see your personality, your convictions, and your heart.

Every post should answer one question: “How can I help someone today?”

6. Small Groups

Create a discussion guide so churches, book clubs, or friends can study your book together. This is one of the easiest things you can do with your book once it’s written. Beat down their doors until you find some that will try it out.

7. Courses

Turn your book into an online course or workshop. Many people learn better by interacting than by reading alone. This can be a complicated process, but it is probably the fasted way to make an income off your book. I worked with Sunny Lenarduzzi to build my own. (Currently I run the course for free for my paid Substack community, upgrade to participate.)

8. Coaching or Consulting

If your message solves a specific problem, help people apply it personally through coaching or consulting. This goes with courses. Again, Sunny’s the best. Let me know if you’d like an introduction.

9. A Community

Build a place where readers can continue growing together through live calls, forums, memberships, or local gatherings. This is a must if you want to build an audience. What is an audience? A community. I like Skool or simple Facebook Groups. I meet with my paid Substack Community every Tuesday on Zoom. Wanna come? Upgrade! 😊

Jeff Miller

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