I think a plastic surgeon should write a book for all sorts of reasons:

• It makes you an authority

• It increases your notoriety and name recognition

• It gives you prestige and respect

• There’s a good chance you’ll get free PR

• And it differentiates you from all the other surgeons in the industry

It also helps your organic SEO efforts, so you are more easily found on the Internet because you’ll be in more places.

I say this from personal experience…

My book, “Your Aesthetic Practice: What Your Patients Are Saying” was a game-changer for me.

It told my audience of plastic surgeons that I was serious about making my mark on this industry.

I was interviewed by, The New York Times, Newsweek, ABC News, and I have sold thousands of them, so they are sitting on surgeons’ desks all over the US as well as digital copies all over the world.

And my book is actually helpful and adds value to surgeons who want to “better their best” so it’s been a gift that keeps on giving.

BUT HERE’S THE SECRET

I didn’t just spew my brilliance and hope for the best. As the title suggests, I surveyed many cosmetic patients to find out why they chose you or your competitor and what you could have done to win over more patients.

This way, I am seen as the cosmetic patient attraction specialist because I spent so much time and effort dissecting their wants, needs, and desires.

That allowed me to help plastic surgeons grow their practices faster and easier because I gave them shortcuts and insights that made all the difference.

You can do the same.

Write a consumer book that is of value to the consumer who is interested in cosmetic rejuvenation.

Here are 3 strategies that will make your book pop ….

1. FOCUS

Write about one body part or one procedure.

Be seen as an expert in one thing, and they will stay for more.

And come up with a catchy title. So the readers know immediately if this is for them or not.

For example:

5 Things You Need to Know About _____________

The Truth about ___________

The Secret to a Great ______________

Don’t Consider _________ Until You Read This

2. ADD TONS OF SOCIAL PROOF

Cosmetic patients want to see other patients just like them who have “experienced” you and your skill.

The best way to “show off” your expertise is to show your skills through great before/after photos. And be sure to add a variety of demographics so the prospective patient can see themselves in these photos.

Reviews are the next element that should be sprinkled throughout your book. What others say about you is infinitely more important than what you say about yourself.

However, have your patients tell their stories. Everyone has one. Their story starts with the problem (pain) that was causing them angst.

Then why they chose you over all the others (that’s why the reader will choose you too).

Then what the process was like (hopefully, they will brag about how well you and your staff took care of them) and then have them end with how

great their life is now that they finally took action.

3. MARKET THE HECK OUT OF YOUR BOOK

Writing your book is one thing but getting it in front of the right audience is another.

You don’t need it to be a best seller. You need it to get in the hands of prospective patients who are looking for a surgeon to help them.

Spread the word about your book using every media outlet you have access to AND where prospective patients go for information. Here is a partial list to get you started:

• Have a book signing event and take lots of photos and videos

• Invite the media – you never know.

• Send an Email invite to your current patients and have them forward to friends

• Post on your social platforms and have them share with their friends

• Add you and your staff’s email signatures with a link to buy your book

• Get invited to be a guest on popular blogs

• Get invited to be a guest on applicable podcasts

• Sell your book on Amazon and google books

• Give all of your consultations your book to increase your conversion rate

• Send out press releases (google press releases for vendors who can help)

HOW TO WRITE YOUR BOOK EASY

Now at this point, I’m sure you’re wondering HOW to write this book because it can seem like a daunting task. I get that.

A big reason for this is because you don’t know what to write.

But that’s the beauty (pun intended) of your book…

You just write about what you do every day of your career.

You meet with prospective patients.

You listen to their story and what they want.

You set expectations, so they understand results to expect.

You do surgery and make them comfortable before, during, and after.

You get them back in to see their final result and take before, and after photos.

So your content is basically “The day in the life of a plastic surgeon.”

Yes, it can be that simple.

But it’s still not easy. You have to either put in your own time and/or pay others to get this book project completed, so here’s what you do:

Once you pick one procedure or body part, it’s time to collect content, and this is the easy part.

Using an iPad, have your staff videotape your consultations for that procedure with prospective patients.

The prospective patients don’t need to be in the video because you are simply capturing what you normally say to explain the do’s and don’ts, the results to expect, the pros and cons, and so on for that procedure.

You also want to capture the objections and questions the prospective patients ask. Because if they have those questions, so do other prospective patients.

Also, record any tools you use to communicate with patients to help them understand. Maybe you are good at sketching or using computer imaging and so on.

And, to help bring in the emotion and the human side of cosmetic rejuvenation, you want to videotape patients at different stages of the process such as:

• Those who are still researching

• Or the night before their surgery

• Or during their recovery

• And definitely at their post-op when they are looking good and feeling terrific!

Now you need to put it all together and get it published and here’s how:

You take all the videotape and audio you collected and hand it off to a transcriber such as rev.com or fiverr.com. Then hand the transcriptions off, along with your photos and testimonials to a ghostwriter (you can find one at www.upwork.com but be sure they have lots of 5 Star Reviews) and let them edit it into a readable format.

Then you review their draft, make your final edits, and it is now ready for print.

I suggest keeping this easy on you and your pocketbook and self-publishing. You can then have Amazon print and ship for you at www.createspace.com.

And there you have it. That’s how you create your own book!

For more helpful practice-building strategies, visit me at CatherineMaley.com.