Your Book is Closer than you Think: How Medium, X, and LinkedIn will help you Write your Book
The journey from the crazy idea of authoring your own book, to holding it proudly in your hands has been revolutionised!
Platforms like Medium, X (formerly known as Twitter), and LinkedIn provide a great opportunity for actual leaders, busy executives, and entrepreneurs to refine their thoughts, build an audience, and create a book that builds authority within an industry.
Here’s why — and how — you can leverage these platforms to explore ideas for your book…
The triple threat of Medium, X, and LinkedIn
1. Instant feedback and audience building
Who doesn’t appreciate immediate feedback?
Publishing articles or posts on Medium, X, or LinkedIn allows you to receive immediate responses, helping you gauge interest and refine your ideas.
- On Medium, you can write in-depth articles
- X offers a space for quick, interactive engagements.
- LinkedIn, with its professional network, allows you to connect with industry experts and potential collaborators.
To begin, you’ll not have huge reach. But this allows you to focus intently on the responses you do get, and even reach out for more insights.
2. Idea validation and refinement
Before committing to a book-length project, it’s important to test your ideas.
- Writing shorter pieces on Medium helps in testing the waters. The engagement metrics — likes, comments, and shares — are valuable indicators of what resonates with your audience.
- Similarly, LinkedIn’s professional audience can provide constructive feedback and insights.
- X allows for real-time interaction and quick polls to validate your ideas.
3. Networking and collaboration:
- LinkedIn is unparalleled for professional networking. Connecting with other experts in your field can lead to collaborations, endorsements, and speaking opportunities.
- Medium allows you to join publications and communities of like-minded individuals, providing further exposure and networking opportunities.
- X’s fast-paced environment can connect you with thought leaders and influencers who can amplify your message, should you begin to strike a chord. Just remember to stay on track with your original purpose in the first place.
4. Establishing authority:
Regularly publishing content on these platforms helps in establishing yourself as an authority in your field. By sharing your knowledge and insights, you build credibility and trust among your audience. This can be particularly beneficial when it comes time to promote your book, as you’ll already have a loyal following.
Pulling it together: leveraging these platforms
Medium: in-depth exploration
Start by writing articles on topics related to your book idea. In truth, if you’re skilled in a certain field, this should come easy.
Use Medium’s platform to delve deeply into various aspects of your subject. Create a consistent posting schedule to build an audience. Utilise Medium’s publications to reach wider audiences, and engage with readers through comments to build a community around your content.
X: real-time interaction
Use X to share snippets of your ideas, quotes, and insights.
Engage with trending topics related to your field to increase visibility. Participate in Twitter chats and use relevant hashtags to connect with a broader audience. Run polls to get instant feedback on specific questions or ideas you’re considering for your book.
LinkedIn: Professional Engagement
Publish articles on LinkedIn’s publishing platform to reach a professional audience. You can even repurpose your Medium articles and X threads to drive traffic and engagement.
Use LinkedIn’s groups and communities to discuss your ideas and get feedback. Engage with posts from other professionals to build relationships and expand your network.
From Platform to Publication
Once you have a collection of well-received articles and posts, start identifying common themes and ideas that could form the backbone of your book. Analyse the feedback and engagement metrics to determine what resonated most with your audience, ensuring that your book addresses topics of genuine interest and relevance.
Create a book outline based on the most popular and impactful content you’ve produced. Consider seeking feedback on your outline from your online community to further refine your ideas. When your manuscript is ready, you already have a built-in audience eagerly anticipating your book.
Using Medium, X, and LinkedIn as platforms to explore and refine your ideas not only makes the book writing process more interactive and enjoyable but also increases the chances of your book’s success.
By leveraging these tools, you transform the solitary act of writing into a collaborative and iterative process, ultimately leading to a more polished and compelling final product.
Start writing, sharing, and engaging today.
A book can help make you the Principal player in your industry.
That moment is closer than you think.