Authority in the Wild #146 - Tyler Wagner Can Get ANY Book Author on the Bestseller List
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Tyler Wagner reveals how he guarantees bestseller status for any book. After dropping out of college at 19 with $80,000 in debt, he built Authors Unite into an 8-figure book marketing agency that has helped 5,000+ authors sell millions of books.
In this episode, Tyler deconstructs the invisible mechanics behind bestseller lists, explaining why Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times all operate on predictable algorithms. He shares the exact system Authors Unite uses to guarantee minimum 10,000+ book sales and exposes why book quality has almost nothing to do with bestseller status.
You'll discover Tyler's contrarian path to success: working for free at conferences, meeting Tim Ferriss backstage, building an entire business through cold outreach and partnerships instead of funnels or Facebook ads, and why he'd literally pay to intern for Ray Dalio. He also reveals the hardest moment in his 15-year journeyārefunding $120K when the Wall Street Journal list vanishedāand why old school sales principles beat modern marketing tactics.
This conversation breaks down the exact constraints, decisions, and systems that turned a broke college dropout into a bestselling author factory. This conversation is zero fluff, but full with field-tested principles on building authority through substance.
šŖ Timestamps
(00:00) Introducing Tyler Wagner
(01:50) Dropping Out of College
(08:57) Writing the First Book
(11:16) Getting Into Conferences for Free
(20:16) Becoming a Bestselling Author
(25:53) Quality vs Algorithm
(36:12) Starting the Podcast
(43:13) The Future of Book Publishing
(47:25) Starting a New Business Today
(49:41) The Hardest No
(52:19) Old School Marketing
(56:11) Connect Tyler Wagner
šŖ Key Topics Discussed
- The exact system behind bestseller lists
- Why he'd literally pay Ray Dalio to work for free
- How he crashed $5K conferences using one email template
- The partnership strategy that replaced all paid advertising
- Why 8,000 sales calls built his business when SEO failed
- The $120K refund story that almost broke him
- How he guarantees bestseller status
šŖ About the Guest
Tyler Wagner is the Founder and CEO of Authors Unite, a hybrid publishing and book marketing agency he started at 19 years old. He's a #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, serial entrepreneur, and investor who has helped 5,000+ authors achieve bestseller status across every major platform. Tyler also runs Partner Profits and hosts The Tyler Wagner Show podcast with 2,500+ episodes.
šŖ Connect with Tyler Wagner
- Authors Unite Website: https://authorsunite.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tylerbwagner/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerbwagner/
- PartnersProfits Website: https://partnerprofits.io/
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Pura Vida!
Gabe Marusca