Behind the Book Cover

Paul Angone, an author known for helping young adults navigate life's challenges, shares his unique journey from eight years of rejection to selling over 100,000 books after a viral blog post. He discusses the symbiotic relationship between books and online courses, illustrating how to transform a manuscript into engaging learning experiences. Paul emphasizes the importance of perseverance, leveraging digital platforms, and investing in quality resources for creative projects, proving that reality can surpass even your wildest dreams.

Jesse J. Anderson's journey to bookdom is unlike any other guest I've had on the show. For one, he's not launching a book to help build his business. Also, that book—Refocus: A Practical Guide to Adult ADHD—hasn't launched yet. In fact, he hasn't even finished writing it. Why, then, you may ask, would I have him on the show? Well, Jesse has also built up an impressive Twitter following by releasing Twitter threads of book chapters—a topic we dive into in detail. When he's not writing books in public, Jesse is a designer and developer who has made it his mission to help others better understand what ADHD really is.FOR MORE ABOUT THE PODCAST AND OTHER STUFF, GO TO WWW.ONGOODAUTHORITYPOD.COM.

Ben Mezrich has sold over 10 million copies of his books.And, by the way, that’s not even the impressive part. The impressive part is that he sells EVERY SINGLE ONE OF HIS BOOKS as a movie or TV show; in fact, if Hollywood isn’t interested in the treatment, he doesn’t even write the book.Mezrich has gotten into this position because of a chance encounter with some MIT students, which led to his writing Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions, which led to Kevin Spacey snapping up the film rights before the book was even out, which led to the book spending over 60 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.Then there was his book, The Accidental Billionaires, which David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin jumped on as Mezrich was writing the book and which, of course turned into the multi award-nominated movie The Social Network. (Mezrich is the only non-fiction author to have two adaptations open at #1 at the box office.)He’s written numerous other books, including Bitcoin Billionaires and The Antisocial Network and is also a consulting producer on Billions. Oh, and his most recent book, The Midnight Ride, has an NFT component that already has over 3500 owners.So how does this happen? How does a former struggling novelist become Hollywood’s go to guy pursued by designers who want to dress him for his book tours? And what is the secret to finding the sort of story that makes Hollywood salivate? It’s all in this episode.GET MORE INFO ON THE POD AND OTHER STUFF BY GOING TO WWW.ONGOODAUTHORITYPOD.COM

Alex Strathdee is no ordinary writer.That's because he's as much an entrepreneur as he is a writer.How do we know this? Because when he wrote his book, Experience Over Degrees, and it didn't transform the world—or even his life—he didn't just shelve the book and the experience like most people.Instead, he asked: how can I get more people to see this?What followed was a targeted campaign to colleges and then a targeted campaign to businesses to pay for that first campaign. It's an ingenious approach and he breaks it all down in this episode.Now he helps other authors make an impact with his company, Advanced Amazon Ads and he even has a free gift for YOU where he breaks down his strategies. Get that free gift here.IF YOU WANT MORE INFO ABOUT THE PODCAST AND OTHER STUFF, GO TO WWW.ONGOODAUTHORITYPOD.COM.

Mike Koenigs, a serial entrepreneur and 13-time bestselling author, reveals how to turn books into lucrative ventures. He uncovers strategies for leveraging writing beyond traditional sales, emphasizing personal branding and audience targeting. Koenigs shares insights on living resourcefully, channeling adversity into entrepreneurship, and maintaining perspective during economic hardships. His journey from survival to success serves as inspiration for aspiring writers, encouraging them to innovate and maximize their online presence.

Tawny Lara, known as The Sober Sexpert and author of *Dry Humping*, shares her insights on launching a book without alcohol as a crutch. She discusses creative ways to drive pre-orders, like making swag from her book announcement. Transitioning to sober dating, Tawny emphasizes the importance of humor and vulnerability in relationships. The conversation also touches on the benefits of outsourcing during a book launch and the emotional realities authors face, reminding listeners to leverage community support for success.

John Corcoran may be my new favorite human. A former White House speechwriter and attorney who worked in Hollywood, he now runs Rise25, which helps businesses get more clients, referral partners and strategic partners through their done-for-you podcast service.In the brief time we've known each other, he's introduced me to countless people, advised me on my business and given me ideas that have sent my head spinning, in all the right ways. This man is a fount of wisdom!And Corcoran isn't just an expert in podcasts—he's an expert in getting podcasts to further your career.He's been in the podcasting game over a decade and his show, Smart Business Revolution, is a must for anyone building a business (and if you're an author, I do hope you're building a business that your book can support).In this episode, he explains how you can promote your book on podcasts, when you should be reaching out and why having your own podcast is the best promotional tool of all.FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PODCAST AND OTHER STUFF BY GOING TO WWW.ONGOODAUTHORITYPOD.COM!

Joel Stein wrote a weekly column for Time magazine for 20 years, was a columnist for Entertainment Weekly and the Los Angeles Times and is the author of the books Man Made: A Stupid Quest for Masculinity and In Defense of Elitism: Why I’m Better Than You and You’re Better Than Someone Who Didn’t Buy This Book. He's also such a funny person that he manages to come across as incredibly likable both while penning a book defending elitism and while dis-inviting me to his book launch party (true story; listen to his defense in this episode and let me know if you think it means you think I should forgive him).In this episode, we talk about how to ask friends to recommend you to a show as a guest, why to never rely on a publicist and ways to make an audiobook much better, among many other topics.FOR MORE ABOUT THE PODCAST AND OTHER STUFF, GO TO WWW.ONGOODAUTHORITYPOD.COM.

Jess Lahey, a bestselling author and former New York Times columnist, dives into effective strategies for authors to build their brand. She shares insights on securing speaking gigs and gaining influencer endorsements, emphasizing that success results from hard work rather than luck. Lahey discusses the emotional challenges of public scrutiny and the necessity of proactive self-promotion. Her recent book tackles critical topics like addiction prevention, showcasing her unique perspective as a sober voice from an alcoholic family.

Jennifer K. Armstrong, a New York Times bestselling author known for her insights into television history, reveals her secrets to achieving bestseller status. She discusses the challenges of the publishing journey, including marketing pitfalls and the importance of community support. Armstrong delves into engaging niche audiences and changing book marketing trends, emphasizing the need for authors to adapt. She provides essential tips for successful book launches, highlighting the importance of targeting the right audience and celebrating every milestone.