New Book Demystifies Successful Business Book Writing

By Nancy K. Crevier

Local author Sophfronia Scott had been noodling the idea for a book about book writing for small businesses and entrepreneurs when “the recession showed up and made it the right time for the book,” she said. Her book, Doing Business By The Book: How To Craft A Crowd-Pleasing Book And Attract More Clients And Speaking Engagements Than You Ever Thought Possible, published by Advantage Press, became available in December. The how-to book explains why business people need a book as much as a business card, and the smart steps to complete the process of writing and publishing.

Ms Scott is no stranger to publishing and the business of writing. The Newtown resident has been in the publication business for almost 20 years, several of which were spent at People and Time magazines. She is the executive editor of her own business, The Done For You Writing & Publishing Company, focused on assisting small business people to write business-promoting books. She is also the author of the novel All I Need To Get By, published by St Martin’s Press in 2004, and was nominated for the Best New Author Award that same year.

Her hands-on work with entrepreneurs, and experiences during speaking engagements that elicited questions on the nuts and bolts of publishing, led her to believe that the necessary information to write a successful business book was not out there. “Good books are set up to bring business in. It occurred to me that this is how it needs to work and that this book could show business people how to write successful business books. It’s about getting business people to think about how their book is part of a whole business strategy,” explained Ms Scott.

The mistake business people commonly make when producing a book is that they write a book that they believe people need. “One of the key things you need to do, though, is to design a book you know will help your customers. People buy what they want, not what they need. All books should help the client solve a problem,” said Ms Scott. Doing Business By The Book is a prime example of doing just that. In three sections, “Why Do You Need A Book?” “What To Do With Your Book” and “How To Craft A Crowd-Pleasing Book,” Ms Scott breaks down the mystery of a successful business book, resolving the dilemmas that face first-time book writers and clearly explaining the process of using a book to build business strategy and link readers to a business through contests, websites, and other interactive designs.

“At the very heart of it,” said Ms Scott, “a book is an inexpensive thing to produce and you want to get people interested in your business. We still see book publication as something rare and special. When someone takes the time to publish a book, it can help develop a relationship with a customer.”

How that book is utilized depends on the customer base and how the business owner wants to stand out in the market, explained Ms Scott. For some businesses, it may be as simple as having the book available on premises for free distribution to customers, while others may benefit from a broader exposure through bookstores and websites.

Doing Business By The Book is 130 pages of easy to understand directions on book writing, as well as bonus material to motivate and encourage would-be authors. It is an “example of how it all works,” said Ms Scott. 

Doing Business By The Book is available at amazon.com, and in area bookstores. There will be a special launch of the book at Amazon on February 26. Ms Scott spoke Tuesday morning, January 6, at the Newtown Chamber of Commerce and will be a featured speaker at the Working Women’s Forum in March.

To schedule Ms Scott for a speaking engagement or for more information, contact editor@doneforyouwriting.com.