How to Turn Your Book Into a Business (video)

In this expert insight interview, host John Golden talks with Sara Connell. Sara is a five-time bestselling author. She runs the Thought Leadership Academy. She helps coaches and business owners become bestselling authors and TED speakers.

This article shares the best tips from their talk. It’s great for anyone who wants to write a book and grow their business.

Why Writing a Book Feels Hard

Feeling Stuck

Many people want to write a book but don’t know how to start. They worry:

• “My story isn’t special.”
• “I haven’t done anything important.”

Sara says these thoughts are normal. But your story matters.

Try This:

• Let go of pressure. A book is helpful but not required for success.
• Believe in your story. Everyone has something powerful to share.

How to Find Your Story

People often miss their best stories because they’ve lived them. Sara helps clients dig deep to find what matters.

Example:

One client went to Stanford and helped kids find the right schools. She thought her story was boring. But her passion came from seeing kids suffer under pressure. That’s her true story.

Try This:

• Ask yourself why you do your work.
• Think about big moments that shaped you.

Sara’s 3-Part Book Plan

Sara built a simple method to write a book. It’s based on bestselling books. She calls it the 3 S’s: Story, Situation, and Solution.

1. Story

Start with your own story. Let people know who you are.

Try This:

• Share real moments from your life.
• Don’t just teach—connect through story first.

2. Situation

Zoom out. Talk about what’s happening in your field or industry.

Example:

In “Profit First,” the author talks about how small businesses struggle with money before giving advice.

Try This:

• Share stats or trends.
• Show readers why your topic matters.

3. Solution

Now give your plan or method. Show people what to do.

Try This:

• Break it into clear steps.
• Add stories to keep it interesting.

How to See the Big Picture

Writing can feel overwhelming. It’s hard to see the full view. Sara suggests using AI tools to help you.

Try This:

• Use AI to find facts, stats, or studies.
• Look for shocking facts to grab attention.

Don’t Worry About Being “Original”

Some people think, “I need a brand-new idea.” Sara says that’s not true.

You just need to explain how you help people.

Try This:

• Look at how you help others.
• Break it into steps that are easy to follow.

Be Realistic About Book Sales

Most books don’t sell millions of copies. But that’s okay. A book can still grow your business.

Try This:

• Think of your book as a smart business card.
• Use it to book speaking gigs or coaching clients.

How to Make Money from Your Book

Sara teaches a simple path to earn from your book:

1. Write the book
2. Start speaking
3. Grow your audience
4. Sell coaching, courses, or programs

Try This:

• Offer something big, like a course or one-on-one coaching.
• Add extras like a workbook or online class.

Final Thoughts

Sara’s advice is simple but powerful. Her 3-part plan—Story, Situation, Solution—helps writers turn ideas into books that grow businesses.

Remember:

• Your story matters.
• Use your book to build trust and show your value.
• Writing a book is just the start—it can lead to much more.

Want to learn more from Sara? Check the links in the podcast for her resources and programs.

In today’s world, a great book can build your brand, grow your income, and open new doors.

Sara has two free gifts she’d like to share with your audience:

7 Steps to Write a Revenue Generating Bestselling Book (in as little as 2 months even if you’ve never written before)
PLUS: Sara’s bonus templates and worksheets that have generated hundreds of bestsellers: https://www.saraconnell.com/7-steps-to-write-a-revenue-generating-bestselling-book

6-Step Pitch Power Training:
In this training, Sara shows you her 6-Step Pitch- which has resulted in thousands of podcasts, conferences, virtual events, and media appearances: https://saraconnellcoaching.lpages.co/pitch-process/

Affiliate Scheme

Sara has an affiliate scheme for enrolments into her Thought Leader Academy whereby she offers $1,000 as a thank you to anyone you refer that joins. If you would like to learn more about this please reach out to us.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.