SPI 878: How I Reached the New York Times Best Sellers List with Caleb Wojcik
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Jul 9, 2025
Getting on best seller lists is tougher than it seems! Explore the emotional rollercoaster faced during the journey to becoming a New York Times best seller. Innovative marketing strategies, like TikTok promotions and bonuses, are dissected for their effectiveness. Listen as the conversation navigates between self-publishing and traditional routes, emphasizing personal connection in marketing. The highs and lows of book sales reveal what it truly takes to succeed in today’s ever-changing publishing landscape!
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Dreaming of Bestseller Success
Pat Flynn dreamed he hit the New York Times bestseller list and was elated upon waking.
Upon checking, he found he had actually hit the USA Today bestseller list, which was a major achievement.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Use Bonuses to Drive Sales
Include bonuses like accountability groups or exclusive workshops to incentivize early book purchases.
Use receipt validation to track and encourage genuine sales through these bonuses.
insights INSIGHT
Physical Book Sales Are Hard
Selling physical books is very challenging today because consumer content preferences have shifted to video.
Many people now prefer short summaries or audio over reading physical books.
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#878 Writing a book is hard, but getting people to buy it is even harder. For those of us who dream big, is it possible to make the best seller lists without gaming the system? What does it take to move copies nowadays? More importantly, is it worth it? In this episode, I'm joined by SPI CEO Caleb Wojcik to talk through the entire process of launching my new book, Lean Learning. We discuss the highs, lows, and everything that led to making the New York Times and USA Today best seller lists! Listen in because I'll share the strategies that worked and the challenges that made me wonder if people even read anymore. You'll hear about my podcast tour, using bonuses to drive sales, bulk orders, and how TikTok is transforming the way people buy books. We also talk about working with a traditional publisher. Tune in to hear my unfiltered thoughts! Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session878.
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