Steven E, a book publisher and the bestselling author of "Wake Up...Live the Life You Love" series, has over 20 books in print. Fourteen of those books have been bestsellers. He is one of the leading experts in the movie "Pass It On", and he lives his life helping people awaken to their full potential on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level.
Steven E wants everyone to find their purpose as early in life as possible. At only 21 years of age, he was startled awake. It was his inner voice telling him he needed to write a book, so he did. He was confident it would be a bestseller. Today you can find Steven publishing books and CDs and arranging speaking engagements.
People will magically show up in your life when you need them most after you've found your true purpose, but by far the best way to help yourself is to help others first. Steven tried this by asking 55 people to co-write a book with him. Everyone did a little bit of the work, and in turn, everyone was published in a bigger book. Steven calls this "team publishing."
Compare team publishing to opening a new business with investors. Imagine you're opening a coffee shop. All of your investors will surely invite their friends and family to the grand opening, and you'll reap the profits and word of mouth advertising to follow. Book publishing is the same way. Everyone who contributes to your book will tell everyone they know about it. Sales are almost guaranteed.
Help other people first. Steven believes this is the key to helping yourself. Introduce yourself to others by saying, "How can I help you?" You'll break the ice with your offer of help, and by listening to the needs of the other person, you can formulate a way to help yourself at the same time.
Finding out what others need helps you bond with them. Bonding means they'll refer others to you, and getting more contacts means more opportunities for you to profit whether it be through book sales, speaking engagements, or whatever your field may offer. Book publishing isn't the only type of business that can profit from helping others. Think about people who offer other types of products and services like massages, energy drinks, or pet care. Offer your product or service for free to people you know, and they'll tell everyone they know about you.
If publishing is what you really want to do, Steven is quick to point out that major publishers almost always pick up big name authors. They very rarely pick up unknown authors. You can bet on having to self-publish and form your own marketing strategy. One of the best marketing strategies is to hand out your book in lieu of business cards. Having a book tells people you're an "expert" in your field.
Handing out books helps set you up for residual incomes. People are much more likely to talk about your book than they would be to talk about your business card. Build even more credibility by contributing to a major author's book. You'll help the major author add content and perspective to his work, and at the same time, your name will be seen by people who otherwise would never know you.
