How Female Founders Can Use Self-Publishing To Leverage Their Business

Many founders dream of becoming authors – of having their expertise and origin stories published for the world to see and it’s easy to see why. A high-quality non-fiction book can raise their profile in the media, make them more personable – and therefore more appealing – to the consumer and position them as an expert in their field. It can even help garner sales. 

But for female founders, the road to such an accomplishment can be arduous.

However far we like to think gender equity has progressed, the truth remains that the world of books is still very much a man’s one. In 2017 it was found that only a quarter of US literary prizes have been awarded to women since 1950. Since 1969, only 18 women have won the Booker Prize. And let’s not forget one female author’s experience of sending out her submission to literary agents under a male pseudonym and receiving 8.5 times more requests for the full manuscript than when she submitted under her own name. This was only in 2015.

For female founders, self-publishing shows increasing appeal – not just for the control it can grant them in the process but for the rewards it can reap. According to Steuben Press, self-published authors can make up to five times as much as those traditionally published. It’s little wonder, then, that since 2015, the number of self-published print books has increased year-on-year with the overall market growing by 28% in 2017 alone. 

Rather than waiting to be invited to write a book later in their careers, experts in the industry are encouraging female founders to take control and self-publish their own now – to use their book as a tool to create steadfast success rather than to see it as a future reward for work done previously. 

The benefits of  self-publishing 

“Self-publishing allows female founders to not only take control of the narrative surrounding their work but to use their book as a marketing tool as well as a stream of income,” explains self-publishing expert and project manager Rikke Hundal. “It’s by far the easiest, quickest and most affordable way to become a published author, saving the stress of co-operating with publishing houses or losing out on significant amounts of revenue.”

Helping female founders become bestselling authors, Hundal guides them through the entire process – from honing in on the value and expertise they have to offer an audience right through to marketing the project. In her latest multi-author book, She Did It, she worked with 17 women to bring their experiences of running a business in the face of adversity to the bookstands.  For the audience, says Hundal, the purpose of this project was to “empower others to break free of their patterns and take action towards their dreams, even against the backdrop of the pandemic.” 

For the founders, the contribution gave them the opportunity to stand out from the competition within their industry. “‘Author’ is a title that creates a lot of trust with consumers – particularly around your experience and expertise. It also has the potential to create more opportunities in the future.” 

It’s these opportunities that Hundal urges female founders to remember when on the fence about self-publishing a book. 

“When you write a book, people get a taste of what it might be like to work with you,” she says. “This builds up trust.” 

Having reached out to a few of the book’s authors, this seemed to be the case. “Finally there has been an increase in my social media engagement and people are more interested in my services,” shared life coach Jessica Perle – one of the book’s authors. 

For others, such as productivity coach Vaida Cesnulyte, “connecting with new people” turned directly into more leads – “I signed four new premium clients as a result.” 

For those dreaming of TED Talks and panels, Hundal points out that a book can help with those, too. “Between a self-proclaimed expert and a published author, the choice is obvious for deciding committees.”  

For some of her recent authors, this has had a knock-on effect, making it far easier for them to gain further media coverage. “I got approached by a national woman’s magazine and the most popular TV show in my country to share my story,” abuse survivor and former professional soccer player Mia Belle Trisna shared. 

Aside from these further-reaching benefits, there’s the value of the book itself, Hundal adds. Something that she encourages her clients to maximise as another source of income (one – Mia Doerschner – was actually able to hire an assistant off the back of sales, saying it freed her to “spend more one-on-one time working with clients”). 

“You can sell the book as the first item on your value ladder where the decision-making process is shorter,” Hundal offers. From there, she says, it’s far easier to entice clients into your more high ticket services as they’ve already bought from you (advice that supports the research that it’s 14 times more profitable to sell to an existing customer than a new one).

Of course, this all sounds appealing but the task of planning, writing, self-publishing and then marketing a book can seem understandably daunting. 

But, Hundal insists, the process doesn’t have to be an arduous one. “In self-publishing, you are the one in control and you can outsource any parts that you want.” 

Maximising your book’s potential 

Just as you would hire help for any areas of your business that your time or expertise doesn’t stretch to, such as an accountant, outsourcing any parts of the self-publishing process that you’re unfamiliar with is a standard procedure and, thanks to the industry’s success, there’s a thriving market for it. 

When not writing New York Times bestselling thrillers, author Joanna Penn ghostwrites non-fiction and offers advice on writing, publishing and marketing your own books in the form of podcasts, courses and talks via her business The Creative Penn. She advises viewing any areas you’ve outsourced as investments.

“Your book will represent your business, so it’s important to invest in making it the best it can be. A professional editor and proofreader will improve the content of your book, and a professional book cover designer can ensure your packaging reflects your business and enhances your brand.”

Of course, even if you have a high-quality product, it will take extensive marketing to reap the full benefits. 

There are areas you can absorb these time and financial costs within your existing business, though, Penn assures. “Entrepreneurs with an established business will usually have marketing activities in place already and you can utilise these existing methods for your book, for example, using your blog, videos, podcast, email list, and social media audiences to spread the word.” 

Of course, the road to becoming a self-published author isn’t necessarily easy, but it is worthy. “The world of non-fiction books is changing and self-publishing has a lot to do with that,” says Hundal. “Books should be seen as tools that founders can use to build their businesses, rather than simply as rewards for previously-won success. I’d love to see more female founders come to realise this.”