Relying on a single product or service can be risky in any industry. For content entrepreneurs, that strategy is even more dangerous. Because you’re focused on a content tilt or niche, you may not grow an audience big enough to keep operations going with one product or service. You need a stable audience that regularly purchases from your brand to create a sustainable content business.  

Almost 20 years ago, Kevin Kelley first touted the theory of 1,000 true fans: Content creators need only 1,000 true fans (i.e., people who will pay for your products and services) to make a living. But they can’t keep buying if you don’t make a lineup of products and services available.

While you should distinguish one product or service as your primary one, adding two or three new ones can stabilize your revenue. And it’s possible that a new product will draw a new audience of people who prefer to consume your content in a different format.

Print-on-demand products

We don’t even need a more descriptive header because you know what I’m talking about. In traditional product sales, entrepreneurs must first buy their products, then sell and ship them to the buyers. It requires you to order and pay for the products upfront and have the space to house the cases of product before you can ship them to customers, and that assumes all the products will sell, which is an unlikely scenario.

Print-on-demand products require a more modest upfront commitment to create and set up the product in the store. It makes product expansion possible. The startup costs are low, and the ability to scale is high. And with some savvy API work, you could even offer customizable content.

Books are an ideal revenue stream 

Books are the go-to print-on-demand product for entrepreneurs. It’s the second most profitable monetization stream for full-time content entrepreneurs, according to The Tilt research. (Consulting and coaching is No. 1.)

Think about the content you create, the products you sell, or the services you offer. Then, go to a bookstore and look for content related to your niche. You’ll find books about it. Books are ubiquitous. We’ve been using them for so long that there are books on every imaginable topic.

Even if your niche has multiple books on the topic, your book is something unique. Your audience already wants it. To your fans, the most important thing is that you wrote it. 

Let’s say you make YouTube videos about at-home life hacks. What do you do? Publish a book (and then two more) filled with your life hacks. Now, your fans have a direct way to support the content they love. And they’ll have all your hacks on hand whenever they need them. 

And because books invite in a new audience, perhaps people who aren’t on YouTube, but love life hacks, you’ll be growing your audience while creating new revenue.

How to add a new revenue source 

While this quick three-step process focuses on books, it works for just about any product you want to launch.

1. What does your audience want?

Consider what you already create and look for ways to expand on it or shift the offering to make it something just a little different. If you’re a marketing expert, write a book about strategy. If you’re a gardener, write a book about plant care. 

But don’t just write a boring or repetitive strategy or plant care book; write one that speaks to your niche audience, the platform on which you’re an expert, or a specific challenge that you’ve mastered. Give your audience the expertise and insight they’ve come to know you for. 

2. Turn what they want into a book

Once you know what product you’ll create, it’s time to write the book. Gather the content you already have — blog posts, site pages, social content, and videos are a great beginning.

Next, you’ve got to turn that content into a book-shaped file. You’ve got lots of options for formatting a book:

  • Adobe InDesign is the premier tool for high-end book design. You’ll have complete control over every aspect of your file.
  • Microsoft Word is the tried-and-true option for simple, text-heavy book design.
  • Atticus is a web-based platform that does most of the design work for you. Perfect for your first book because you don’t need extensive formatting skills.

3. Market and sell your new product

Once you’ve got your book designed and available for sale, it’s a matter of letting your fans know. Once you’ve got some traction, you can start marketing to a broader audience. 

The book is your revenue source, but for your readers, it’s affordable access to content, insights, and strategies you’re not sharing elsewhere. This is a small investment to them, but a huge part of growing your brand and business.

Diverse revenue is business longevity

Plain and simple. Just like the dangers of relying on a single platform to reach your audience, relying on a single source of revenue is a dangerous proposition. Luckily, on-demand books are a proven way to add revenue and credibility to your brand. And thanks to efficient, on-demand printing, you can offer your products for years to come with very little investment and risk.

Helpful Resources:

Ready to get started with your nonfiction book? Tilt Publishing’s ready to help. Let’s talk.

About the author

Paul is the Senior Content Manager at Lulu. When he's not entrenched in the publishing and print-on-demand world, he likes to hike the scenic North Carolina landscape, read, sample the fanciest micro-brewed beer, and collect fountain pens. Paul is a dog person but considers himself cat tolerant.