5 Things You Need to Know to Write, Publish, and Launch a Bestselling Book with Rory and AJ Vaden
Nov 5, 2024
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Discover essential strategies for launching a bestselling book, including effective marketing techniques and the importance of sales reporting. Explore the evolving landscape of publishing, weighing traditional, hybrid, and self-publishing options. Uncover the challenges of maintaining creative ownership in traditional publishing, and learn how podcasts can amplify your book's reach. This insightful discussion emphasizes the transformative power of storytelling and the critical support available for aspiring authors.
The podcast emphasizes the need for authors to understand the pros and cons of traditional, hybrid, and self-publishing to make informed decisions.
Achieving bestseller status requires a strategic combination of writing, marketing, and effective sales reporting, rather than relying solely on publicity.
Ultimately, authors should focus on the life-changing potential of their message instead of merely chasing bestseller accolades for credibility.
Deep dives
The Publishing Landscape Today
The podcast addresses the evolving landscape of book publishing, highlighting three primary publishing types: traditional, self-publishing, and hybrid publishing. Traditional publishing typically involves an advance payment from publishers, who then control the creative and distribution aspects. In contrast, self-publishing requires authors to invest upfront for editing, printing, and marketing, giving them full control over the process at the cost of potential widespread distribution. Hybrid publishing emerges as a middle ground, offering authors professional support while retaining their intellectual property and creative control, thereby combining the best features of both traditional and self-publishing.
Lessons from Personal Experiences
The speakers share insights derived from their personal experiences in the publishing world, emphasizing the learning gained from their successes and failures. Rory's self-published book teaches the importance of having complete control and ownership over the content, while the journey through traditional publishing demonstrates the limitations imposed by publishers on an author's creative freedom. For example, despite achieving bestseller status with their traditionally published works, they often found their input on titles and creative aspects was disregarded. This reflects a broader challenge in the publishing industry where authors often relinquish significant control over their work.
Keys to Becoming a Bestseller
Achieving bestseller status is complex and requires a strategic approach that encompasses writing, publishing, selling, and reporting sales effectively. The podcast emphasizes that authors must take on the role of the salesperson, implementing proven mechanisms to drive book sales rather than relying solely on publicity and social media. As highlighted, marketing strategies should prioritize creating incentives for readers to purchase books, while also recognizing that genuine human connections and targeted outreach will often yield better results. Understanding the importance of timing in launching a book is also crucial, as it can significantly influence overall sales and visibility.
Navigating the Publishing Process
Authors must navigate multiple phases in the book publishing process, starting with writing and moving towards strategic selling. The speakers point out that many authors mistakenly believe that publishers will take care of marketing, which is usually not the case, resulting in missed opportunities. They stress the importance of providing a structured approach to selling that includes developing effective sales strategies, setting clear goals, and recognizing the need for a robust reporting system. This ensures that all sales efforts are properly counted toward achieving bestseller rankings, while also maintaining transparency within the sales process.
The True Value of Writing a Book
The discussion touches upon the deeper motivations for writing a book, emphasizing that it is often a calling to share valuable insights and experiences that can help others. Authors must recognize that becoming a bestseller can enhance their credibility and visibility, leading to better speaking opportunities and professional growth. However, the speakers remind listeners that the ultimate goal of writing a book should be to change lives and make a difference, rather than solely pursuing accolades. By focusing on the impact their words can have, authors can find greater fulfillment in their work and legacy.
We’ve learned so much in our 15-year adventure in publishing and realized that maybe we’re more than just authors; maybe we have a bigger role to play. So today, AJ sits down with Rory to reveal exciting new publishing developments at Brand Builders Group, the current state of the publishing industry, and a comprehensive five-step guide on what it takes to become a bestselling author. After a high-level overview of the 5 steps necessary to becoming a bestselling author, we closely examine the pros and cons of each publishing channel: traditional publishing, hybrid publishing, and self-publishing. Then, we discuss Mission Driven Press and why we decided to launch our hybrid publishing imprint, how to approach marketing and sales for a successful book launch, why PR alone will not help you reach your sales targets, and why being a bestseller is only one of many markers that gives a book and its author credibility. To end, we implore you to visit the Mission Driven Press website to see how we can help bring your life-changing vision to life because books do change lives!
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