Begin with a clear idea. If you’re not clear you’re going to waste your time and just keep re-writing the same things or things that don’t relate to one another. Write every idea down no matter how big or small it is. Then take time to think about each one. Do your research and see what’s been written that might have the same idea. Keep narrowing it down until you know that’s the one and you are passionate about the topic because writing takes a lot of time and you have to live and breathe it.
Writing a book can be a rewarding creative endeavor, and it can also be a profitable one if approached correctly. What are the strategies and steps needed to turn a book into a significant source of income? How do authors effectively market and sell their books, and what should they consider when navigating publishing options? As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Karen Roy.
Karen Roy, founder of Book Coaching Academy, is an author, leadership expert, and the creator of Author FastTrack, a widely recognised course guiding entrepreneurs in writing their non-fiction books. Driven by her empowering mantra, “Take risks and follow your curiosity with all the tenacity you can muster,” Karen has reinvented herself from what she once called a corporate “scatterbrain” into a pioneering force in entrepreneurship. With her second book already underway, Karen’s story is one of transformation and bold career shifts.
After a distinguished 30-year career in top organisations like Bell Canada, Visa Canada, and Andres Wines, Karen transitioned from senior corporate roles to establish Karen Roy and Associates, a boutique consulting firm that specialises in sales training, marketing, and operational excellence.
Today, Karen’s expertise in leadership and book coaching has made her a sought-after mentor, guiding entrepreneurs through the journey of writing and publishing. Through her work at Book Coaching Academy, she continues to leave an impactful legacy, equipping aspiring authors with the tools and confidence to share their stories.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share a story about what motivated you to become an expert in the particular area that you are writing about?
Sure! This happened a little bit by surprise as I wasn’t intending to ever write a book, let alone create an online non-fiction book writing course. A colleague of mine and I had created a networking company for women only back in 2002, called Beyond Networking. All the women we interacted with kept telling us “You should write a book on this stuff,” so we did, and we wrote “Leadership, It’s Not Just for Leaders” in 3 months.
We debuted at The National Women’s Show. After that, entrepreneurs and random people were given my contact information and would be like, “Hey how’d you do that? I want to write a book too,” or “I have a book written and I need help, I don’t know what to do next.” From there, I began coaching entrepreneurs one-on-one on getting their books written, edited, and published. It was so rewarding but one-on-one wouldn’t give me the scale I needed to serve more people, so I decided to create Book Coaching Academy, which allows me to share all my knowledge with as many people as I can because it’s all online.
Can you share a pivotal story that shaped the course of your career?
There are many stories, but I think deep down I always wanted to be a leader and I wanted to lead on my terms. Many times I would be listening to these so-called leaders, and senior executives who said what they needed to say but sometimes it just didn’t feel authentic, or like they were really doing the right thing for their people or customers. So I just up and quit my last corporate job where I was making 6 figures, had all the benefits, etc. Everyone thought I was nuts, but that life no longer served me and I couldn’t live unauthentic anymore. I would often wonder, “Is this it? Is this what I’m going to do for the rest of my life???”
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Are you working on any new writing projects?
Absolutely, I have always been in the health and wellness space part-time. It’s always been what I do for ‘fun’ and I’m also a Stott Certified Pilates instructor, Fasting Like a Girl Certified Coach, and Lifestyle Health Coach, so it made sense that my next book would be on the topic of menopause. I started writing this back in 2014, but I never finished it.
You know how they say everything is timing. Well, I truly believe that and that’s why I’ve picked the ‘pen’ back up and I’m writing a girlfriend’s guide to survive this ‘crazy’ time we women get to go through. Menopause needs to be talked about! We’ve kept it a secret for so many years, but not anymore. I can’t wait to see it on bookstore shelves. Also, I have all the experience since I’m now on the other side of menopause–postmenopause, and it’s so empowering!!
Thank you for that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview. In your opinion, what are the key strategies that authors should focus on if they want to generate significant income from their books?
I feel that writing a book is a jumping-off point to take your career to the next level. Writing a book is not an easy feat and it doesn’t always translate into immediate book sales that will bring you significant income, but the opportunities that go along with it that will.
The book will draw newer clients to you, so it can be a lead magnet if you don’t already have one, and bigger clients are willing to pay more. The author has to figure out how the book will work into their longer business plan before they even write it because it’s a big commitment in terms of time and money. I think that’s what every author needs to know.
Marketing is crucial for book sales. What are the most effective marketing techniques you’ve used or seen others use to successfully promote their books?
I tell my clients marketing has to begin at the exact time you have a book idea you want to bring forward. It tells everyone what you’re writing about, who it will benefit, what the books promise, etc. Marketing and writing are parallel paths. Neglecting it is the biggest mistake authors make, in my opinion.
I interviewed many authors before I designed my course and authors (who typically don’t feel they’re good salespeople) shied away from doing the marketing and then once they published their book, nobody knew about it. If you’re going down the path of traditional publishing, you have to have a significant email list and social media following because it’s a joint effort. Getting on other people’s podcasts is really important too because those podcast hosts have audiences that relate to you and they’re always looking for new inspiration to share with their listeners.
What role does social media play in book marketing, and how can authors leverage these platforms to boost their book sales?
It should be part of your overall strategy. A lot of what you already have can be repurposed as social media content, but you have to have a plan and that’s why working with a coach can be so important. Video is such a huge platform as it gives your audience a glimpse of who you are and what you’re like, so I think leveraging YouTube and TikTok is key.
You also need to know where your ideal readers hang out and then cater to that platform. You have to have a social media calendar and be consistent with it. It’s also important to have a hook so it grabs the person who is aimlessly scrolling. Right now, everyone’s distracted by so many messages and influencers out there that you really have to be intentional and consistent!
How can people leverage their books to position themselves as experts in their fields?
When you become an ‘author,’ you become an authority in your chosen space or field. Earlier I mentioned everyone wants to write a book but it takes time, energy, money, and patience. When you become an author people want to hear what you have to say. All of a sudden your message becomes more important, and the credibility it lends is phenomenal. If you want to get into other gigs like speaking and it comes down to you and someone else but you have a book already published it gives you the credibility that you’re an expert in your field.
It’s actually kind of cool! When I share with my clients that this is going to change their lives, they’re always surprised. Then, they publish their books and they send me emails like “Oh my Gosh, I had no idea the power my book and becoming an author would have!” I love getting those messages because they prove that being an author sets you apart from the competition. Of course, it’s also important to be different than everyone else out there. Maybe you have a unique way of doing something, use that to your advantage and incorporate that into your book.
How important is building a personal brand for an author, and what steps can authors take to establish themselves as credible and influential figures in their niche?
Your branding is everything, it’s who you are and what you stand for. It’s not just the fonts and colours you’ve chosen for your website. You have to live your brand through and through because it’s what gets clients to find you and want to work with you. It’s an unspoken energy or vibe a potential client feels when they see your brand online or in person.
Once you have that book published and you have the words “published author of…” after your name, that in itself makes you credible. The book is a part of who you are, what you stand for, and the message of your teaching. I only work with non-fiction and primarily coaches who want their books to be an extension of their brand. If you’ve written a book and your book delivers on your promise that’s the golden ticket to being credible and influential.
Do you know who your most valuable avatars are?
I help busy entrepreneurs go from frustrated and ready to give up on their book idea to published author so that they will be recognised as an authority in their field. My clients are busy entrepreneurs who coach others, are time-strapped, or have a book idea and don’t know where to start. I provide a solution that will cultivate resilience, provide practical strategies, and help them gradually progress toward completing the book.
Beyond just selling books, what other revenue streams can authors explore to maximise their earnings, such as speaking engagements, online courses, or merchandise?
There’s so much out there. After we wrote “Leadership It’s Not Just for Leaders,” we got speaking engagements, which then gave us a platform to sell our courses. That’s how books attract higher-paying clients. You can also create mini-online courses or master coaching groups, have subscription-based memberships, live workshops, and even retreats depending on what your niche is. Once my next book launches, I will definitely be offering retreats and I’m super excited about it.
Have you created scaleable derivatives of your work? Can you explain?
My Author FastTrack course is an online self-paced course with a weekly group coaching component. I also have lots of downloadable freebies and a YouTube channel. I don’t want to water down the proven system I’ve created.
The world of book publishing is constantly evolving. What trends do you see shaping the future of book marketing and sales, and how can authors stay ahead of the curve?
Karen: I believe it all depends on what your goals are. At the end of the day, there are still large bookstores out there where a physical book on a shelf is appealing and I don’t think the traditional publishing route will ever go away, but as we discuss in my course, you need to understand what is available and what you might have to sacrifice in working with a large traditional publisher. Maybe you want the cover to look one way, but they insist it should look a different way. Overall, you have to be okay with giving up your control over what you want and don’t want. We discuss the different publishing paths in the course and I feel the one that works the best is what I call a hybrid model.
Wonderful. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your own experience and success, what are the “Five Things You Need to Know to be a Successful Writer?” If you can, please share a story or example for each.
1. Begin with a clear idea. If you’re not clear you’re going to waste your time and just keep re-writing the same things or things that don’t relate to one another. Write every idea down no matter how big or small it is. Then take time to think about each one. Do your research and see what’s been written that might have the same idea. Keep narrowing it down until you know that’s the one and you are passionate about the topic because writing takes a lot of time and you have to live and breathe it.
2. Create your book’s promise. What should the reader feel or know by the time they’ve read your book? Every time you write a chapter you have to ask yourself, does this support your book’s promise? The promise needs to be front and centre, if it’s not you’re going to write a book about a lot of nothing and the reader is going to be disappointed you didn’t deliver on what you said you would.
3. Who’s your ideal reader? How old are they, and what do they currently read? Where do they hang out on social platforms, what are they faced with, and how will your books promise to solve their problem? Get as much information about that reader as you can this can take some detective work but it will be worth it in the end.
4. What is your unique ability that will make your book stand out amongst all the other books in your genre? What do you do differently? You don’t want to write a boring book so make it different. This is hard for a lot of people because your unique ability is usually something you do well and take for granted that other people do too, but they don’t.
5. Repurpose content. Most of us don’t realise how much content we have already created or have sitting in our files saved on our computers. Depending on what you’re topic is or what your book promise is you probably already have half the book written and you don’t even realise it. Taking an inventory of content is crucial and then adding stories that are relatable. I work with busy entrepreneurs so when I mention this they breathe a sigh of relief.
For authors just starting out, what common mistakes should they avoid when trying to turn their books into a significant source of income?
I think you need to be clear on what your book’s objective is, what your business goals are, and how the book aligns with your overall business strategy. Writing a book isn’t going to make you instantly famous or rich. You need to be specific about your niche and your ideal reader and stay focused.
Can you share any success stories or case studies of authors who have effectively turned their books into profitable businesses? What lessons can other writers learn from their experiences?
I had a client who was an animal communicator and she was very determined she was going to write her book in three months. She was part of a group I was coaching and she was a great student. She did the work and it paid off. I would challenge her as she would send her chapters to me and I’d be like, “Hey, I think you can go deeper here” or “What if you did this” and we would work on other ideas that were part of her differentiator. Her book went on to win a Book Excellence Award for Global Celebration of Literacy Excellence and she has since appeared on podcasts and many other in-person events, establishing herself as an authority in her space.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them 🙂
I would love to have lunch with Tracy Tutor from Million Dollar Listing because she’s a badass who tells it the way it is. She built an amazing business and is a hard worker while prioritising her health and wellness. She also wrote her amazing book “Girl Crush,” so I feel we would have lots to talk about.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
They can go to my website https://www.bookcoachingacademy.com/!
Thank you for these excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent. We wish you continued success with your book promotion and growing your brand.
Karen Roy of Book Coaching Academy On How to Make Money by Writing a Book was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.