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How a Nonfiction Book Supports Your Business (and Vice Versa)
Today I’m going to tackle a common misconception I hear all the time.
Publishing a book will grow my business by building an audience FOR me.
I don’t know who started this bullshit rumor on the Internet, but like all misinformation it’s a twisted version of something true.
Because publishing a book will and should grow your business.
But what’s not true is the audience part. You see, in order for a book to be commercially successful, you need to have people buy it. And readers need to know about a book in order to make that purchase.
Gone are the days when most people would wander into the mall bookstore looking to solve a problem. Instead, what most of us do . . . well, I’m guessing you already know.
It starts with G and ends with -oogle. Or maybe Y and -ou Tube.
Regardless of what way you publish (self/hybrid/traditional) — you as the author need to be able to reach buyers/readers. And that involves building an audience.
A book doesn’t market itself. Instead, a book depends on what its author has already built in terms of audience and marketing (this, my friends, is called a “platform”).
The clients I work with on book proposals know this and see the resulting opportunity.
Which is for the book to magnify the audience you already have.
Because when done right, the book becomes a product that sells consistently without you as the author having to do very much. The first step in that is having an engaged audience to sell to, and then being able to put together a product — ahem, your book — that they love.
Once you have that, then the business benefits from the book and the book benefits from the business and it becomes a repetitive cycle of awesomeness. And you get more followers which means more revenue which means more marketing which means more followers . . . and again, a repetitive cycle of awesomeness.
Which is where I and my team come in, shortcutting the process from successful business owner without a book to successful business owner with a bestselling book — through writing a book proposal that lands a literary agent and a publisher and starts . . . .
You guessed it, the repetitive cycle of awesomeness!
7 Books, 4 Nonfiction Book Deals, and More 2023 Results
A year is such a funny thing.
When I look back at 2023, my mind tends to focus on what just happened.
I have to go looking to remember . . .
The chance meeting I had in a bookstore, which led to working with an author on her book for Penguin Random House.
The 85 people that signed up for a 1-on-1 consultation with me.
The afternoon my team and I walked out of a lake and into a bunch of bees this past summer while on retreat together in Puget Sound, Washington.
The six books that we helped bring to the world in 2023.
It’s Not About the Money by Scarlett Cochran
That Sucked, Now What? by Neeta Bhushan
How to Love Teaching Again by Jamie Sears
Your Journey to Financial Freedom by Jamila Souffrant
The five book proposals that we developed and wrote with clients, got literary agents to represent, and sold to major publishers for $850,000+ (cumulatively).
The three manuscripts we finished, all for publication by Penguin Random House.
The 25 aspiring authors who took action on their dreams and joined Book Deal Bootcamp.
The 400+ people who took (and were helped) by the free quiz I created.
And all of you, who read these emails every week.
I hope that I’ve helped you and that you’ve been able to accomplish what YOU wanted in 2023.
What I Want for You (and Your Nonfiction Book)
I should have felt thrilled and excited.
I woke up in one of my favorite places — Sonoma County, California.
I was in a beautiful casita at a luxe AirBNB that cost thousands daily to rent. My team and I were on day two of a brand shoot that was going exactly as scheduled. Right down to the delicious eggs that my assistant made me, which tasted way better than my own.
But I felt incredibly . . . uneasy. I didn’t know what to make of it, so I said nothing.
I went along with the clothes the stylist picked out for me. I smiled and posed and laughed.
And I did have a good time, but the experience . . . . just wasn’t what I expected.
I left California feeling a little let down, wondering what had gone wrong. I had been so careful, and set everything up right. Everyone else did their jobs and met expectations. There was no logical reason to feel the way I did.
And yet. When the photos came back, I had the same feeling.
The photographer was talented and I looked good . . . but I felt uneasy. Uncomfortable.
Next, my ops manager (and friend of 20+ years) designed and launched an update to my website, which was the whole point of the brand shoot in the first place. But when I saw it . . . . I felt the same way. That something wasn’t quite right. My husband, a digital designer, agreed. The design was beautiful, but lacked energy.
It took me months to figure out the mystery. Eventually I landed on what was missing.
ME.
I don’t know about you, but in the world of entrepreneurship I see a ton of big promises and fancy flash.
Make six figures.
Create a business and a life you love.
Make seven figures.
10x sales, profit, this, that, that other thing — EVERYTHING!
What I realized was that I had fallen for the hype.
I believed that somehow, spending all that money would magically make me feel good, feel successful, feel like I had made it and arrived.
But that didn’t happen. Instead — that shoot taught me the value of listening to myself.
Of trusting my own instincts.
Of knowing what’s right for me — rather than what someone else says is right for me, and everyone else.
So, I want to let you know three things.
I may or may not be the person to help you — because only you know that.
I am committed to sharing what I know about book publishing in a general sense, for free and on Instagram.
When you want advice specific to you, your book, and your situation, I’m here.
Because, what’s most important this year when it comes to the success of your business, your book, and how you feel about all of that — is that you trust yourself. That you listen to yourself. That you take the actions necessary to know what’s RIGHT for you.
Regardless of what I say.
Who Tells Your Story?
When my husband Scott and I went to see Hamilton, I was sobbing at the end.
Not because of what Alexander Hamilton had done for our country.
But because of what his wife Eliza did.
Hamilton ends with the song Who Lives Who Dies, which was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda but is based on a book by Ron Chernow. The lyrics describe what happened after Alexander Hamilton’s death — how Eliza Schuyler Hamilton paid off her husband’s debts, created the first private orphanage in New York City, defended her husband’s reputation, got his writing published and remembered, and raised funds for the Washington Monument.
A pretty impressive story, right?
But here’s the catch: Eliza wasn’t trying to impress us. Ron Chernow wasn’t trying to impress us either. Lin-Manuel Miranda might have been trying to impress us but what this song is really about is the difference between reach and impact.
Your reach is right now. It’s immediate — who you can reach today if you tried —friends, family, followers on social media, people who will read an article if you post it on Medium.
A lot of authors I meet want (or need) to expand their reach, and that’s cool.
But what I like to direct clients to, as a thought exercise, is impact.
Impact is the future. It’s what you don’t always see or what you may never see.
Depending on how the afterlife works, Eliza may know that her impact traveled well beyond her death in 1854. Or maybe she knows nothing because she’s long gone.
Whether Eliza is aware of her impact doesn’t matter.
What matters — both today and back in the 18th century — is her work.
Many of us get into the work we do because we’re passionate about it.
For example, I do what I do because books changed my life.
My life is better because of nonfiction books and their authors, people correct in their belief that they had a message to share that could help others. People like you and me — people that these authors would likely never see, never talk to, never even get royalties from.
I love books and know the power of the written word. And, as it so happens, I’m great at helping people put their wisdom and message on paper.
By doing so, I create my own reach and impact.
My reach is primarily to my clients, who want to improve people’s lives.
But what I’m obsessed with — what I cry over in a room full of strangers — is impact.
Impact — the readers I could be helping by helping people like you get book deals — is what gets me up at 5 AM every day, what keeps me going, what makes me motivated. I might never see these people, and they’ll likely never know about me. But that’s OK.
Because, like Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, I’m doing the work because I love it and know that it has value.
So when you’re working on your book, think — what’s the impact you want to make?
Who will tell your story?
When Your Story Matters (and When It Doesn’t)
“Everyone tells me that my story is amazing and I should write a book.”
“People will learn from my story.”
“By reading what happened to me, readers will be able to change their own lives.”
Unfortunately, that’s not true.
People read books for themselves and their own purposes — whether that’s to be entertained, to learn, to change, or to get results.
Most of the time, folks only care about you to the extent that you and your book can help THEM.
The idea that “my story can do all the work” especially falls flat when —
You want to write a book that shows readers How To do something (like change their lives).
You want people to learn how to offer a way for folks to help themselves (Self Help).
You want to show how to handle a troubling or stressful Issue.
Or you want to tell people what to do by offering step by step Prescriptive advice.
(Spoiler alert: The terms in bold are also the broad types of books I work on.)
When your goals are to write a book that makes an impact and actually changes the lives of the people that read it — your story is only one small part.
Mind you, it’s an important part because your story can support why you’re the person to write the book, create commonality between you and the reader, and even be proof that your advice works and that this book is worth reading.
But don’t get it twisted — no one is going to read your book solely for your story.*
*The exception to this is memoir — but in that case, the writing has to be extraordinary AND the story transcendent and universal. Accomplishing all of that is a Simone-Biles-level-triple-double of publishing. Which is a big reason I don’t work on it.
Bad News: Someone Has Written Your Book Already
Here’s the good news — you can still write it.
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Before I go to writers’ conferences, I crack the same joke to my husband Scott. I say, “I’ll be back after I crush a few dreams.”
And guess what? That’s usually true.
At writers’ conferences, there are a lot of authors who have holed up and finished an entire manuscript without doing their homework. This means there are a lot of authors who don’t know that they spent months of their lives writing the exact same book someone else — and maybe even dozens of someones — has already written and published.
These authors sit down and proudly proclaim something like, “I’ve got a unique book. No one has ever written about this before!”
But unless it’s something super obscure, that’s just not true.
And that’s the moment I turn into a dream crusher.
(Hell, I could be doing that right now, for you, while you read this email.)
There are hundreds of thousands of books published every year, perhaps millions. Digitization keeps nearly everything available, either in print or as an ebook. So it’s more important than ever to assume that someone else has written — or is writing at this very moment — the same book you want to write.
You have to be able to differentiate your book from what’s on the market.
And the only truly unique thing about you is you.
Your intellectual property, your knowledge, your life experiences, your personality — my client Melissa Cassera calls it your Swirl (and has a whole course on how to work that into your brand and business that is totally worth your time).
Now, this doesn’t mean your book has to be a memoir or include every moment of your life. Please don’t do that.
But you should think about what you uniquely bring to the table.
An example.
My client Melody Wilding.
She’s a career coach who helps women get out of their own way at work.
Pretty awesome, right? But Melody decided to niche even further down and tackle the sensitive, high-achieving strivers that tended to seek her out. And that’s when she got her book deal.
So today’s lesson is to NICHE down.
Identify your unique strengths and leverage that sh*t.
And if someone crushes your dreams, listen — because we’re usually trying to help.
I’ll Just Write a Bad Book
Said no one ever, right?
Wrong.
I had an entrepreneur tell me that once.
He was going to invest thousands in a freelance editor, a copy-editor, a marketing person and a hybrid publisher — all while knowing that his content would totally suck.
His brilliant plan, he told me with glee, was that readers would want — would need! — to buy his higher-priced services.
Because the book wouldn’t be enough.
No one buys books anyway, he told me.
I’m just doing this so I can say I’m an author.
I felt lucky that we were on the phone because: my face.
My face would have totally told the truth.
I was shocked. Then completely infuriated.
I’m not going to work on a book that editorially sucks.
At least not intentionally anyway.
Publishing a great book that doesn’t sell? Fine. Happens all the time.
More often than not, in fact.
But knowingly publishing a book that’s worthless?
That will waste readers’ time and money? No thank you, sir.
Here’s the deal.
Writing a book that acts as a lead magnet for your higher-priced services (like coaching or courses) is smart. That’s why I teach the entrepreneurs I work with to always take their whole brand into consideration.
But publishing a bad book is stupid.
Have you ever craved pizza, ordered it from a new place, and then it arrived soggy and gross and you were totally disappointed? Yeah, me too.
And unless you’re my husband — who believes all pizza is delicious — you’re not likely to order from that place again. The same applies to books — or any product, really.
Very few people are likely to spend $15 (or more likely $25 or $27 for a hardcover), be dissatisfied with what they get and buy again — especially at a higher price point.
In order to be successful at both entrepreneurship and getting a book published that sells, you need to design a book that fits into your business. You need to write a book (and proposal) that can stand alone but is even better paired with your services. And that can be a good book. A great book, even. That book can help people, satisfy your existing fans and broaden your reach as an expert.
It’s a total win-win for everybody involved.
But purposely writing a bad book? That’s just bad for business.
Publishing, Same As It Ever Was.
I started my career in traditional book publishing at Simon & Schuster in 2004. And over the years, I’ve heard the same complaint from authors.
The industry has changed. No one cares about the writing.
Instead, it’s all about followers/social media/author platform.
I shake my head even typing that because these statements simply aren’t true.
AND like every good conspiracy theory or misinformation — there are nuggets of truth in there.
Let’s explore.
The industry has changed.
This is true, in part. There’s definitely more options for authors — like self-publishing, hybrid publishers, and even startups operated by insiders that are trying to change the game.
But where this is false is in the perception many people have. What hasn’t changed is the reasons why a literary agent, editor and publisher choose to champion an author by offering to publish their work.
That brings me to the next point.
No one cares about the writing.
This is blatantly false. As an editor, I often turned down projects because the writing sucked.
And though the writing is generally less important in nonfiction — especially for the how-to books my team and I work on — content is still a crucial piece.
In order to be successful, a book needs writing that is entertaining and effective. That’s a big reason why editors, ghostwriters, and collaborators like me exist.
Instead, it’s all about followers/social media/author platform.
What goes unstated in this sentence is that once upon a time, authors didn’t need an audience to have a bestselling book. This has never been true in my career, and I’m not sure it was ever true.
Even the authors we read in school, who published decades and centuries ago — people like John Steinbeck, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens — had followers. These authors would publish in magazines and newspapers, or submit essays and short works for awards that got readers’ attention. Nonfiction authors would do the same thing, often serializing their work before putting together a compilation in book form.
The difference today is that we actually have more tools and greater ability to reach even more people than Jane Austen did.
There was never a time when an author could sit back, do nothing, and magically watch their books sell. That’s because in order for a book to be successful, people have to know about it.
Read This If You’re Great at What You Do.
When I started my own freelance business in 2012, my goals were simple.
Help people.
Be less broke.
I started with a janky computer in a studio apartment that was definitely too small for two cats. My friends helped me put together a cheap desk, and I had a desktop computer from 2004 that came to life if I gave it five minutes.
Like many of the entrepreneurs I talk to, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t have any help, because I didn’t think I needed any. I was paying my bills. I was enjoying my work.
But then the referrals started to come less often, and I started to feel . . . forgotten. And bored.
I also felt a calling to do something . . . else.
Inspired by the entrepreneurs I worked with, I realized my goals had shifted. I wanted MORE.
But I had no idea how to get there. I needed help.
I found an intensive that promised to help me grow my business. I remember the day that I maxed out my credit card on the initial payment. I crossed my fingers and even though I’m not a religious person, I said a little prayer.
That was four years ago. And I have to say — the results have been epic.
My business grew — by nearly 300% — but the best part wasn’t the money.
It was how I grew.
You see, I used to be a hardcore people pleaser.
I would literally settle for less. Friends who only showed up when they needed something. Clothes that didn’t fit. That beloved-but-janky desk, which rocked every time I wrote in a notebook. (I’m a writer; I do that a lot).
I would let clients walk all over me, text me at night and while I was on vacation . . .
And I definitely undercharged.
All because I didn’t value myself. I was a best-kept secret for a reason — I was hiding.
When I look back at my business now, there is a clear before and after. My success isn’t due to the initial program I signed up for, or even the pressure of that maxed-out credit card.
Instead, it was how I felt inside. I knew that I wanted more than what I had at the time. Deep down, I knew I was settling for less. Underneath my surface smile, I felt used and angry and annoyed — at the people who treated me that way, but mostly at myself.
Looking back, today I am so grateful.
First, for my own experience because I know how being a best-kept secret feels, as well as how challenging it can be to break free.
Second, for trusting myself enough to invest in my own change and development. While the business coaching I invested in wasn’t perfect — because nothing is — I did get the support and the tough love I needed.
Third, I feel grateful for everyone reading this email because helping people has always been my goal. I want you to know that when I see your replies and open rates, I feel excited because I know I’m contributing to someone else’s dream.
Deciding to stop hiding, to stop being a best-kept secret was the best decision I made in my life — after saying yes to my future husband and moving to New York to start my career in publishing.
As a result of believing in myself — even just a teeny tiny bit — I was able to help more people. I got way less broke. I was able to grow and scale my business.
But even more than that — I was able to grow and scale how I see myself.
All because I decided to trust that voice inside of me that said . . . I WANT MORE.
I know that I’m not alone. There are probably thousands of best-kept-secrets out there who want to be known, who want to be heard, and who want to make a difference.
Who want to help people, be less broke, and — write a book.
I hope that this week, you give credit to yourself for how much you’ve been able to accomplish.
And maybe, just maybe, trust yourself to want more and take action on your dream so you have even more to feel grateful for next year.
The Dirty Secret About Coaches and Experts Who Promise You a Nonfiction Book Deal
Over the past year or so I’ve seen an explosion of people teaching how to get a book deal.
And while I’m all about entrepreneurship in any form I must tell you what I know as an industry insider about group programs, retreats, and coaching that promises to help you become a published author.
Most suck.
Many are disingenuous and are self-publishing companies in disguise.
Others are well-meaning but out of touch with current trends and what publishers want.
And some regurgitate things that they learned from an actual publishing expert like me.
(Yep, my work has been copied. Or, as my husband said, people stole my shit and sold it.)
The truth is, the majority of the offers I see online — of book coaches, of authors using their experience to teach, of guides and courses teaching how to write book proposals — aren’t worth your time or money.
The first reason is what you learn. Most of the programs I have seen focus on writing the book itself — rather than the marketability of that book.
And that’s a big deal because most authors don’t just want to write the book. They also want the book to sell and be read. Which is unlikely to happen if you don’t have an audience or if the concept isn’t proven.
Second, it’s important to do your due diligence on who you learn from.
Many experts don’t specialize — meaning that their advice may not apply to the book you want to write.
Or the “experts” are authors themselves whose only results are their own. When that happens, there’s almost always people behind the scenes who aren’t being credited.
(Like the person who is writing this email.)
Not to mention that most book coaches don’t have experience working within publishing — which matters a lot when you want to get a book deal. Industry insiders (like me) will know what literary agents are looking for books like yours and know exactly what publishers want to see.
I’m writing this email because I want every author out there to have quality resources and education from reputable experts.
Unfortunately, there’s no qualification or certification out there to prove that anyone — including me — can truly help you get a book deal.
That said, those of us who have years of experience, who have worked with hundreds of authors, and who have receipts to show — are probably your best bet.
It’s my hope and intention that my advice saves you time and money, and puts you in capable hands that you can trust with your book, your work, and your dreams.
5 Things You Need to Know About Your Nonfiction Book
Today, I’m dropping the simplest advice I can give you into your inbox.
There are five basic things entrepreneurs and experts need to know before trying to get a book deal.
The audience.
Specifically, the demographics and psychographics of your reader. Who are these people, what is their problem, why does your book solve it and most importantly — how are you already reaching them?The structure.
More than an outline, the structure of your book shows a progression of how the reader will learn what you have to share and show how the book will read once it’s written and published.The promise.
What will readers get when they buy your book? And how have you delivered that in the past to folks in your target market? Where’s the social proof?How you will promote, market, and sell the book.
For real, because plans aren’t enough. Plans have absolutely no bearing on whether you can or will execute, much less succeed. Evidence that you can promote, market, and sell effectively to the same audience as your book is essential.How the book fits into your business and life goals.
Surprisingly, many people don’t think beyond writing the book or maybe seeing it in print and on sale somewhere. But the authors that I work with who are most successful have thought deeply and extensively about how their book fits into their business and life.
In the past three years, I’ve spoken to more than 300 entrepreneurs and experts who wanted to write and publish a book. But only a handful — less than 10% — had all these pieces in place.
When Your Story Matters (and When It Doesn’t)
“Everyone tells me that my story is amazing and I should write a book.”
“People will learn from my story.”
“By reading what happened to me, readers will be able to change their own lives.”
Unfortunately, that’s not true.
People read books for themselves and their own purposes — whether that’s to be entertained, to learn, to change, or to get results.
Most of the time, folks only care about you to the extent that you and your book can help THEM.
The idea that “my story can do all the work” especially falls flat when —
You want to write a book that shows readers How To do something (like change their lives).
You want people to learn how to offer a way for folks to help themselves (Self Help).
You want to show how to handle a troubling or stressful Issue.
Or you want to tell people what to do by offering step by step Prescriptive advice.
(Spoiler alert: The terms in bold are also the broad types of books I work on.)
When your goals are to write a book that makes an impact and actually changes the lives of the people that read it — your story is only one small part.
Mind you, it’s an important part because your story can support why you’re the person to write the book, create commonality between you and the reader, and even be proof that your advice works and that this book is worth reading.
But don’t get it twisted — no one is going to read your book solely for your story.*
*The exception to this is memoir — but in that case, the writing has to be extraordinary AND the story transcendent and universal. Accomplishing all of that is a Simone-Biles-level-triple-double of publishing. Which is a big reason I don’t work on it.
Happy Halloween (Spooky and Scary Tales of Publishing Inside!)
In the past few weeks, I’ve seen ad after ad for scary movies and shows.
And though the only horror movies I like are the Scream franchise, I wanted to share some of my own scary stories with y’all this week.
So here are a couple publishing industry horror stories for your entertainment and benefit.
First — a story from my time as an editorial assistant.
My boss was working with a famous actor’s wife who had written her first novel. Everything was fine until we sent the author the cover designs that the in-house team had done.
Not only did she hate every option, but she continued to protest after round and round (and round) of revisions. At one point, she hired her own designer — and of course, our in-house team hated those options.
We were stuck.
Out of nowhere, I got a call from the security desk in our office lobby. When I went downstairs, the author was there. She handed me a personal check. The amount was the exact amount of money that had been paid from her advance. On the left corner, like any other person’s check, was the famous actor’s name — Mr. and Mrs. Famous Actor You Definitely Know.
The book was canceled after that — but the book did get published elsewhere. And the famous actor’s wife has had a long career as a novelist, publishing multiple books with great covers.
Next — a more recent tale.
You may know that I only work on book proposals with people who are ready.
Generally speaking that is someone with expertise and/or proven content, as well as a large and established audience that overlaps with who will read their book.
Though I do my own research and due diligence, often I have to trust that what the author is telling me on our initial call is accurate. That’s especially true when it comes to their content.
When I started working with Entrepreneur E, she seemed to have everything I look for:
A successful, scalable business with a growing audience
Expertise and stunning testimonials, including from several celebrity clients
Partnerships with major brands that sold to her book’s readership
A deal for a reality TV show with a Hollywood production company
But as we worked together, it became clear to me that she didn’t have enough content or stories to write a 300 page book. Could we write a proposal? Sure.
But if and when she got a book deal, we could be in trouble.
As we developed the proposal, though, her marketability began to collapse.
The production studio canceled her deal.
She lost key brand partnerships.
Negotiations for her to create a physical product for a major retail chain stalled.
She still had celebrity clients, but her direct reach was small.
I did my best, but I’m not a genie. It was obvious to everyone — me, Entrepreneur E, her literary agent — that getting a deal with the current proposal was unlikely. To my knowledge, she still hasn’t succeeded at finding a publisher for her book.
What happened on that project is the absolute worst outcome, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
But it’s also preventable.
The mistake that Entrepreneur E made was that she was relying on others — the production company, the retail chain, the brands, the celebrity clients, and even me — to create the successful book that she wanted.
What I advocate for instead is for entrepreneurs and experts to understand how to create their own path to success in publishing. By doing that you ensure that you always have options — just like the famous actor’s wife had.
When Your Story Matters (and When It Doesn’t)
“Everyone tells me that my story is amazing and I should write a book.”
“People will learn from my story.”
“By reading what happened to me, readers will be able to change their own lives.”
Unfortunately, that’s not true.
People read books for themselves and their own purposes — whether that’s to be entertained, to learn, to change, or to get results.
Most of the time, folks only care about you to the extent that you and your book can help THEM.
The idea that “my story can do all the work” especially falls flat when —
You want to write a book that shows readers How To do something (like change their lives).
You want people to learn how to offer a way for folks to help themselves (Self Help).
You want to show how to handle a troubling or stressful Issue.
Or you want to tell people what to do by offering step by step Prescriptive advice.
(Spoiler alert: The terms in bold are also the broad types of books I work on.)
When your goals are to write a book that makes an impact and actually changes the lives of the people that read it — your story is only one small part.
Mind you, it’s an important part because your story can support why you’re the person to write the book, create commonality between you and the reader, and even be proof that your advice works and that this book is worth reading.
But don’t get it twisted — no one is going to read your book solely for your story.*
*The exception to this is memoir — but in that case, the writing has to be extraordinary AND the story transcendent and universal. Accomplishing all of that is a Simone-Biles-level-triple-double of publishing. Which is a big reason I don’t work on it.
Waiting for Your Nonfiction Book Deal Can Be a Good Thing
The traditional publishing route takes too long. I want to publish my book now.
If this sounds like you, read this email carefully because I’m going to share two case studies from two people who said that to me.
The first story is from someone who chose not to work with me. I’m going to call her Shanice.
The second story is about someone who became a client. I’m going to call her Jasmine.
After having a chat about what it would take for her to get a publishing deal, Shanice decided to self-publish. She didn’t want to “waste time” building an audience, and felt like she could use the book as a lead magnet for her coaching business.
Jasmine was in a similar situation, but decided that it would be a good idea to expand upon the audience she already had before writing a book. She joined Author Platform Builders and used my advice to hone in on how she wanted to spend her time.
A year later —
Shanice had written the first draft of her book.
Jasmine had grown her audience and was flying around the country doing keynote presentations for more money than she had ever charged. She also started working with my team on her book proposal.
Two years later —
Jasmine had landed a six-figure book deal.
And Shanice wrote to me, saying: “I’ve never felt so stuck with all the responsibility going the self-publishing route. I chose that because I really wanted to write, so I just went on whatever would feel good and appealed to give me a ‘hit’ of accomplishing my goal to be an author. Combine that with some great but deceptive marketing and voila, it was a recipe for disaster.”
At the beginning of their journeys, Shanice and Jasmine were pretty alike.
But the end result couldn’t be more different.
That’s because what folks don’t realize is that a book deal (and the subsequent bestselling book) tends to be a lagging indicator. The success of the book only comes after the author has been successful — at testing their content, at marketing and selling it to an audience, and at being able to build that audience over time, usually with more expensive products.
What a book is not is a leading indicator — of your ability to market, of your ability to find an audience of readers and customers, or of your success.
Because a book is ultimately just a book — paper, glue, and ink.
Both Shanice and Jasmine will have a book, eventually.
But only one author has the chance to impact people’s lives in a big way through her keynotes and large audiences, land another book deal, and become a bestselling author.
As it turns out, good things do come to folks who wait.
I Found the Right and Best Way.
I thought I had bought the “right” coffeemaker.
The best according to Wirecutter and Good Housekeeping and some other sites.
At first, I was excited to have made such a worthy investment in myself. After years of cheap machines, I had been able to invest in a quality coffee maker. I bought more expensive coffee, and was excited to taste the first sip.
Then I realized I had made a mistake. The way the coffee was brewed — a mechanical version of pour-over – made the coffee taste chalky and bitter. I bought brand after brand trying to find a coffee that would taste good in the machine.
After a few weeks, I realized that part of the problem was the carafe. While beautifully designed, it didn’t keep the coffee piping hot.
For months I kept trying to find workarounds. After all, I had taken the time to find the right and best machine! But after one crappy cup in the expensive mug I had bought in an attempt to keep the coffee hot, I decided enough was enough.
I unplugged the “best” coffee maker and ordered the best one for me.
On the very first day, I felt the difference. I was thrilled to have a hot cup of coffee that didn’t need a fancy mug (or a dozen workarounds) to taste great.
In the end, it didn’t matter what other people thought was “the best” or “the right way” to make coffee.
Instead, what mattered was what was best and right for me.
The same is true for your book and entrepreneurial journey.
The right and best way might be what everyone else is doing, or what I offer, and it might not be.
And that’s all okay — because there is no one right or best thing.
There’s only what is right and best for you, and what’s right and best right now.
I Have a Confession To Make.
I love country music. I have a near-encyclopedic knowledge of the artists and their hits that were all over the radio during the 1990s and 2000s. And while I’ll swear by Merle Haggard and Loretta Lynn and the greats, there’s a reason that a portrait of Dolly Parton is in my office.
I love the cheesy, over-the-top, pun-filled hits. I love Dolly — who you could argue is as artistic as anyone — but I also adore Garth Brooks, as wackadoodle as he can be in his personal life. I’m obsessed with Miranda Lambert and want her to be my friend. Hell, I have an entire playlist of songs about drinking just because I wanted to see how many songs I knew about drinking (hint: it’s a lot.)
I love country music and I’m not ashamed of it. (As well as 38 Special, REO Speedwagon, and the uncool version of Starship, but that’s another story.) And in the last couple of years, I’ve realized that my hobby, my love — my obsession — actually pays off in my writing.
Because country music, especially during the 1990s and 2000s?
Highly commercial. People LOVED that era of country music.
Lots of people who wouldn’t be caught dead listening to country music were Garth fans, Shania Twain fans (bless their hearts), and in the 2000s, Taylor Swift fans. People would say things like, “I hate country music, but I like that song,” or “I don’t usually like country but I like her.”
In fact, I would argue that a country artist who was smart about the lyrics but didn’t try to be an artiste during that era are some of the most commercially successful entrepreneurs of all time. That’s why you see pop artists occasionally doing country projects or doing little forays into the country charts. Country music is big business because it appeals to a lot of people.
And that’s what being “commercial” is — appealing to a substantial audience. It’s not about being smart. A lot of people dismiss country music because they think it’s stupid. Some of it — especially the “bro” country of the past decade — is.
But good country music needs words. Lyrics. Stories. In a way that other musical genres do not. That’s part of the reason musicians from other genres usually appreciate country — it’s a harder art form to master.
Like books and publishing, country artists and songwriters need a narrative. These writers use all the exact techniques that writers like you or I do.
When Kenny Chesney describes a beach, he’s got to show listeners what it’s like — not tell. If Carrie Underwood has a lesson she wants to teach, she’s going to share that in the active voice (and with a killer range).
Country stars are great at branding, too.
When I say Dolly Parton, you know exactly who she is and who she is not — without even having to be a fan. I could go on, but you get the point.
The biggest takeaway I learned from country music — that I want to share with you — is that effective storytelling sells. But, if you do choose to listen, there’s a lot more to learn about three-act structure, surprise endings, turns of phrase . . .
. . . And that puns (which build rapport) are always worth sneaking in somewhere.
The Dirty Secret About Coaches and Experts Who Promise You a Book Deal
Over the past year or so I’ve seen an explosion of people teaching how to get a book deal.
And while I’m all about entrepreneurship in any form I must tell you what I know as an industry insider about group programs, retreats, and coaching that promises to help you become a published author.
Most suck.
Many are disingenuous and are self-publishing companies in disguise.
Others are well-meaning but out of touch with current trends and what publishers want.
And some regurgitate things that they learned from an actual publishing expert like me.
(Yep, my work has been copied. Or, as my husband said, people stole my shit and sold it.)
The truth is, the majority of the offers I see online — of book coaches, of authors using their experience to teach, of guides and courses teaching how to write book proposals — aren’t worth your time or money.
The first reason is what you learn. Most of the programs I have seen focus on writing the book itself — rather than the marketability of that book.
And that’s a big deal because most authors don’t just want to write the book. They also want the book to sell and be read. Which is unlikely to happen if you don’t have an audience or if the concept isn’t proven.
Second, it’s important to do your due diligence on who you learn from.
Many experts don’t specialize — meaning that their advice may not apply to the book you want to write.
Or the “experts” are authors themselves whose only results are their own. When that happens, there’s almost always people behind the scenes who aren’t being credited.
(Like the person who is writing this email.)
Not to mention that most book coaches don’t have experience working within publishing — which matters a lot when you want to get a book deal. Industry insiders (like me) will know what literary agents are looking for books like yours and know exactly what publishers want to see.
I’m writing this email because I want every author out there to have quality resources and education from reputable experts.
Unfortunately, there’s no qualification or certification out there to prove that anyone — including me — can truly help you get a book deal.
That said, those of us who have years of experience, who have worked with hundreds of authors, and who have receipts to show — are probably your best bet.
It’s my hope and intention that my advice saves you time and money, and puts you in capable hands that you can trust with your book, your work, and your dreams.
The Best Thing You Can Do for Your Book Today.
Write.
So simple and yet . . . so many people who want to be authors don’t make writing a part of their daily life.
Within Author Platform Builders — my group of aspiring authors who need to grow their audience before developing their book — it’s become a bit of a joke.
I’ll say — “So you want to write a 50,000 word book . . .”
And everyone knows what’s next.
“But you don’t want to write a 500 word email?”
This exchange happens almost every time someone new signs up for the program.
I don’t know why, but y’all tend to underestimate the power of writing as a practice.
I have written nearly daily for decades — first because it was a way to get my thoughts and feelings out, and then professionally for my job as an editor, and now for entrepreneurs and experts like you.
Writing is awesome — for your own personal growth and reflection, for your business (as a marketing and audience-growth tool as well as a way to communicate better with your clients and team), and most certainly for your future book.
Developing a daily writing practice (or close to it) is kind of like learning to run long distances. (I also do that!)
It’s going to be painful at first. You might have to force yourself to do it, to follow through, to commit to it. But then you’ll see yourself getting better, find joy in the work, and end up missing the practice when you miss a day.
And eventually you may decide to run a marathon, or write one — in the form of a bestseller.
So — to paraphrase Michael Pollan (himself a bestselling author):
Write words. Share with people. Daily.
What Does AI Mean for Authors?
In case you missed it, read why I think AI will not destroy publishing here.
What I didn’t touch on in last week’s post was AI and authors. To put it bluntly, authors are PISSED about how most current AI tools work (including me).
Because: AI “learns” using creative work without permission (or payment).
Comedian, actress, and author Sarah Silverman — along with novelists Christopher Golden and Richard Kadrey — are suing Open AI (the creators of ChatGPT) and Meta Platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Threads) for violation of intellectual property law.
Essentially — as reported in Vulture — “OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Meta’s artificial-intelligence projects rely on the mass trawling of books to learn language and generate text, the suits say. Silverman’s suit contends that these AI projects didn’t secure her and other authors’ permission for using their works before inhaling them, violating intellectual-property law. They also claim that these AI systems gained access to these books via spurious means, using libraries of pirated texts — or as the suits’ co-attorney Matthew Butterick puts it to Vulture, ‘Creators’ work has been vacuumed up by these companies without consent, without credit, without compensation, and that’s not legal.’”
If this freaks you out, you’re not alone. My business runs on selling my intellectual property, and I felt pissed to realize that someone was giving it away for free without my permission.
I wanted to see whether I had been trolled, so I put questions about traditionally publishing a how-to book into ChatGPT. I got answers that were suspiciously similar to content that I had posted online. As I asked more detailed questions, the answers got even more similar.
Penguin Random House — the #1 traditional publisher in the world — sees this as copyright infringement, because it is.
While we can’t predict the future of AI or the myriad lawsuits currently in process, we can, as experts, thought leaders, and wannabe bestselling authors, continue to write — because defining, refining, and sharing our ideas is what will grow our businesses and ultimately get us that bestselling book.