Raise your hand if you would like to generate a constant stream of your ideal clients while you sleep!

As someone who made over 1 million pounds from his first book, “The Dream Retirement,” and has published three more since, I wanted to share with you my quick-fire tips for producing a book that will have your ideal clients knocking down your door.

To produce a compelling book quickly, I recommend you do the following:

First, identify the common worries and concerns your ideal clients have. Without that you don’t have a compelling subject. The title needs to highlight this pain or destination they desire.

Create a list of stories you love to tell and people love to hear. Don’t worry if some make you look silly, but exclude any that make you look unprofessional.

Then create a list of topics you want to cover in the book, and, for each, list the commonly asked questions by your clients or the ones they should ask.

Now you need to write it.

Use a digital mind map to pair your topics with your stories by looking for a hidden message within. Create a book structure in a digital mind map, dividing it up into logical chapters. This will really help because as you write the book, you will want to shift concepts around as new ideas emerge. Keep spare stories in a list in case you need extra inspiration later.

A business book should be between 30,000 and 60,000 words, which won’t take you that long to write. Schedule in a specific time every week or day to get it done. Each time you will know exactly what to write from your mind map, topic questions and list of stories.

The book must contain something for the readers to download. In exchange for their email address, on a webpage specific to your book, provide them with an automated stream of value-add emails over the months and years to come through a system like Brevo (formerly SendinBlue). This will continue to bring them back when the time is right.

Despite the lure of an international bestseller, for a business book, forget using traditional publishers. I had “Entrepreneurial Happiness” published by a traditional publisher, and I wish I hadn’t. You are better to self-publish a business book, as this gives you speed and control, and you can amend future versions as you wish. We’ve found Amazon works well here.

This book is primarily about making you the expert. For your first book, put a photo of yourself on the cover or at least inside. You want your readers to connect with you as much as possible, and this will help.

Once you have the book, use it wisely to generate clients.

A book is your best-ever business card; whether it is read or not, no one ever throws a book away. While you must put a price on the back, give it to your ideal clients for free. You won’t get rich from selling books; you will get rich from the fees those future clients generate.

Give a digital version of your book away through your website along with an email sequence built in to follow it up. More lead generation while you sleep!

Have a book launch to celebrate the success, take lots of photos, and use the opportunity to market yourself as the expert everywhere you can.

A book will open media doors that were firmly shut before, as well as position you as the expert in front of ideal clients, through social media, a press release or gifts at a seminar or sponsored event.

Don’t keep the book a secret; gift it to prospects at every opportunity. Do this and I promise you that a book will make you stand out from the crowd, position you as the expert and generate great leads for you. Don’t wait for the right time; set a goal, build a plan, and start now!

A wise man once told me that procrastination is a fear of starting and perfectionism is a fear of finishing. Make a start, strive for progress not perfection, and soon you too will publish your way to Top of the Table!