The road to receiving my first nonfiction book offer from a major publisher was a long one. I spent three years working on my proposal pitching myself to agent after agent, and receiving dozens of rejections. One editor told me to write a book more like Sheryl Sandberg. Another said I didn’t have enough followers on social media.

And then, that first offer? It was rescinded. A senior leader at the publishing house had come in and nixed the deal. They said: “There are too many people who look like Mita, writing books like this.”

I was devastated. I was in bed at 10:00 AM on that Monday morning when I got that note, eating Cheetos and bawling. I couldn’t believe my book deal had vanished. Would I ever become a published author? After feeling sorry for myself for a full 48 hours, I picked myself up and started again.

Reimagine Inclusion: Debunking 13 Myths to Transform Your Workplace was published in 2023 and went on to make the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller Lists. And now, as I reflect back, I am grateful that that offer was rescinded. Why? Because here’s the one thing I wish I knew when I wrote my first book: Don’t wait to build the audience for your book until your book is written. Start building your audience now.

I was stuck in a romanticized, outdated version of what it meant to publish a nonfiction book. I thought all of these things would just be handed to me: A national book tour hitting 10 major U.S. cities. A swanky Manhattan launch party. An interview on a morning show. But the truth is this, it’s not just about writing a good, or even, great book. That’s only half the battle. You have to be ready, willing and able to market this book yourself.

The book marketplace has exploded. According to one publisher: “The annual number of new titles published each year has grown by more than 10 times in the past 16 years.” The good news is that many barriers to entry have been lowered in publishing, including the availability of self-publishing and hybrid models. The bad news is that publishing houses are working with even less marketing resources. That means it’s even more challenging to break through the noise and have your book stand out.

If you are considering writing a book, or working on your first book, here are four things to consider on your publishing journey:

1. Understand your “why”

When I coach clients on their publishing journey, the first question I ask them is: Why do you want to write this book? Here are some of the reasons I hear. They may want to:

  • Establish authority and expertise, which can be more powerful than a resume. The book can open more opportunities to speaking engagements, media appearances, board positions, and more.
  • Attract more clients, especially if there’s a methodology, framework, or tools you are sharing for our business.
  • Build the foundation for you to offer courses or workshops including the book’s materials.
  • Make a pivot and reposition themselves, moving from an entrepreneur to an investor, or an operator to a thought leader, or a CEO to an advisor.
  • Teach others what they have learned as part of their leadership legacy.

Your why is important because it will be the fuel that keeps you going through the inevitable highs and lows. It also helps lay the groundwork for who your audience will be.

2. Know what’s out there

The next thing I have clients do is go to a local bookstore and hop on Amazon. Study the category you want your book to be in. I want you to envision your book sitting on the shelf or its image on Amazon. Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Who is my competition? Why would a reader buy my book versus another book?
  • What am I adding to the category that’s not already covered?
  • What’s the title? What’s the cover image I am imagining? How will this stand out?

The answers will help you start to zero in on your audience and keep them top-of-mind as you write. You need to know who your competition is as you start to write and then market your book.

3. Start seeding the ideas of your book now

For my second book, I wanted to write about another leadership topic, but I wasn’t quite sure about the angle or approach. I decided to test some ideas on LinkedIn. Beyond the impressions and number of likes, I studied the comments. In many cases, their questions and opinions gave me new ideas to build on. I also started noticing a clear pattern: Any time I wrote about bad bosses, my LinkedIn community loved it.

I kept testing and trying concepts to see how they would react and finally settled on what would become The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn From Bad Bosses. As I was writing, I would share some of my stories and frameworks. And, by the time the book was published, my audience was already bought into the concept. My LinkedIn community helped make this book a USA Today and Los Angeles Times bestseller.

You can see your ideas on social media, on large stages, or in more intimate settings. This could mean asking your trusted colleagues and friends for feedback on frameworks or tools in the book. Once your book is available, your audience will be more likely to buy a copy and recommend it to others.

4. Find new ways to build your reputation

I have always been more drawn to writing my ideas down rather than sharing them on video in social media. But, for my second book, I leaned into video content, previewing my concepts well in advance of publication, in addition to keeping up my expert commentary on marketplace dynamics. Video was a new way to create intimacy with my audience and continue to build my reputation, in 90 seconds or less.

Don’t wait for a book offer or for your book to be written or published to continue building your reputation. Here are some other avenues to explore:

  • Start a newsletter, or continue to build your newsletter, and offer sneak peeks into your book.
  • Pitch yourself as a podcast guest. Start with small- and mid-sized podcasts and ask your community for referrals.
  • Develop a talk for your book idea you can test on stages, and consider if you want to partner with a speaker’s bureau.
  • Build your social media presence, and work with other authors to host live ask me anything events.
  • Guest write articles for publications and/or co-author pieces with other colleagues. Consider writing articles on LinkedIn.

The world of nonfiction books can be fiercely competitive. But don’t let that stop you from chasing your dreams of becoming a published author. Giving yourself a generous runway to start marketing your book — even before it’s final — is one of the smartest moves you can make on your publishing journey. So, when your book is finally available, your audience will be ready to immediately add your book to their carts — without hesitation.