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The Extraordinary Business Book Club

Alison Jones, publisher and book coach, explores business books from both a writer's and a reader's perspective. Interviews with authors, publishers, business leaders, entrepreneurs, tech wizards, social media strategists, PR and marketing experts and others involved in helping businesses tell their story effectively.
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Now displaying: July, 2017
Jul 31, 2017

'One of the drawbacks of working in the traditional publishing world is that they're very, very big on the idea that you need to go out and sell books. I've always thought of a book as something that should go out and sell the author, so the reason I write books is to get a message out there to connect with a lot of people. For me, it's more important that the book is out there doing its job, as opposed to just simply trying to sell the book. The book, for us, fits within a broader context of a bigger business.'

For Daniel Priestley, author of bestsellers such as Key Person of Influence, The Entrepreneur Revolution and Oversubscribed, a book is the ultimate business development tool. It costs a fraction of a business development manager, it never gets tired or leaves to join the competition, and it never goes off sick or off-message. His own books sit at the heart of his businesses, and in this episode he reveals the strategies he's used to integrate the two so successfully, and goes under the hood to share how he developed and wrote his new book, 24 Assets

This is one to listen to again and again. 

Jul 24, 2017

'Creative writing, creative publishing, creative living'

That's Orna Ross's byline, and it sums up her empowered approach to life as an independent author. Having 'won the literary lottery' and secured a deal with a major publisher, she didn't expect to get involved in self-publishing. But when she became frustrated with the way things were going, she decided to experiment with self-publishing.

'I loved self-publishing from the start. I love creative freedom, and the control that you get. Yes, there is responsibility that goes with that. Yes, it is not for those who don't like good, hard work, but if you do like good, hard work, and if you have a clear vision of who you are as an author, then I think it really is the most creative possible way you can publish.'

And from her own experience, and wanting to create a community to support others on the same journey, she founded ALLi, the Alliance of Independent Authors. 

In this interview she talks about her experiences with both traditional and self-publishing, the power of writing for personal development, and the need to embrace the commercial along with the creative. 

Oh, and yoga.

Jul 17, 2017

Pure gold from the last nine episodes of The Extraordinary Business Book Club - insights, ideas and inspiration from some of the world's leading writers and some who've just begun the journey. Hear from:

  • Christian Madsbjerg (Sensemaking) on creativity
  • Roman Krznaric (Carpe Diem) on an innovative way to use your book's content
  • Bernadette Jiwa (Hunch) on making time
  • Cory Doctorow (author, blogger and activist) on the writing habit
  • John Hall (Influence & Co) on discipline and content strategy
  • Tim Harford (Messy, The Undercover Economist) on how speaking and writing work together 
  • Helen Kogan (MD of Kogan Page) on what publishers are looking for 
  • Glenda Shawley (Founded After Forty) on how her first book changed her, personally and professionally
  • Louise Wiles (Thriving Abroad) on how fear and self-doubt nearly stopped her submitting her winning proposal

It's an extraordinarily broad and deep compilation from an extraordinary group of people. As you've come to expect. 

 

Jul 10, 2017

John Hall practically invented content marketing. As CEO of Influence & Co he has helped companies of all sizes, from startup to Fortune 50, become 'top of mind' with their customers by establishing trust through useful, engaging content. 

In this episode we discuss what it means to have a content strategy, and how a book fits with that. He also explains the thinking behind his substantial appendix and his offer to connect directly with readers, and gives his tips on writing a book for anyone still struggling with making it happen.

Jul 3, 2017

Louise Wiles took part in the very first 10-day Business Book Proposal Challenge. As the deadline approached to submit the completed proposal for a chance to win a publishing deal, she hesitated.

"I haven't sent it in. Am I going to send it in? Oh, I'm not sure."

In the end, encouraged by her husband, she submitted it. Which is lucky, as it turned out to be one of the winners. 

In this week's episode, Louise describes how she and her business partner and coauthor Evelyn Simpson set up Thriving Abroad without ever having met in person, how she overcame the resistance and fear of putting the book out into the world at every stage, from initial proposal to just three weeks before publication, and what she'd do differently next time round.

If you're struggling with self-doubt and resistance as you write your book, this is for you. 

 

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