How to successfully repurpose your book into new formats
Unlock the potential of your book by transforming it into multiple formats, reaching new audiences, and maximizing its impact with these proven strategies for repurposing content.
Hi,
As an author, completing a book is a monumental achievement, but it’s only the beginning of your creative journey. Once you have a story that works, it tends to keep working forever.
The real magic lies in leveraging your book’s content to unlock new opportunities, revenue streams, and audiences. Repurposing your book means adapting its essence for various formats and platforms, maximizing its reach, and extending its life.
This is something book publishers and Hollywood studios have known forever, but now we live in a world where independent authots can take advantage of it, too.
Repurposing isn’t just about copying content. It’s about reimagining your story or insights in a way that resonates across different mediums. By tailoring your book for other formats, you tap into the unique strengths of each medium, reaching diverse audiences while building your brand. Whether it’s a serialized blog or a cinematic adaptation, each approach offers distinct opportunities for engagement.
Ways to Repurpose Your Book
Every book has untapped potential to be reimagined in different forms. Here are a variety of ways that can help you extend the life of your work, reach new audiences, and generate additional revenue streams. I’ve tried all these strategies with either fiction, non-fiction, or both. Where applicable, I’ve added links to projects I’m worked on and created around my work.
1. Create Multiple Versions
Why: Offering multiple formats ensures accessibility and appeals to varied reader preferences.
How: Release your book as an ebook, paperback, hardcover, and large-print edition. This not only caters to different audiences but also establishes multiple revenue streams.
Example: My Father Didn’t Kill Himself
2. Serialization
Why: Serialization builds anticipation and connects with loyal readers in an ongoing format.
How: Use platforms like Radish to serialize fiction or share content in chunks on Patreon or Substack. For non-fiction, turn chapters into blog posts to drive traffic and boost book sales.
Example: The Godsverse Chronicles
3. Enhance with Illustrations
Why: Visual elements enrich the reading experience and offer merchandising opportunities.
How: Collaborate with artists to include illustrations, then use those for merchandise like prints, pins, or even themed jewelry. Platforms like Redbubble and Printful make print-on-demand easy.
Example: The Obsidian Spindle Saga
4. Translations
Why: Translating your book unlocks international markets.
How: Focus on territories where your book gains traction or where you are booked for events. This ensures ROI while expanding your global reach.
5. World-Building Supplements
Why: Deepen fan engagement with detailed lore.
How: Create a cookbook or a lore book, then enhance the experience with related content, like cooking videos or behind-the-scenes insights on YouTube.
Example: Not available yet, but we have done this with multiple series
6. Workbooks and Planners
Why: For non-fiction, workbooks add practical value.
How: Develop guides, planners, or exercises that complement your book, helping readers implement its principles.
7. Graphic Novels and Comics
Why: Comics appeal to visually driven audiences and younger readers.
How: Adapt your book into a graphic novel, investing in skilled artists and storytellers. Alternatively, reverse the process by converting a comic into a novel.
Example: Black Market Heroine (comic of Magic)
8. RPG Games and Actual Play Podcasts
Why: Tabletop RPGs create immersive fan experiences.
How: Adapt your book’s world for a roleplaying game like Dungeons and Dragons. Alternatively, host an actual play podcast where players explore your story’s universe.
Example: Not available yet, but we have multiple in development
Exploring Audio and Digital Formats
The rise of audio and digital media has transformed how audiences consume content. Here are some ways you can tap into these rapidly growing markets to create engaging and accessible formats for their work. Each of these is something I’ve tried in the past.
9. Audiobooks
Audiobooks captured 25% of the Amazon marketplace in 2019, and the demand continues to grow. Hire a narrator or record it yourself for non-fiction or third-person narratives.
Example: Anna and the Dark Place
10. Audio Dramas
Go beyond audiobooks by producing an audio drama. Full-cast recordings or simpler, cost-effective formats (like narrating diary entries) can bring your story to life in a new dimension.
Example: The Void Calls Us Home
11. Podcasts
Expand your non-fiction book into a podcast. Develop either a continuous series or a limited series focusing on your book’s chapters.
Example: Six Figure Author Experiment
12. Mobile Apps
Apps can complement books, whether as interactive guides for non-fiction or immersive experiences for fiction. Once you have a catalog, consider offering subscription-based access through a dedicated app.
Example: Our app was discontinued
13. Live Readings and Q&A Sessions
Why: Direct interaction builds reader loyalty.
How: Host live or virtual reading events and Q&A sessions. Record these sessions to repurpose as podcasts or video content.
Example: We’ve done this for a lot of our campaigns.
Interactive and Visual Adaptations
Interactive and visual formats offer readers unique ways to engage with stories and concepts. Here are some ways you can delve into how immersive experiences, from games to theatrical productions.
14. Courses
Design courses to monetize expertise or engage audiences further. Fiction authors can create thematic courses, while non-fiction writers can delve into skill-building.
Example: Kickstarter Launchpad
15. Games
Transform your story into a board game, card game, or mobile app. These formats offer interactive ways for fans to immerse themselves in your world.
Example: Ichabod Jones card game
16. Theatrical Productions
Plays and musicals like Hamilton prove that live performance can breathe new life into written works.
Example: N/A
17. Movies and Web Series
Hollywood isn’t the only option. Independent films and web series are affordable ways to adapt your book. Write a screenplay, pitch it to agents, or produce it independently using modern tools like smartphones. Web series, like The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice), showcase how reimagined narratives can succeed in this format.
Example: Connections
Whether you’re just beginning to repurpose your book or looking for ways to expand your reach, having a clear plan can make all the difference.
Start Simple: Begin with cost-effective options like ebooks or serialized blog posts to test the waters.
Know Your Audience: Match formats with audience preferences. Non-fiction readers might love workbooks, while fantasy fans may crave lore books or games.
Leverage Collaboration: Partner with artists, translators, or other professionals to enhance your offerings.
Plan for Scalability: Begin with small adaptations and scale up as your audience grows.
Yes, I’ve had a long career which has allowed me to do a lot of things, but I’ve also pushed them forward when nobody else wanted or believed in them, which means now, 20+ years on it seems like I’ve done a lot. I have, but I’ve also funded most of these myself and learned how to make them without any outside investments.
Repurposing your book is not just about creating new formats. It’s about creating new opportunities to connect with your audience and build lasting impact. These strategies empower you to reimagine your work as a dynamic and evolving asset that grows with you and your audience. By thinking outside the box and embracing innovation, you’ll not only extend the life of your book but also open doors to creative and financial success in ways you never imagined.
Your book is more than just a product. It’s a gateway to endless possibilities. By repurposing it into different mediums, you not only increase your revenue but also deepen your connection with readers. Embrace the creative process of adaptation and watch your single book grow into a multifaceted universe.
What do you think?
Which of these repurposing strategies resonates most with your book’s content and audience?
What unique aspect of your book could inspire a creative adaptation, such as a game or podcast?
How can you leverage collaborations to bring your book to new platforms or formats?
Let us know in the comments.
If you enjoyed this one, I highly recommend checking our archive, with over 900 posts about how to help you build your own author career, including our course, fund your book on Kickstarter. You can take it for free with a seven-day trial, or give us a tip if you want to support us without committing long term.
Lots of food for thought. Thank you.
I would definitely consider adapting novels with rich visual ideas into digital comic book format. This seems to be a natural fit and possibly the most accessible when compared to other visual media options.
Thanks for the tips, Russell.