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Publish with Purpose: A Goal-Oriented Framework for Publishing Success

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Writing a book isn't easy. Marketing one isn't any better. Successful authors understand how the two support each other.

The case studies and exercises in this book provide you with a valuable roadmap to effortlessly engage the right readers and achieve the results you want for your reader, your book and yourself.

Follow this easily repeatable, goal-oriented framework to:


identify your ideal reader and what they want most from you. decide which elements your book needs to build the business you want. reveal the purpose beyond the purpose of your book. After all the effort you've put into your book, don't stop short of your goal! Learn what it takes to make your book a success.

"Publish with Purpose is unlike any other book you've read before. Yes, it's a book on writing. Sort of... And it's also a book on marketing. Sort of... But what it really is, is a cross-over book that looks at how writing and marketing (and everything else you do related to your book) are interconnected. And that's what makes this book different."

--Taken from the Foreword by Penny Sansevieri, CEO of Author Marketing Experts

126 pages, Paperback

Published April 22, 2019

1 person is currently reading
11 people want to read

About the author

Tara R. Alemany

5 books12 followers

Tara Alemany defies a simple definition. She is a multi-award-winning author of seven books. She is also a speaker, business consultant and publisher.

She founded her publishing company Emerald Lake Books in 2014, which she co-owns with her best friend, Mark Gerber. Their boutique publishing company provides a unique blend of business coaching with publishing to help its authors succeed, whether it’s their first book or their fiftieth!

Tara’s latest award-winning book, Publish with Purpose, reveals the unique process developed by Emerald Lake Books to help their authors set and attain their goals.

In addition to publishing, consulting, writing and speaking, Tara serves on the Board of Directors for a Christian writers’ critique group, acting as both president and chaplain of the group. In her spare time, she is a winemaker, a military Mom to 2 young adults (one of each), and is owned by a black cat.

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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Profile Image for Bea Cuase.
Author 1 book
May 30, 2019
This is a handy little book which aims to assist in the process of publishing books which you have written. The writing style is authoritative yet friendly.

The main positives that I took away from this read were the exercises included, setting out goals and ensuring the target audience for your work is known to you before you begin the road to publication. This helpful advice will undoubtedly help people along their journeys on this path.

I was less keen on the, at times, pushy nature of the author in pro-offering her services at every opportunity. This may, however, be a cultural difference as this book was definitely written with an American audience in mind.

Overall there are some hidden gems of information within the pages of this book, and I would think that it would be useful to those particularly struggling with what to do once they have completed a manuscript, even more so to those who have written a non-fiction work.

#ARC #NetGalley
1,261 reviews29 followers
May 26, 2019
This is a very useful book for all authors, helping in understanding the purpose of writing a book. This includes the business side, that is always there, and other goals. It also touches the marketing and other important issues. The part about speaking engagements may not be very interesting to most, but one doesn't have to follow everything in a book like this.
Profile Image for Aminata Coote.
Author 58 books67 followers
July 9, 2019
Learn how to set goals for your writing career and each book that you publish. Publish with Purpose has a number of helpful exercises such as the Dear Reader and Dear Author letters that help you visualize and quantify what you're trying to accomplish with your book. These exercises, along with the tips provided in the book, will help you streamline your writing career.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Jane.
14 reviews2 followers
August 22, 2022
I’ve had a book sitting in my computer for ten years. I finally decided to take the plunge and publish it. So very Grateful to have found this book before making this intense commitment. The journey Tara Alemany took me on completely shifted my perspectives. From defining my goals, defining my reader to taking a deep dive into the entire process. A must read for anyone considering writing a book!
Profile Image for Jordan.
6 reviews
June 20, 2021
I really appreciated that this book wasn’t just a bunch of hot-air or restated advice (as many self help on writing/publishing books tend to be).

There are tangible activities, tasks, and tools the book provides and I believe most of them would be/have been helpful.

As a fiction writer, I would have enjoyed some more focus there, but that’s my only [small] gripe.
9 reviews1 follower
June 25, 2019
I recently completed this book. I found it very helpful and offered unique tips to apply not only to a book project, but any other goal. While reading the book, I got to a point where I had to stop and recommend it to a friend who plans to turn her recent book into a self-development workshop, course, and community. This was right up her alley. I feel having the opportunity to read this book right before starting a novel was a good move. I can use everything she's taught. So, I look forward to the results. In a nutshell, I liked that I could quickly read through this book, and get some unique tips to support the launch of my own book.
Profile Image for Jamie Bee.
Author 1 book118 followers
July 29, 2020
Clarity for Both Writer and Reader Helps Publishing Process

As a writer myself and a freelance editor who helps authors through the publishing process, I was curious to see if I could find anything in this book that could help me or my clients. I'm glad I decided to pick it up, as the author does offer a wide variety of insights into how to write and publish in a way that is meaningful for your reader, you and your business, and the book’s overall impact. Unlike so many books on writing, this one is more focused on non-fiction writers rather than ones who write novels or stories. That's not to say that she doesn’t have some information and exercises geared toward fiction writers, but the book clearly slants to authors who are writing a book to further their business or share their expertise for more altruistic reasons. I like how she draws the connections between what is best for your reader and you and the marketing of the book. I loved the Dear Reader and Dear Author exercises in the book that really help you get clarity on your intent and the book’s purpose for your avatar. The book is full of lots of little bits of wisdom and insights that will help any writer get the most from their book personally and professionally and help the right reader do so as well. Highly recommended for nonfiction writers in particular and other writers in general.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
Author 1 book1 follower
April 23, 2019
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Tara Alemany, and have both read the book and practiced its ideas. They are sound and they work.
Many of us domain experts, if not already authors, are authors-in-potential. This book will help you take that plunge. It will help you get your unique knowledge into the world and in front of the right readers.
Alemany goes right to the heart of why people like us need to publish. There are lots of books in print on how to write better and how to get published. Publish with Purpose provides clear explanations, with its ‘Dear Reader’ exercise, on clarifying the purpose of your book, who it’s for and what they will get out of it. And just as importantly, with the ‘Dear Author’ exercise, Alemany gets you clear about the benefits you need to derive from your writing journey.
Finally, you are led to consider what is the gift your book will give to the world…it’s largest, altruistic purpose.
A highly readable book for knowledge-workers and domain experts of every type; from yoga instructors, to techies, to coaches… and every type of consultant imaginable.
Profile Image for Tim Riordan.
Author 7 books14 followers
August 2, 2019
In “Publish with a Purpose” Tara Alemany challenges authors to think beyond the task of simply writing a book to thinking deeply about matters of purpose and ultimate goals. Through her experience and expertise, she connects readers to exercises and case studies that lead them to consider the ultimate needs of readers, the passion and goals of the author, and the ultimate life call and mission of the author. If you are a writer, you’ll find this resource to be invaluable as you work to not just market your book but to also expand your influence. This will be a resource I’ll use and refer to many times with each new book I write.
Profile Image for Brigitte Ayerves Valderas.
57 reviews3 followers
July 6, 2020
I recently completed this book. I found it very helpful and offered unique tips to apply not only to a book project, but any other goal. While reading the book, I got to a point where I had to stop and recommend it to a friend who plans to turn her recent book into a self-development workshop, course, and community. This was right up her alley. I feel having the opportunity to read this book right before starting a novel was a good move. I can use everything she's taught. So, I look forward to the results. In a nutshell, I liked that I could quickly read through this book, and get some unique tips to support the launch of my own book.
Profile Image for Ruth Parker.
766 reviews32 followers
July 9, 2019
A great book with an insight to the publishing industry. Very helpful for both fiction and nonfiction writers.
Profile Image for Mike Sr..
Author 2 books12 followers
August 12, 2019
This book sets out clear, practical, actionable ideas to challenge you to get your thoughts in print. If you, by writing, want to make a difference, this book is a gem. Tara presents some great and challenging ideas to help you focus on the highest and best reasons for writing. I believe I will write a better book because I read this one. And when I've completed the exercises she outlines, I'm sure I will!
Profile Image for Helen Ishmurzin.
155 reviews32 followers
January 14, 2020
Really helpful book that will become more and more useful for me as I come closer to actually getting published one day. I found the idea of the dear author exercise especially enlightening.
As the advice in the book encourages authors not to be afraid to go after the niches (I found that fascinating, as authors are often afraid their books will be "too niche") I'd like to suggest Tara writes a version of this book tailored to children's authors (or more specific - picture book authors!) :-)
Profile Image for Lily.
3,371 reviews118 followers
January 30, 2021
Great for writers that haven't started writing and those preparing to publish. This book covers writing, publishing, and marketing, which I found very useful. It's easy to read, and if you're not interested in one section you can skip over it without losing anything. A warning though - this is more geared towards non-fiction writers than fiction writers, so make sure it's up your alley before you pick it up. A great resource overall!
Profile Image for Anne Janzer.
Author 6 books123 followers
July 31, 2019
Publishing and promoting a book can overwhelming without a clear sense of your objectives and purpose. This book guides you through the essential process of identifying meaningful, sustainable goals. Alemany offers wise advice about serving your readers, building your business, and finding purpose and meaning in your work.
Profile Image for Laura Juntunen.
Author 12 books36 followers
May 20, 2021
Though this book is filled with great content for beginners, I felt that I knew a lot of the concepts. The goal-oriented framework is definitely helpful, but I feel that I was given too much structure. If you are a person who needs a very step-by-step approach to publishing, then I think you will get more out of this than I did.

Great read for beginners!
Profile Image for T.N. Traynor.
Author 20 books45 followers
March 3, 2025
As an author, I am always looking at ways to become more professional in everything I do. I found Publish With Purpose to be a good guide that goes beyond the mechanics of publishing and dives deep into the why behind writing a book. Unlike many publishing guides that focus solely on marketing strategies or technical processes, this book challenges writers to align their work with their broader goals—whether that’s building a brand, sharing a message, or establishing authority in their field.

Alemany’s goal-oriented framework helped me clarify my ideal audience, refine my message, and think strategically about how my book fits into my overall vision. The real-world case studies and exercises were useful.

What I appreciated most was the book’s practicality. Instead of vague advice, it provides clear steps to ensure a book serves both the author and the reader effectively.

Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews

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