Beyond the Manuscript: Wiebke Tasch on Publishing with Purpose

Awards, Thanks, And Reviews Request

And welcome to Tech Diva Biz Talks, where we tune in, dive deep, and level up. I'm your host, Audrey Wiggins, aka the Tech Diva, brand strategist, marketing mind, and your guide through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Let's talk tech. Hello, TechDiva Nation. Before I introduce today's guests, I have something to celebrate. Tech Diva Biz Talks has earned two Web Excellence Awards for video and podcasting in interviewing and technology. This recognition is especially important as I celebrate 15 years in independent media. To everyone who has watched, listened, shared, or joined me as a guest since 2011, thank you from my heart. You are part of this journey. And if you haven't already, please leave a review or rating wherever you tune in. Help more people discover these conversations. Now let's keep those conversations going.

Meet The Publishing Strategist Guest

She helps nonfiction experts turn their ideas into professionally published, market-ready books built for long-term impact. Wipka, welcome to TechDiva Biz Talks.

Thank you so much. I'm so excited to be here.

You are so welcome. And just before we're going to take a quick break, but can you share a personal fun fact with TechDiva Nation?

Hey, fun fact. I'm born and raised in Germany, running a US publishing agency and live in Mexico.

Wow, that is awesome. And for those of you who are not looking at the video, she has an awesome brim. Okay. You know I love my hats. She's over in Mexico and doing her Mexico thing. All right. We're going to take a quick break and be right back.

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Why Good Nonfiction Still Fails

Welcome back, everyone. We've publishing nonfiction is known to be good, you know, to be a good marketing strategy. So that said, let's start with a truth bomb. Why do so many nonfiction books hit the market with good information but still fail to gain traction?

That's a very good question. That's one of my favorite questions. Since 2020, actually, since the pandemic, publishing become so became so much more complex, and because so many people start doing it, which means I think before 2020, like Amazon published like two million books per year. Wow. Now it's four million books per year. So and then it's I know it's insane. And so in order to get there, like be found and like people really resonating with your book, and even or just like you know, people find your book, it's so much more like complicated than before. Because before like 2018 or like 2015, like 10 years ago, you could basically like self-publish a book, put in some good keywords, make a like decent cover, and then you know, Amazon did the rest. And today it's so much more complex. So you need to check all the boxes, which means you need to understand like keywords SEO in the subtitle, in the description text. You need to have a very good cover design, not just something DIY, you know, or something made in Canberra, like really like a good, decent professional cover. You need to understand the Amazon algorithm on general, all like even like the Barnes and Novel algorithm, they're like similar. You need to have like a good book launch strategy because the algorithm are built like this. The first five days of publishing is like kind of a milestone how your book's going turn out in the long run. Because if you manage to push a lot of traffic in those first five days, the Amazon algorithm like memorize it and then in the long term suggest your books to other readers in the same genre. It's no market strategy for your book launch, and you like worst case, you tell nobody and think, oh yeah, I'm just going see how it goes. It just goes nowhere. This is the reality, unfortunately. So you need to have like you need to check every box with design, keywords, strategy.

It's like a product launch. It's marketing. This is yeah, and I'm going back to those figures. I'm still like reeling over here with four million titles out there.

Yeah.

Oh my goodness. But moving on then.

Market Analysis Before You Write

So before an expert, coach, or consultant says, I'm writing a book, what should they evaluate first? I know you talked about, you know, checking the right boxes, but maybe even go a little further, so they don't um pour time, money, and emotion into the wrong project.

The very first thing we do, and I like encourage everybody to do sys as far as they can do it. It's like a market analysis, which means you understand the market demand. Like, are people really searching for the subject you are about to write a book about? You know, are people willing to buy? Is there like enough revenue potential in your niche? And the competition, is there like low competition? So as a first-time author, you actually have enough space to like occupy this niche. And so what we do, we like checking the market and then really see okay, is that demand? People searching for it, there's enough like buying potential, so people are willing to buy and spend money on this, and then a competition is low. We actually offer this for free. So everybody who's like interested and like serious in writing and publishing nonfiction books, we are like so happy to help. And like a little story, I just had um we just started with a client, and she's an amazing entrepreneur. Like, she she's killing it since 10 years, and she published maybe three or four books, and nothing worked. And so she we did like a market analysis for her, and then we thought, yeah, no one knows this is not working because there's no traffic, there's no demand. And like she has like business success in her niche, but comes to like the actual book writing and like the potential in a book market, there was just no demand, and so we like repositioned her, and now we're like in a process of uh helping her getting published.

Wow, that's awesome! So a lot of people think self-publishing means uploading a file to Amazon and calling it a day. Obviously, that's not true, right? So, what is missing from that mindset?

Treat Your Book Like A Product

I think the mindset is like if you're serious with nonfiction books, you should like see your book as like another product in your product line. See it as like a client magnet, like a conversion tool for like you know, getting getting business, basically. And um, so there's like so many things going into this, like branding. Use the same branding, um, like for your cover design as for you know your website, etc. So like people can see this all goes together and use it as a long-term asset. So you can like if you uh do it the right way and have like a strategy behind it, so many doors can open for you, like speaking gigs, like even going like on television shows, etc. If you really can position yourself as an as an expert in your niche and use your book as kind of like a leverage, if this makes sense. If you just like upload it and self-publish it on Amazon and then see what happens, it's more like if you have a hobby or you want to just test how like self-publishing works, I would just say, yeah, go for it. Just try. Sometimes you can also be lucky and get like sales in and be known. But if you if you're serious about your business and want to use a book as leverage, like do it the right way from the beginning, like position yourself, talk about it, and have like a strategy behind it.

The Publishing System That Converts

You describe publishing as a system. So walk us through what that system needs to include if someone wants their book to look professional, feel credible, and actually support their business.

The first thing I can like let me walk you through like how we do it. The first thing we do is like the market analysis, and from there, we actually create a book outline and we're creating it in a way that it's really like a client conversion tool, which means we make sure everybody who writes the book ends up in their audience because that's the issue with like Amazon and everything, you never get the data, you never know who's like buying your book. So, and we want to make sure we start connecting with those people and like converting them into our audience and from there into paying clients. So, this is like very important, and like we do like an outline and guiding like the reader through it. From there, we do the layout design, which is super important to have like a good layout design and a good format, and especially like if people buying like ebooks and reading it on their phone, on their tablets, you know, on their laptops, on the e-reader. We need to make sure like the format, everything is really good and it's like converting very good, and it doesn't look like you know all over the place. Then we also usually put like some three um design elements into it, you know, it depends on the book. Like, for example, a lot of nonfiction books have like worksheets, and we just make sure we're breaking the pages and make it just nice and very uh readable um so people don't get bored and also like help with the design. And then once this is done, move forward to the um cover design. We usually use like the branding colors and use some symbols from their niche. For example, one client we had, she was writing about like leaving the 9 to 5. The name of her book is Escape the Nine to Five and Building a Freedom-based business. And we used for the cover the branding colors of her website, it's etc. So people can like recognize like okay, it's from her. And then also we use like symbols which fitting her genre, and the cover is amazing. I I'm so in love with this cover. Uh the blue from her website, and like the symbols is very nice. It's kind of a cage which is open and then like birds flying out. It's super cool. Like the font is amazing. And I just hired a new cover designer, he's from Portugal, and it's like, yeah, such a great cover. So we're doing this and just make sure it doesn't it looks like super professional, you know. We have like a super professional team behind it, and make sure it looks amazing. And once this is done, this is more or less like 50% of like the word load. And another 50%, we usually have at least three months before the book launch. We getting together, have like a strategy call and talking about how we bring insane traffic to the book launch, you know, because this is so important. Like I said before, we just have five days to like convince Emma then that this book is amazing. And Emma then do the marketing, you know, in the long term for us, basically, and suggest everybody this book. So and this is like three months is important because we want to like have a strategy behind it, and it's it's depends which like genre the book is, but we just make sure we we bring in a lot of traffic to the book launch and have like different ways to do it.

Yeah, so structure and the way a nonfiction book is organized, it has to be a strategic decision, not just a writing decision.

100%, yes. The writing is also very important, obviously, but like the writing is actually the second thing because we need to make sure people find your book. And they're going find the book with like a good SEO and a good cover. It is what it is. And then later they'll fall in love with your book because you're like an amazing writer. But before this, we need to make sure the right people find you.

Well, um, well, we've got we're going take a quick break and then we're going come back and hear more from you and and really, you know, dive even deeper. Ready to make AI practical, useful, and a lot less intimidating. With pathways in AI, training includes programs such as Gen AI biz, AI biz, Agentic AI biz, designed for professionals, entrepreneurs, everyday business, communication, productivity, decision making, and teams who want to understand AI without losing the human touch. The curriculum we use is by CertNexus. Explore your next step at pathwaysinai.com. Pathways in AI. Grow stronger, learn smarter, and stay human.

Launch Strategy And The Five Day Window

We're back with Wiebke Tasch. Wiebke, thanks again for being here. You um the first half of the show, you really laid um some heavy stuff on us as far as publishing our nonfiction books. This is amazing. Thank you so much. Yeah, yes, yes, sure. Okay, yes. So, what are some of the biggest

Biggest First Book Mistakes And AI Misuse

mistakes experts and coaches make when they publish their first book? And yes, we are asking somebody listening so they can avoid these expensive lessons.

Yeah, so please, please, please never don't use chat GTP. No, please don't. It's like I can like I can I can read it within the first two sentences. Um my goodness, and it's it's so bad because it's just the same like structure, like sentence structure, it's the same saying. Like one little anecdote. It's like a couple of weeks ago. This also sent me her manuscript, and I'm reading it, and I'm like, oh my god, this is just chat chat. And then the next day, I um I went to like an online webinar, and this guy talks, and then he said, and I'm swear this is like so banana, this happened, and then he said the same sentence I was reading a day before in the manuscript, and I'm like, he also used Chat GTP to like outline his speech. And I'm like, this is why don't use chat GTP because it's the same blah blah over and over, and then people get tired of it so quickly.

Yes, and and uh if I could just add in there because I because I love technology and and using AI and stuff, but if you write it first, yeah, don't just don't come up, just don't give Chat GPT or Claude or whatever the topic, you actually give it your writing and then say refine this or something, you know. But oh my goodness, yeah.

So 100, like use it for like proof reading or give me feedback, take the time and write your own book. It's so important because like AI is amazing for so many things, but not for writing, like really not for writing. Yeah. I have a little tip though. If you if you if you really want to write a book and you have like a writer's blog and it's like overwhelming because it's so much and you don't know where to start, work with your subconscious. What I mean by this is in the evening, when like five minutes before you go to bed or before you go to sleep, tune into yourself and ask yourself or say to yourself, like, dear subconscious, please give me everything I need in the morning to write my first chapter. Wow. And you probably you're like an expert in your field, so you you have the information in you already. You know, you just need to trust that um it's coming out in the right way. And in the morning, you get up, you do nothing except make yourself a coffee or tea, do not check your phone or social media, emails, nothing. The first 60 minutes, you just go to your computer and you just write. And just like and don't like pluck it or like overthink it, just go there, maybe even close your eyes in the beginning and just like type, uh, start typing. And you'll be amazed. This works wonderful. I have people, I gave I give this tip out like since years, and I have people coming to me and said, Oh my god, I had like a writing blog for months and months and months, and then it just flows. So try this, don't use chat GTB, like just try work with your subconscious.

That's awesome. Yes, yes. Yeah, that that is great advice. I really appreciate hearing

Subconscious Writing Routine For Momentum

that. So we know people judge books by their covers, no matter how often they say that they don't. How do cover design and interior layout affect credibility, visibility, and buyer confidence?

So much, like so much. I mean, if you see like a cover looks like something my niece draws, you know what I mean? Like super basic. People just assume, and this is maybe also subconscious, like people just assume okay, they didn't put any money or effort into the layout and the cover, so like the the content is also you know cheap or like not super informative. Um, and it's just like a um a stamp, it's just like how you present yourself. And if you use a book as a business asset, you know, or like present your business and your idea and um your concept, you wanna be the best version of yourself, right? Also, with your website, for example, if you have a business, you also want to make sure, like when people have the first impression of you, it looks good, and like see the cover as your first um expression as like a you know a business badass in your niche. So and you just want to make sure people love it, and people also feel um, oh, this is someone I can trust because they're put effort and even money behind what they're doing. So if I start working with them, they also make sure I get the best results. I'm like taken care of very well. So I feel it's so important and don't save money, don't save pennies um on the layout for sure.

So for entrepreneurs using a book to build authority, how should they think beyond book sales and look at the bigger business opportunity?

Yeah, so like I was just reading a study last week, and so when when entrepreneurs publish a book, they're actually like I think like in the second year or so of being a published author, they're going actually like double their prices because this is like an incredible tool of credibility, having a book, being a published author. Um, so in the long term, it brings you in more money, more opportunities, like speaking opportunities, um, like even going to like television shows, etc. It's it's kind of like um you are like on another stage, you know, in your business, because it also shows people, okay. This person, if you don't use Chat GTP on AI, but this person really like has the discipline to sit down and bring their thoughts and their concept on paper, plus they have enough experience and have something to say for other people, which is you know super helpful and can potentially transform other people's lives, like you know, private life or business. And yeah, it's

Cover And Layout As Trust Signals

a book, it's an amazing tool to elevate your authority at the end.

For entrepreneurs using a book to build authority, how oh, excuse me. Okay, here we go. You support publishing across multiple formats, including audiobook. Why does format matter when someone is building authority and trying to reach a wider audience?

Yeah, like especially with audiobook, like people want to have the best format they're they're connect with the most. And think about business books. People who read business books are like business people, and that sometimes don't have a lot of time to actually sit down and read a book, but they have time being in a gym or I don't know, flying somewhere to like put in some headphones and listen to an audiobook. And it just gives people more opportunity to like connect with you. And that's like the main reason why, for example, like an audiobook is important, and then for like ebook, obviously, because a lot of people just like buying like an ebook not really the actual physical edition and um it just gives them a variety of um different formats so like and really helping or like really serving their needs what they need at the moment so some people like you know reading physical books some people like listening to audiobooks and some people like to read on their phones so and you need to make sure you serve all kinds of different needs with different formats for the market expert sitting on years of knowledge but feeling overwhelmed by the publishing process what is the smartest first step I would say come to us and do market analysis and we give you an outline and then you can just start writing maybe don't overthink it. Maybe like do the exercise I told you like working with the subconscious and let it flow and then in

Authority Beyond Sales And Pricing Power

the end you can like edit etc but like the first important step is just start writing don't overthink it in a book you need also like edit a book a few times you know it's like never publish the first trust but also don't pluck yourself and don't be and don't want to be like too perfectionist and just start writing you know what I mean like yes yes just get it out there don't overthink it.

Yes okay so so you're talking about don't overthink it and but don't publish fast you know at the same time I have to share what we talked off camera before that my my my original manuscript was written in 1994 and you know go you know sometimes I would forget I even had the book and I'm doing this and I had had written it just before I I left the a corporate job. When you create it sometimes things just come to you. So I think sometimes we take them for granted and sometimes we don't believe in them either at the same time that old imposter syndrome shuts in there. So you know that was a long time ago right so a lot of rewrites a lot there was a lot of old information in there that's this no it's no longer valid is especially when you talk about fax machines versus a website you know old technology is it's just crazy.

So talk to talk to that person for a minute I'm all ears I mean yeah if you have like an old manuscript I mean from 94 it's like 30 years ago you yeah you need for sure update it honestly like if if if you want to write a book let us do like a market analysis and from there do an outline because this is the most professional way and we just check the market and everything what follows like falls into place. So if you see I don't know your your your manuscript but is it like a business it's like okay it's like it's a business book.

Yeah so it it is really it's it's all about what you're talking about here you know the nonfiction and supporting entrepreneurs so I'm I'm a business owner. So it talks about those those things are in there.

Yeah my knowledge and my expertise is is this book that's amazing and like so I can just like out of my head can tell you that like leaving 9 to 5 starting your own business it's a super good niche people looking for this because people want to live their own life and people need someone else who already did this what they want to do to show them the way and I would say you can also just document your own way how you did it. You know how did you left corporate what did you do like in the 30 years I mean you have like a lot of knowledge and a lot of like how to do and step by steps like in a manuscript in a writing itself it's important you put in your personal stories but also like some concepts which people can follow I always call it like warm writing and code writing like code writing is like the how-to's the step by step the concepts you know like the data behind and warm writing are your personal anecdotes your personal stories like your experience your badassness what you would yeah then you need to like bring them

Formats That Expand Reach

together as a nice little cocktail um and then just like go step by step and also try to like see it from the perspective of someone who reads your book does it make sense for the other person like is it clear what I'm trying to say and then just go for it.

Yes yes well thank you this is a great place to to take a quick break and and we'll be back and when we do come back we're going do a rapid fire. This is the Tech Diva Rapid Five I like to call it so we'll be right back.

Got a podcast idea in your head or your notes app or in your spirit let's change that I'm Audrey Wiggins also known as the Tech Diva and I've been podcasting for over 15 years and I want to help you get on that train. So my Unlock the Power Podcasting toolkit mini course is designed for inspiring podcasters entrepreneurs and content creators who are ready to stop thinking about it and start building with clarity. No fluff, no unnecessary overwhelm, just a practical starting point to help you move forward with confidence. If your voice has a purpose your podcast needs a plan. Start today with Unlock the Power Podcasting toolkit mini course visit altogetherlearning.academy altogetherlearning.academy I want to hear your voice in the marketplace .

The Tech Diva Rapid Five. I'm going ask you five questions and you're going give me five answers how about that? Awesome let's go for it. Okay all right so the first question is best first move write the book first or analyze the market first analyze the market first biggest red flag in a nonfiction book idea biggest red flag in a nonfiction book idea maybe just talk about yourself and don't give like any value to your readers one publishing shortcut that usually backfires just publishing without a strategy cover title or positioning which one can sync a book the fastest cover one thing every expert author should do before spending a dime on publishing get clear on your audience and what you want to say awesome well thanks for playing along with me there on we've got always this is always my most fun part of these conversations but before we go though I want to make sure that the audience can can find you you know can plug into what you're doing there at your company so give us that information.

yes yeah like I'm super active on LinkedIn so let's connect there it's my name Wiebke Tasch. That 's W-I-E-B-K-E and Tasch is T A S C H. And check out my website it's www digital slash

Updating Old Manuscripts With New Demand

authors.com and I'm looking forward connecting with you. Thank you so much.

All right you are welcome and as we close out give us you know that that piece of advice that it may be a combination of what you've already said or just something to leave us with. What is that nugget when it comes to nonfiction publishing that you want to leave with us?

Always listening to your inner voice. Don't get confused about what social media says or the internet says connect with yourself listen to your inner voice you know best what your book is about and how to write it and use your subconscious to write it don't overuse AI and just like connect with yourself first before you do anything else.

Absolutely so thanks again Wiebke and again you know what's your website so how can we plug into the this publishing ecosystem of yours?

Yeah it's digital slash authors.com and if you're keen you can book like a free market analysis and we help you to get your book out there.

Thanks again Wiebke this has been an exciting conversation here today. TechDivination what a powerful conversation with Wiebke task of digital authors here's the big takeaway a nonfiction book is not just a writing project it is a business asset a positioning tool and yes a product launch think of it as a product oh my goodness weepka made it clear that good content alone is not enough your book needs market clarity audience alignment strong structure professional design and the strategy behind it before you send it out into the world and I love this reminder I'm going read this do not let AI replace your voice use the tools yes but your wisdom your stories your experience and your point of view still have to lead that is where the real authority comes from so if you're an expert a coach consultant or business owner like me sitting on a book idea don't rush to publish Wiebke is offering listeners a free market analysis for their nonfiction idea or manuscript. You can find the special link in the show notes. Catch this in all episodes show notes and more smart business resources at techdivabiztalks.com that's your home for bold conversations and tech tuned leadership. Tech Diva Biz Talks is sponsored by my company Al together Marketing so please visit altogether.biz to learn more until next time keep learning keep building and keep your business aligned. I'm Audrey TechDiva Wiggins and I'll see you in the next episode.

That's it for today's Tech Diva Biz Talks hope you caught a gem or two. If you did share it, review it, and most of all put it into action. Until next time tune and level up and talk tech.