Unlike doctors, editors do not need a license or even a degree and there are thousands, if not tens of thousands, people out there calling themselves editors who shouldn't be.
Don't be like the dozens of clients who have come to me having busted the bank hiring an editor who did nothing. This episode gets into everything you need to ask and consider when hiring your editor.
Only listen if you want to avoid spending your whole book budget on an editor when you don't need to!
WANT TO LAUNCH A BESTSELLING BOOK? GO TO WWW.LAUNCHABESTSELLINGBOOK.COM
Samantha Perkins had all the anxiety that any first-time author has.
Except she had more.
Her book, after all, is about anxiety—well, anxiety that was exacerbated by drinking.
That book, Alive AF: One Mom's Journey to Becoming AF, has not only become a #1 bestseller but has also ushered in a plethora of opportunities—including coaching, speaking, writing assignments and more.
And I had a front-row seat through all of it, since I walked her through the process of writing her story and sat back proudly as she took what I'd guided her through and ran with it.
In this episode, we talk about when she knew she was going to follow through on her desire to write a book, the anti-climax of release day and the emotional hangover no one tells you about, among many other topics.
Readers are a thousand times more likely to buy your book if it has more than a handful of reviews. Here are the secrets to getting people to come through with reviews.
WANT TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS WITH A BOOK? GO TO WWW.BOOKBUILDBIZ.COM.
It's actually quite self-obsessed of us to believe our book is newsworthy to anybody; you need to give the media a reason to cover you.
Here's how.
WANT TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS WITH A BOOK? GO TO WWW.BOOKBUILDBIZ.COM TO FIND OUT HOW.
Remember that the riches are in the niches and go find that rabid group that will become advocates for your book. This episode breaks down how.
WANT TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS WITH A BOOK? GO TO WWW.BOOKBUILDBIZ.COM TO FIND OUT HOW.
I didn't make a lot of money from book sales but I've probably added a hundred thousand dollars to my bottom line as a result of the book. This is how.
WANT TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS WITH A BOOK? GO TO WWW.BOOKBUILDBIZ.COM.
With newsletters, you are offering readers opportunities to do what they want to do—whatever it is that had them buy your book and then sign up for your list. So how do you use your book as an opportunity to get them to do that?
WANT TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS WITH A BOOK? GO TO WWW.BOOKBUILDBIZ.COM.
If an event organizer is considering two different people to speak on a certain topic and one of those people has a book and is a bestselling author, that person is going to get the gig. But it is not as simple as writing a book and waiting for these speaking offers to come in. This episode breaks down the steps you need to take.
WANT TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS WITH A BOOK? GO TO WWW.BOOKBUILDBIZ.COM TO FIND OUT HOW.
Blurbs, also known as endorsements, are one of the most misunderstood aspects of publishing. Authors tend to prioritize these so much when they need to be asking themselves if they've ever bought a book because of who blurbed it (99% of the time: no). But blurbs are still nice to have so this episode breaks down the most effective ways for authors to get them.
Podcasts are one of the best ways an author can reach an audience (as you well know, you podcast listener, you!) But how do authors get on them? Well, there are definitely right and wrong ways to pitch yourself and this episode breaks down both, and also provides information on how you can become a beloved guest.
Experienced authors know that very few of us make money from book sales. Some know, however, that it's quite possible to make a lot of money if you use your book to build your business. Since most businesses don't exist without clients, this episode breaks down exactly how to use your book to get those clients.
Marleen Seegers is the co-founder of 2 Seas Agency, which sells the foreign rights of books by authors such as James Altucher. She's also the host of the Make Books Travel podcast. Her team pays regular visits to international book fairs such as those in Beijing, Turin, Guadalajara, Rio de Janeiro, Sharjah, New York, Leipzig and of course Frankfurt and London, combined with trips to major publishing cities including Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Munich and Berlin.
Jealous yet? Well, COVID put a damper in that publishing schedule. Yet Marleen has still managed to thrive—and educate the rest us about how the whole foreign rights think works, which countries like which books and whether or not it really means doing book readings on Greek islands. Listen to the episode to find out more.
WANT TO BUILD YOUR BRAND WITH A BOOK? GRAB OUR CHEAT SHEET AT WWW.BUILDYOURBRANDWITHABOOK.COM.
Gene Moran has helped myriad clients navigate the murky waters of federal sales. As the Founder and President of Capitol Integration and an active duty Navy Captain, Gene has established himself as an expert who consistently brings agility, creativity and results to companies of all sizes: small startup firms, prime and sub-prime contractors, and large multi-billion dollar public enterprises. He is a proven Navy Financial Manager, designated Joint Specialty Officer and was just named one of top lobbyists of 2020 by the National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics,
But to me, he's much more than that; he's a client who I'm thrilled to call a friend. We published his #1 Amazon bestselling book, Pitching the Big Top: How to Master the 3-Ring Circus of Federal Sales, last year and are publishing his second book next year. Why is he doing two books, you ask? Well, you won't have to ask once you listen to this episode.
WANT TO BUILD YOUR BRAND WITH A BOOK? GRAB OUR CHEAT SHEET AT WWW.BUILDYOURBRANDWITHABOOK.COM
Whether authors go traditional or indie, we are all faced with the same issue: getting people to actually buy our books. In this episode, I get into the four best methods:
For the show notes, where I break down each of those methods, go to www.launchpadpub.com/blog/buy
For show notes, which break down all of these bits, go to: www.launchpadpub.com/blog/NYT
Today I'm going to dispel some publishing myths and maybe discourage you a little bit, all in the name of showing you how you can launch a book that will build your brand and your business. But first we have to dispel myths. And so today I am answering a question that came to me from a listener, @michaelcringering is his Instagram handle.
Here's the question: “I started submitting to agents in March because I'm hoping to secure someone interested in my novel. I submitted to 153 agents in my genre but heard back from less than 25 percent. With that said and the pandemic raging, should I continue to wait or go ahead and self publish?”
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
FOR SHOW NOTES, WHICH INCLUDE A TRANSCRIPT, GO TO www.launchpadpub.com/blog/publishing
This is an exciting time for the podcast for several reasons, at least one of which is that WE HAVE A NEW NAME! Yes, this has happened before. Oh yes, AfterPartyPod, Recover Girl, Light Hustler, Struggle to Success and some names I'm forgetting were used at some point. But this is the one we're sticking with and I'm not just saying that!
So why this change? Well, in this episode, I explain that since the show was becoming increasingly about how to build your brand with a book, it seemed only right to have a podcast name that reflected it. And now we've got it!
I couldn't have asked for a better guest for this pivot, since she's not only a brand builder extraordinaire but also a friend whose book I feel privileged to be able to publish.
Katie DePaola is an author, speaker, entrepreneur and the founder of Inner Glow Circle, a company dedicated to helping women entrepreneurs find their glow and live purpose-driven lives.
But most relevantly for our show, she is the author of At Least You Look Good: How to Glow Through What You Go Through, the latest release from Launch Pad Publishing. The book is part memoir, part self-help and all love; it's Katie's story about surviving Lyme disease and her brother's death by overdose while building her multi-million dollar business.
Just because I have a guest this week doesn't mean those Q&A or break-the-expert's-strategy-down episodes are no longer. I'll continue alternating different ways of showing you guys how to build your brand with a book, both on my own and with special guests.
All of which is to say: if you want me to answer your writing question on this show, DM me on Instagram at @annabdavid!
WANT TO BUILD YOUR OWN BRAND WITH A BOOK? GO TO WWW.BUILDYOURBRANDWITHABOOK.COM AND GET MY CHEATSHEET ON HOW.
Today's episode is another one of those Q&A things, where I'm answering either questions people have sent me about writing and publishing or questions that I'm asked over and over. Today's question is: how do I get my book in book stores?
The short answer is: don't rely on your publisher.
The longer answer is in this episode.
Don't forget: if you want me to answer your writing question on this show, DM me on Instagram at @annabdavid.
WANT TO WRITE A MEMOIR? DOWNLOAD MY ONE-PAGE MEMOIR STRUCTURE CHEAT SHEET AT WWW.MEMOIRDOWNLOAD.COM
The word profile used to mean what we looked like from the side. Nowadays it means what we look like online.
And for better or worse, this has become increasingly important when it comes to selling and promoting a book. So this week I'm answering a question from a listener that's all about how to build a profile, particularly on Instagram, and why publishers may or may not care.
And don't forget: if you want me to answer your writing question on this show, DM me on Instagram at @annabdavid.
WANT TO WRITE A MEMOIR? DOWNLOAD MY ONE-PAGE MEMOIR STRUCTURE CHEAT SHEET AT WWW.MEMOIRDOWNLOAD.COM
Rather than interviewing a guest or breaking down an expert author's way of launching a book, this week I'm answering the question: How and when do I come up with a title?
The biggest problem I see with authors and titles is that some become so committed to the one they came up with originally that they won't consider changing it to something that's going to resonate with readers more. I break that down and talk about how my titles have changed and which I think should have changed in this episode.
And if you want me to answer your writing question on this show, DM on Instagram at @annabdavid.
WANT TO WRITE A MEMOIR? DOWNLOAD MY ONE-PAGE MEMOIR STRUCTURE CHEAT SHEET AT WWW.MEMOIRDOWNLOAD.COM
Rather than interviewing a guest or breaking down an expert author's way of launching a book, this week I'm answering the question: How do I become a better writer?
The short answer is: write. The longer answer is: write and read. The still longer answer is in this episode.
And if you want me to answer your writing question on this show, DM on Instagram at @annabdavid.
WANT TO WRITE A MEMOIR? DOWNLOAD MY ONE-PAGE MEMOIR STRUCTURE CHEAT SHEET AT WWW.MEMOIRDOWNLOAD.COM
Rather than interviewing a guest or breaking down an expert author's way of launching a book, this week I'm answering the question: How long should a book be. The short answer is: it depends. The longer answer is that books are getting shorter. Confused yet? Listen to the episode and you won't be.
And if you want me to answer your writing question on this show, DM on Instagram at @annabdavid.
WANT TO WRITE A MEMOIR? DOWNLOAD MY ONE-PAGE MEMOIR STRUCTURE CHEAT SHEET AT WWW.MEMOIRDOWNLOAD.COM
There's no one like James Altucher. Now I get that there's no one like any of us but there's REALLY no one like James Altucher. The hedge fund manager, podcaster and author of over 20 books has one of the most unique writing voices around—a major reason why his book, Choose Yourself, sold 40,000 copies in its first week of release.
But there are a number of other reasons he sold so many copies and I break those reasons down in this episode. I get into how he hones his writer's voice, controls his destiny, gathers opinions, comes up with unique propositions and then gets media attention for them, spends what he can afford to and—most importantly—never stops writing.
You may not be someone The New York Times writes about when you decide to embrace minimalism but that doesn't mean you can't learn from what he does and apply all the same concepts and techniques to your own book release. In fact, in this episode, I break down exactly how.
WANT TO WRITE A MEMOIR? DOWNLOAD MY ONE-PAGE MEMOIR STRUCTURE CHEAT SHEET AT WWW.MEMOIRDOWNLOAD.COM
Do you really need me to tell you who Jeff Garlin is? Well, the simple way to handle that is to tell you that he stars on arguably the most adored show of all time (Curb Your Enthusiasm) as well as one of the most mainstream shows of all time (The Goldbergs).
But he does so much more than just come to you via your SmartTV. He's also a standup (um, obv), photographer and author. In this episode, he explains what happens when you sell a book to a big publisher but then it doesn't sell the number of copies anyone had hoped (and also has an odd name change somewhere between the hardcover and paperback).
This episode also has LOTS of digressions into random topics both because Jeff Garlin could be renamed DIgression Garlin and also because we're pals who digress a lot. Listen and digress with us...
WANT TO WRITE A MEMOIR? DOWNLOAD MY ONE-PAGE MEMOIR STRUCTURE CHEAT SHEET AT WWW.MEMOIRDOWNLOAD.COM
Today I'm doing one of those breakdowns of how the experts launch their books (check out my previous one on Tim Ferriss here). And this episode analyzes the moves made by the icon to middle-aged women across the globe: Rachel Hollis.
Rachel has had extraordinary success, by any standards. Her book, Girl Wash Your Face, sold three million copies JUST on Amazon. She hosts a huge conference, has a Netflix documentary and has millions of followers on social media.
But this sprightly little thing didn't just waltz into stupendous success. In this episode, I meticulously break down what I believe are the four main reasons she's had such an impact:
1) She knows her audience
2) She makes it about them
3) She's consistent
4) She listens to that audience
To understand how she's done that and hear more of my analysis of her many bright moves, check out the episode.
WANT TO WRITE A MEMOIR? DOWNLOAD MY ONE-PAGE MEMOIR STRUCTURE CHEAT SHEET AT WWW.MEMOIRDOWNLOAD.COM