On Good Authority: Publishing the Book that Will Build Your Business

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: Just Ask Be Strategic Reach Out—and Out Again—to Everyone You Know Don’t Expect Strangers to Care For the show notes, where I break down each of those methods, go to www.launchpadpub.com/blog/buy

It's the question I'm asked more than any other. In this episode, I get into:  Why is it So Hard to Get on the New York Times Bestseller List? How Many Copies Do You Have to Sell to Hit the List? What Happens If You Try to Game The List? If You Still Want to Get on the List... Here's Why I Don't Think It Matters 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: The Caveat: I'm Biased Against Traditional Publishing How Much Does It Matter to You? You Can Publish Your Book Yourself  The Rules with Novels Are Different I Couldn't Make a Living Until I Could Answer the Question: What Do I Want This Book to do For Me? You Have to Get Realistic You Don't Need Them If Your Goal is to Have a Writing Career... 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