Becoming an Amazon Bestseller and Boost Your Law Firm's Published Book

Law Firm Growth Podcast Episode 19: Permanently Boosting Your Authority in 7 Hours with Nick Raithel

Last Weeks Episode We Focused on Niche Content Marketing for Personal Injury Success with Barry Goldberg

Narrator: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Law Firm Growth podcast, where we share the latest tips, tactics and strategies for scaling your practice from the top experts in the world of growing law firms. Are you ready to take your practice to the next level? Let's get started.

Jan Roos: Hi, everybody. Welcome back to the Law and Growth podcast.

Jan Roos: I'm your host as always Jan Roos, and I am here today with Nick Rathiel. So Nick is the creator of the seven hour book, had some interesting ideas about what this could be doing. He's worked with a handful of lawyers before. I had some good success with that, but if you've ever thought about stuff around content marketing and authority, I think this is a really interesting angle.

Jan Roos: So thanks for coming on the show, Nick.

Nick Raithel: Thank you very much for having me on the show.

Jan Roos: All right. Awesome. So we kind of went over the overview, but would you mind digging into it? It's quite an interesting business you found yourself in. So could you tell me a little bit about your backstory and how you got here?

Nick Raithel: Absolutely. So I'm coming into this as you alluded to in the intro there as someone who's interested in [00:01:00] content, content marketing, and what we're doing right now with that. Is the seven hour book, which is essentially taking the book creation process for attorneys for entrepreneurs and crunching that down into seven one hour sessions where we talk with the person over zoom or over phone and assemble the book based on the discussions with them.

Nick Raithel: To answer your question on the back story, how that came about, it really came about from two distinct threads. One of them being a lifelong fascination that I've always had with books. Which I'm sure you and many of your listeners who are tuning in now can relate to. Being fascinated with stories and the ideas that are communicated in books.

Nick Raithel: And so from that, my own understanding of it, of what a book could be, gradually evolved away from just stories and entertainment, into understanding that a book could also fulfill business purposes and could help [00:02:00] potentially to bring in new leads, new revenue, new clients for a business. Thank you So taking that with another fascination of mine, probably yours and the listeners too, which is productivity.

Nick Raithel: This idea that You can get more done in less time. How do we be more efficient? How do we 80 20 things? How do we hack time to really accomplish more? Which is something I would imagine you, Jan, and a lot of your listeners as well, are also interested in. Getting more done. So, that productivity though came into play because I would be talking to people and having the book discussion and they would all agree, many of them even.

Nick Raithel: That they should do a book, but the issue always came down to time. They just couldn't find the time to do it. So I had this aha moment where I thought about the issue of time with the books, and it just kind of dawned on me that maybe we could take some of the productivity strategies and hacks and that way of thinking and apply that to the book [00:03:00] creation process.

Nick Raithel: And that's really what led to the merging of the two to create the seven hour book.

Jan Roos: Okay, definitely stuff that's really for lawyers. I know most of the ones that I end up speaking are very crunched from a time perspective. So pretty exciting just from that. So now, as far as who you think has been like, you know, the part of the benefits, what are the motive people that are in a specific Or is that come to you?

Jan Roos: Like, what are you really looking to get out of getting one of these books made?

Nick Raithel: What they're looking to do a couple of things, one of them being to stand out from other attorneys in their space. And that's particularly important when they're in a crowded market. Like, let's say, New York City. I mean, if you're in New York City, it's kind of an understatement of understatements to say you're not the only attorney there.

Nick Raithel: And even within a particular specialty of law, you're definitely not going to be the only attorney there, no matter how niche you might go even. So, in that case, you [00:04:00] would certainly need some way of standing out, of getting up on a platform above all of your competitors, and that's where a book would come into play.

Nick Raithel: And not just in New York City either, even in certain sub markets, Baltimore, a little bit smaller, Philadelphia, and maybe even your local town, depending on how many attorneys are there. So, I would put that first and foremost. Another one would be credibility. Not only are you standing out, but establishing your credibility and credibility there doesn't necessarily mean that you're giving the secret sauce of your firm and how you operate.

Nick Raithel: It's more showing people in a general sense that you know what you're doing. You've been around and you might even have some unique personal stories, personal insights to share with them, which they would find useful and would make them trust you a little bit more in the future.

Jan Roos: Yeah, definitely say from a credibility perspective, probably could give away the higher shop as far as ends up defending a case, but just because of [00:05:00] the nature of what these guys do.

Jan Roos: Likely anyone's going to go up and start doing themself in court based on what they that's it's pretty interesting. And then I can also speak to that. I mean, one of the things we hammer on this From time to time, you know, it's just more competitive if you look stats You know the amount of people that are entering solo practice for a single year.

Jan Roos: It's higher and higher, you know you can just your practice area on or you know, look at a Albo in your local area and you're probably against you know, 14 people on you know, who knows Give her a hundred in Abo for any of those markets. You just mentioned, Nick definitely top of mind to people, at least that I'm in business for a long standing out.

Jan Roos: It is definitely an important thing. So, no, it's how we're building this credibility. So you mentioned a couple of things, you know, kind of product stuff, maybe some personal stories and background stories. What's been common in terms of the attorneys that have been successful with that process in your opinion?

Nick Raithel: Commonalities I've seen are where, first and foremost, they know that [00:06:00] they should have and that they want to have a book. And I say that because, surprising as it might seem, some people, some attorneys, Don't need to write a book to achieve their goals But they think that they do because they've got book fixation, a book mania They hear about it on a podcast or they just get the idea in their mind and then they don't let go of it Without thinking about whether they really do need a book or whether they should just let's say double down on Instagram Or double down on Facebook ads, Google ads, and whether that other approach might be the best way to achieve their goals.

Nick Raithel: So I think that people who really succeed at this have thought through what they're looking to achieve in depth. And they know that a book, of all the things they could do, of all the marketing channels, is the best one to pursue.

Jan Roos: Yeah. You know, the follow up question that probably should get [00:07:00] asked on posts like this a lot more is, you know, what would be that criteria?

Jan Roos: Who do you think shouldn't be in the book?

Nick Raithel: I think people who aren't clear on their goals really shouldn't be pursuing this at least initially until they get clear I also think that people who aren't necessarily looking to grow I realize that might sound crazy But there are people out there who are along in their careers or along in just their interests with business and not really looking to attract more business and they're not even looking to Get something out there from another Purpose for having a book from a legacy standpoint.

Nick Raithel: They're not even really interested in leaving a written legacy through their book that will last long after they're gone. So if they're not checking that box of the potential boxes and reasons why you might have a book, then it probably wouldn't make sense for them.

Jan Roos: Yeah, so that makes sense. But yeah, I can comment on that as well.

Jan Roos: I mean, [00:08:00] this It takes a little more introspection. I think a lot of business owners are, you know, willing of internally to be in the point where it's, you know, we've spoke a lot of says where you sort of healthy solo that, you know, might have been the the late fall or early winter of their career.

Jan Roos: And so you kind of. Foot on the gas from a marketing initiative. It's going to be something they're necessarily want to do, but I mean, I think this might fold in next question with, you know, obviously getting is the first step of things, but I kind of imagine a lot of this follow comes from what you do app.

Jan Roos: So what, you know, this is, this is, you know, kind of analogy that we used before is, The the billboard desert. So a lot of people end up seeing stuff like a really expensive website or really expensive content writers just from the web respect. But if, if no one's really going to it, then, you know, it's like.

Jan Roos: A beautiful board in the desert, who really cares? It's beautiful and welcome for no one. So how are these people out there getting a book done with your emails, Nick? What's the [00:09:00] way that they're usually getting this out there to the world?

Nick Raithel: Well, there are a number of ways they can do that as varied as all the channels of marketing, which you're probably familiar with from your own work.

Nick Raithel: What I would say though, One of the big ones that tends to really work easily is putting it or some version of the book in an electronic form on their website and making, say, the entire book, if it's an ebook, or even putting a teaser chapter on their website as something that people can download and that using that as a way to build their list, that would be one of them.

Nick Raithel: I think another one is. Giving away copies of the book to clients to spread around, essentially turning the book into a business card that people can give away to others who might have that need. And the metaphor for that, or the image that I use for that, is of a business card you don't throw away.

Nick Raithel: Because I don't know about you, Jan, but I don't usually throw away too many books. And I don't think that a lot of other people [00:10:00] do as well. When you have a book, it's almost as though you form a psychological connection to the book, where you don't really want to let it go. Or even if it's not a deep psychological connection, you still just feel bad on some level about throwing the book away.

Nick Raithel: And so that really works to your favor when you're giving it out to clients to then give to people as a means of spreading the message and spreading you as a prospect for them, if they need an attorney.

Jan Roos: Yeah, you actually kind of hit something else that's, you know, the whole referral business is, it's a really interesting subset of legal marketing.

Jan Roos: Everyone will say, and you know, somebody who, you know, is seeing services for broader audience in a cold sense. I will never deny the prospects that have come into your practice, potentially from referral, most always the strongest, easiest to close. And, you know, that's usually just based off of the recommendation, but if it's a recommendation, look and I couldn't have supercharging the practice.

Jan Roos: And also, you know, the thought of potentially, you know, you're [00:11:00] the Trump state's lawyer who might. Well, you know, it might work with divorce lawyers who secured a good result for their their clients. Maybe they need help with the sort of asset, the sort of thing, or just any sort of referral relationship you have.

Jan Roos: That stack of books is so much more compelling than that stack of business cards. And you turn the recommendation to sort of like, I guess, a value add. You know, it's also considered for the people who will be positioning that. You as a referral. It's such a more power. Go ahead and do that. All right.

Jan Roos: Awesome. And, you know, as far as kind of the process to like, you know, we're getting into the nitty gritty, but, you know, generally, you know, with working with servers, for example, what's what's kind of the end product as far as is, you know, is there a manuscript? Is that something that's digital? Do you usually You know, if I'm somebody who just published a book, what am I going to do to actually get that into a physical copy?

Nick Raithel: Sure, well, we certainly do the manuscript, of course, and we'll also help them with handling the formatting and in terms of [00:12:00] actually delivering it in the final, final version, the book book, essentially, at the end of it. We usually help the person we're working with to find a printer, And someone to actually physically print it and handle that part of it just because there's so many different options out there and certain companies have certain requirements for how they'll print it and how they'll format it.

Nick Raithel: So we usually let that final part of the process. Be something that we coordinate with them and the other party But in terms of an ebook, we definitely create that and in terms of any formatting that can be done ahead of time We'll be handling that as well along with guidance Later on on marketing and getting it out there We don't leave people empty handed and alone if they feel that they need guidance on the marketing

Jan Roos: And I'd be remiss to talk about marketing without kind of the hundred pound grill on this, which is Amazon.

Jan Roos: So can you tell me, is that something you guys recommend for [00:13:00] people that are working with you? Or like, how would you kind of see like, you know, Amazon or I guess any third party book marketplace fitting into a strategy?

Nick Raithel: Oh, Amazon's a beautiful thing. I'm 100 percent for it. No, we don't, we don't try to tease a metaphor swim upstream since we're talking about Amazon like the river.

Nick Raithel: No, we, we fully embrace Amazon. And if anything, as a tip I can give your listeners right now, Amazon reviews will help to move your book like nothing else. The more of them you can get. Particularly as well, if you can get your book to be a quote, Amazon bestseller, then that will also help you to stand out.

Nick Raithel: Another thing on Amazon too, is that a lot of people don't see it this way, but I think it's important to shift your understanding of Amazon. Beyond just being a website where things are sold, but into being a search engine. So when you shift your thinking to seeing Amazon as a search engine, it then becomes possible to [00:14:00] do things in the line, in the same line as PPC that you might do on Google.

Nick Raithel: So you could have keywords. In the title of your book and if in its product descriptions on Amazon, it would cause your book to rise above other books in a similar category or even the same category on Amazon. So you can really hack that in the same way as you'd be hacking PPC and keywords on Google. I would add too, if your book is an audio book format and you're putting it in iTunes, iTunes as well, when you think about it, Is another huge search engine.

Nick Raithel: All those two is secret search engines, Amazon, iTunes, even YouTube. They're all secret search engines beyond Google.

Jan Roos: That's that's super interesting stuff, Nick. And I'm guessing, you know, even if somebody can only practice in a local area, it's definitely not going to hurt somebody's brand to be a nationally recognized resource for whatever type of law they practice, right?

Nick Raithel: No, it's not. It's certainly [00:15:00] not going to hurt them. And if anything, it adds another feather to your cap, so to speak, that you can say, for example, Amazon bestselling author. Or as seen on, and you list some national platform that only enhances your credibility because the other attorneys in your market who you're trying to stand out from, not only do they not have a book, but now they're at an even further disadvantage.

Nick Raithel: In that they're not the best selling author. They're not on the national stage and it really elevates you even more. One point I would add to, I keep saying Amazon bestseller, that in itself can be a little bit deceptive because Amazon bestsellers. Are often books that have been given away three free initial offer within like the first Day or two days of its release you can do an offer where you give away Copies of the book instantly for free and when you have then 100 people 100 of your friends or contacts [00:16:00] Getting the book for free through amazon in that first period right when it's launched Your book suddenly becomes a bestseller another thing with that, too Just so everyone knows a little bit of the inside scoop on this Amazon has so many categories and subcategories and subcategories that you can potentially dominate a niche within a niche within a niche that no one's ever heard of, or where there's only one or two other titles.

Nick Raithel: And if your book sells the most within that sub, sub, sub niche, It's automatically a bestseller like that.

Jan Roos: That's

Nick Raithel: super

Jan Roos: powerful information. And then, you know, if anyone's looking to do this, definitely a little restriction out of Amazon cat or is, is, is worth the investment. I can actually say personally, when we released the legal marketing fastland a couple of years ago, we.

Jan Roos: Dude, some, some pretty niche areas of legal education. And, you know, granted we're still top organic results. If anyone wants to search legal marketing, just saying, but you know, the bestseller that is, was something that existed for a while. And yet if one looks up me up on LinkedIn, I'm still in a [00:17:00] national, now it was like a bestselling author that, you know, that's, that's a title that you can carry around you for the rest of your life.

Jan Roos: I think it's probably something that's more for, for insiders to know how kind of easy it is to game it. But I mean, you know, not to be too cynical about it. It is. It's still something that carries a lot of cachet in the modern world. You know, literally, it's not that anyone can say they're a best selling author.

Jan Roos: It might be a little easier than other people think, but I still think that that carries some weight in today's world. Right. And this is

Nick Raithel: not to detract either from best selling authors and the whole idea of being a best seller, because just because they're, you know, is that possibility of, as you said, Jan, gaming the system.

Nick Raithel: There are also a lot of books that really have sold the number of copies that would make them legitimate bestsellers. Or, even if they haven't, the content in the book and what the book's doing and the value it's giving people is so rich that it almost doesn't matter.

Jan Roos: Yeah. And I'm kind of talking about [00:18:00] that cachet a little bit more if something I noticed also after I ended up publishing the book was it just seemed to be a lot easier to open doors for things like, you know, honestly, getting on shows, talking with people, the press, getting partnerships, have you ever worked with any clients or continue to help them promote their book through things like PR and that kind of thing?

Nick Raithel: Yeah, we have, we're not a PR agency per se, but getting people onto podcasts, getting people on radio platforms, other media channels to promote this, I would say that certainly becomes possible once you have a book and I'm able to do it and others on my team are able to do it. In some cases through introductions to people we're already in contact with.

Nick Raithel: And we found too, as an insight here, that when a book comes out, particularly for a smaller business owner, an attorney, an entrepreneur, someone like that. Podcasts do tend to be one of the best ways nowadays to get the word out about your book. [00:19:00] Whereas in the olden days, television and traditional radio and print media used to be.

Nick Raithel: I feel like, and our clients experiences are showing, that podcasts really have emerged as one of the easiest, And most effective ways of promoting a book nowadays.

Jan Roos: Yeah, that's pretty interesting. And I've also, I'm trying to think, cause it's, you know, this is going to probably be a definite process for every person that you potentially work with.

Jan Roos: But, you know, you got to think about the people that would be benefited. What are, you know, it doesn't matter if you, you know, if you practice DWI defense or divorce or whatever it is, like, what are those people listening to, like, what is, you know, what's the way to get onto that and kind of turn from that a little as far as kind of the practice areas that you guys have had success with, you mind telling me a little bit about, you know, you know, assuming we have, I mean, we did, you know, people that practice all kinds of different models in this podcast, where do you think the opportunity is today?

Jan Roos: I mean, Doing the best with this kind of strategy.

Nick Raithel: I think the opportunity really comes back, again, to the [00:20:00] spaces that are most crowded. And they're also a little bit more ground level. And what I mean by that is, if you are an attorney who handles very niche environmental law cases, you're probably not facing a steep amount of competition.

Nick Raithel: Versus, if you're an attorney who's in personal injury, maybe DUI, DWI, you're probably fighting hand to hand combat, in a sense, figuratively, to stand out, to get clients to really dominate your space. So, I think attorneys who are more in that direction would probably benefit, who we've seen, actually, if I think back about clients, have seen benefit and get the most from this.

Nick Raithel: Kind of. In a general sense that sort of it partners around Television shows like the people's court judge judy judge joe mathis those sort of legal situations

Jan Roos: Yeah, gotcha. [00:21:00] Yeah, that's interesting too. And also kind of co signed from somebody who's you know Living more in the the google adwords side of things the price you pay for a click in niches like dwi and personal injury will definitely end as a a testament to Really in those fields.

Jan Roos: All right. Awesome. Nick. So yeah, for all these inside tips, it's been really great. So if anyone's interested in asking you some more questions, getting in contact, what's the best way for people to find you

Nick Raithel: best place for them to go would be our website, which is contentcore.Net and you spell that as C O N T E N T C O R P S dot N E T.

Nick Raithel: So that's contentcore. Net.

Jan Roos: Awesome. And then we'll have the show notes too, for anyone who's going to be seeing this in iTunes. But alright, awesome. Thanks again for having this great conversation, Nick. Guys, if you've been thinking about doing this, a lot of this stuff, So I know that's holding back tons of law firms from different marketing initiatives at the time.

Jan Roos: So, you know, it literally could just be a [00:22:00] matter of seven hours and think about kind of the snowball that this potentially have on all these different things. We talked differentiation, standing apart from tradition, having this expertise. And, you know, it's, it really is sort of a snowball with this stuff.

Jan Roos: So, all right, awesome. And thanks for listening. And. Be here next with another episode of the Law Firm Growth Podcast.

Narrator: Thank you for listening to the Law Firm Growth Podcast. For show notes, free resources, and more, head on over to casefuel.com/podcast. Looking forward to catching up on the next episode.