As a business owner, have you thought of writing your own book? Today’s guest, Paul Brodie a 13 times bestselling author and host of the Get Published Podcast, owns a publishing company which helps aspiring authors publish their own book.
Publishing a book is the start, how to promote it is another thing. In this episode, Stacey and Paul dig deep on how you can use your book as a foundation of your business, understand the book writing process and how to deliver the book to the right people.
This is one episode you don’t want to miss! Enjoy!
What you will learn from this episode:
Top Three Attention Grabbers:
Resources
Free Copy of Get Published Book
Connect with Paul
The Vault Contact Information
As a business owner, have you thought of writing your own book? Today’s guest, Paul Brodie a 13 times bestselling author and host of the Get Published Podcast, owns a publishing company which helps aspiring authors publish their own book.
Publishing a book is the start, how to promote it is another thing. In this episode, Stacey and Paul dig deep on how you can use your book as a foundation of your business, understand the book writing process and how to deliver the book to the right people.
This is one episode you don’t want to miss! Enjoy!
What you will learn from this episode:
Top Three Attention Grabbers:
Resources
Free Copy of Get Published Book
Connect with Paul
The Vault Contact Information
Today's guest is Paul Brodie of 13-times bestselling author and host of the'Get Published' podcast. Paul owns a publishing company which helps aspiring authors do just that- get published. He talks to us about how to use a book as the foundation of your business, to build authority and grow your business. He gives us an absolutely awesome insight into the book writing process and a strategy to get your book to number one bestseller. Hello welcome to the show Paul. How's your day going?
Paul Brodie:Not too bad not too bad.
Stacey:I'm really excited to have you on the show here. I thought you would start off by telling both myself and the audience a little bit about yourself. Your background, how you got started and how you got into doing what you do?
Paul Brodie:It's funny life takes you in funny directions. So about seven years ago I was basically a mess health wise. Very bad health, 40 pounds overweight. I was right at that level of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. Life wasn't good. At the time I was an English,as a Second Language, teacher and my health was a mess. I went to go see my doctor and he made things very clear and that was if I didn't get my act together I would be dead in five years. That was one of the biggest wake up calls I feel I've ever received. So what happened during the next six months is that I lost 60 pounds. I got my health together and got to the point where I could really get focused and clear about where I wanted to go in the future. So over the next few years I kept teaching but I had this idea for this book that was stuck in my head and that book was sat there for four years until 2015 I was on a flight to Las Vegas and I had this epiphany where I thought you know what I'm not at the perfect place where I want to be but it doesn't mean I can't share this journey.
Speaker 9:And I think it's one of the biggest challenges that people want to write their books is that they feel that everything has to be perfect as we know that never a purpose in life. So.
Speaker 8:After having to appear in Vegas on that flight the next morning I'm at the Mirage Hotel Casino. So I got my iPhone and created in the outline to my first book the less move more. It got everything out there. I was just completely fired up and stoked to really go weeks later. Yeah a week later I wrote 20000 words and got the book done. Then I'm thinking OK I have this manuscript everything's done now what. So over the month of July I spent hundreds of hours in every single thing I cared about but publishing had to find a book cover designer had to find a formatter an amazing editor and a very lucky fellow. All three of those things and then I learned about all this fun thing called Market marketing which I know you're an expert at you have on that is talking about marketing.
Speaker 9:So basically long story short trading the system got the book out there in August and it became a number one best seller. And the funny thing happened with that is that I wanted to take that book to share a story. But I also want to help motivate people and just tell them hey you know done is better than perfect that things are never going to be perfect in life. And I really wanted to share the struggle with myself with my second book. What I wanted to do is start to build my speaking business a little bit more because the great thing when you want to build a business you have got to have that book to build your authority. So came up the second book became a best seller. Then my third book which is also based on public speaking it also became a bestseller. And this funny thing happened. This is something I never expected. And that is a different office come up to me. I had readers approach me and go hey can you show us how we can get published. Now this is something I never thought about. I basically started the books to share my story and to also build my public speaking business. So the thinking ok yeah I can definitely help the teacher clicks in and then over the next year and a half. I started coaching people one on one until I got to the point where I created your coaching program and expanded our services for Dunphy you publish in and it grew to the point where I could actually leave my job as a teacher. At that point I'll teaching special needs was in my ninth year and I just kept going back and forward going OK. I really did take the plunge. Because as you know reading your own business it's always a very scary thought but I made the move and it's been about 15 months ever since and I'm sure as you know it's the best decision you can ever make is running your own business. It's scary very stressful at times but there's no better freedom than working for yourself and I love the commute. I went from commuting an hour an hour a day roughly to ten seconds a day from a live interview. So I office.
Speaker 10:It's the right thing for you. It's funny how that works.
Speaker 11:Yeah absolutely. I think that that you know you are just going about your career just the way you have. And that was your own personal story that ethos decided as well as motivated as you might guess that you want to be said that and that's what led to writing the book which is fantastic and see if we get a little bad. You've now had 13 books published I believe is that rise 13 bestsellers.
Speaker 12:Yep that's incredible. So the transition from BNC to had I guess a side hustle where kind of you during your species that was you're speaking on your first couple of books as is how to eat well and how to get ahead in terms of taking care of your health is that what you were mainly thinking about.
Speaker 9:It was part of it. I actually had multiple seminars at times and this was a great thing for purposing content. I had these seminars develops years ago. And the nice thing is I was able to take that content repurpose it and then elaborate on those points. Even more so I read books like motivation 101 positivity attracts just do it's the pursuit of happiness. Champion PMA positive mental attitude I was able to take all of those seminars and put them in some books and it was basically talking about the story about M.S. health or health wise. And basically these are the things that you can do to overcome that.
Speaker 13:And also fighting depression and one thing in the seminars and the books I'm very open because I really do feel as an author you need to share your soul with your readers so I talk about fighting depression and I talked about your pretty rough upbringing because I was taught about baggage because you can wear all have it every of us has baggage. If you're going to struggle in life you can blame the baggage or you can take that bag. She is at the fire itself. Get motivated and to really make a difference that's one thing I'm always talking about is it's up to you with what you want to do with that baggage. Yeah totally.
Speaker 12:I love that I get to have it. So the theme is all around the subject and your faith in essentially Tender's into books which is excellent. So tell me. Oh I guess so touch on what you've just mentioned there. He's talking about your own personal story. I
Speaker 14:know a lot of small business owners that are really scared to do that. You know a little a bit uncomfortable about sharing personal information or or their baggage as you put it. You know maybe things are a little bit uncomfortable for them. Talk about what kind of advice would you give those sorts of people.
Speaker 13:This is the one piece of advice I give to every single client that I have and every single aspiring author and that is don't be afraid to take the plunge.
Speaker 1:You just put it out there.
Speaker 9:Yeah I feel this because that is how readers and potential clients are going to connect with you is by sharing your story and talking about the struggles. That's always the most powerful thing I feel when you get e-mails you get books out there because different blogs because people don't want a sales pitch. They want to be able to connect with you. So I feel when you can build that connection that's how you create a movement. That's how you create a tribe is by sharing your soul. And it does take you out of your comfort zone. But it's one of the best pieces of advice I can give those out there that actually want to get published.
Speaker 4:So tell me about the process of learning how to publish the book.
Speaker 14:So what were you reading how we were investigating this what kind of research were you putting into to learn how to do that.
Speaker 15:Well there's this beautiful little website I discovered Google and it was just amazing for searches. So essentially what I did was I was looking to publish and self publish and traditional publishing hybrid publishing.
Speaker 9:I think there was like some difference author communities that are out there on Facebook and I believe those also what are those online summits that was going on at that time. So a lot of that information helped that I was just trying to get every little nugget of information that check it out there because if I'm at the summit there's always people on those summits like podcasts where they want little nuggets little pieces of. So I took all those pieces of advice made notes and then compared it to other publishing books out there and different things I was able to read and through all of this I was able to create a system and it's a system that we've perfected over all these different book watches level arches for our clients as well. It's one of things where you experiment you figure out a system because systems and processes. That is the biggest key to any business and especially the publishing that when you have that proven system that you plug in you know that works then you're plugging that in to every single launch and experimented from that point.
Speaker 12:Yeah absolutely. I can totally relate to that in business. I think I've been in business about 7 years or so. I was freelancing obviously before that and I think one of the biggest changes has helped my business grow in the last couple of years has been documenting how to do everything we did and putting it into a really straightforward system as to how to go about it. And that just means that any time you're bringing in new members of the team or even outsourcing it to different freelancers and things like that it just makes the whole process much simpler.
Speaker 16:And on top of that actually helps your clients understand how you're going to go about delivering that service to them. I used to be nervous about telling Glines about how I did things but actually I realized it gives them so much more confidence in that I know what I'm doing and that has helped to win business so I completely advocate the whole you know getting systems in place in the business I think it's great well frameworks and systems make all the difference.
Speaker 9:One of the reasons that I transitioned over from one to one coach and to group coach was that I was able to create this program called publish an invitation program and the program said basically all my knowledge hundreds upon hundreds of hours thousands of dollars of debt are trained and I've learned over the years. And we took that and put it into the program. And the great thing is it's 10 different modules over 10 weeks. The reason I share this is because we took the concept and the knowledge and the systems and we put it into the modules. So it's a great thing when we onboard new clients they get all the information and all our knowledge and it's there forever and all we need to do is make updates and we're like Rakoczy enclosed helps support them. But all that knowledge is there. And if they have a question. Okay great. Go back to module number 3 and then that will answer that for you. And it's such a great thing. And so I have to explain everything over and over. You just saw okay go to this module or go to that module and check on this point. Yeah absolutely.
Speaker 17:As you were going down to a totally different direction but I'm kind of following this right now because I actually love what you've just said that and that is a big difference. A lot of people in business exchange time for money. Right. So they deliver. They personally deliver us of us and therefore they charge the client for that for that service. What you're talking about there is producing almost a product where you're creating at once or you know as you say there are little updates and things to be done but you're essentially creating a cost or process for people to walk through. Then you can sell that at scale that doesn't really you know you can sell that to 10 people a hundred people a thousand people and it kind of does the work for you because it something you've just produced upfront. And then the only bets that you are having to dip and do is when you've got you know the consultant save the questions or whatever.
Speaker 18:So I think that's I wish more people thought about this business especially in the early stages because I think right at the beginning I don't know if you would agree with me on this but I feel like a lot of people just think about what they're doing as an individual and how much they can provide and a one to one kind of service environment where this one to many actually becomes a much more scalable business that actually enables you to grow a lot more. What are your thoughts on that.
Speaker 13:Yeah absolutely. I think it's the biggest Keesey on the scale of growth business is the such programs because you only have so many hours and the days you know when when you're coaching people what what the one that time going to go very quickly. So instead of Cochon 10 or 12 people. Now we can help hundreds of people with the program and with us it's the same amount of time as we recreated it. So it's one of those things that we can on board a new person to program within five minutes and then we spend a little bit of time every week sending them the information they need but essentially you could run a separate program in less than five hours a week and that's a game changer Yeah.
Speaker 16:So if they want to come back to authors and tops hips and things from getting published and some of your best advice just for the moment I want to dig into marketing. So obviously you mentioned in the beginning that you've spent a lot of time on a learning marketing trying to understand it trying to figure out how to market your business. So I'd like to understand what it is that you're doing internally. I did have a chance to check out your Web site ahead of this recording and I mean I can see a lot of different entry points. You've got your 15 minute strategy session. You've got a Facebook community you've got downloads the thing of your book obviously you're speaking at different events. You've got a free web Closs you've got a podcast could get published. So there's lots of entry points that I can see there for businesses but maybe talk me through that sort of ecosystem that you have in place. How do you roll that all out. At one time is it sort of being over a period of time even from two different things. Do you get leads through all those different sources. Tell me a little bit about your marketing process.
Speaker 8:Well the biggest lesson that I've learned and I think this is the really big nugget of advice is that you cannot rely on just one channel for marketing. You can't just rely on Facebook. You can't just rely on SEO. You have to have multiple avenues of marketing. And what I've done with my Web site and this is a novel site. This Web site didn't look like this three years ago. And one of the biggest things I wanted to do was have an entry point to the platform as my entry point is the book. So I give away a free copy of get published to digital copy on the Web site. They can opt into it and in the book they actually receive those things that you match and they have an invitation where they can set up a strategy session if they're looking for additional support. They can also join our Facebook community. They can also check out the podcast. So it's one of those things where I considered a book the entry point but everything else in there also helps support that. So we have a free web Plast that's available on demand every single hour. Where if they want to really take a deep dive and learn more about how to get published we have that we also give them an offer to join our book publishing implantation program if they want that they shall support. We have the links to strategy sessions the podcast we'll have a blog on there which blogging was hosting drome go and I really want to go that direction but from what I understand and everyone loves the blog so I actually added that section and there we do have a Facebook community where it mainly just gives arepas prospective clients a little taste of what it's like to work with us because we go through a couple little things and there we talk about goals for the week.
Speaker 13:We'll put it in different episodes of a podcast or podcast runs five days a week so each day will just add the latest episode and then answer any questions that they have. It's one of those things where it's a multifaceted approach. As you mentioned we have a section for this speaking and keynotes.
Speaker 8:There are companies that want to bring us in. We have an area for different books that they want to check those out. So it's one of those things where we want to offer as many things that are going to help as possible. So that's the main thing with the Web site. Once a professional we want to also talk about different ways that we can help. So one of the things we have are their stats where we talk about how many digital book demos we've had how many bestsellers actual tips case studies we add testimonials were actually shows OK these are all the people that we've helped. And then we have a contact form as well on the main web site. So what we've tried to do is make it as user friendly as possible but also give away items of value. My philosophy is always to give away information free. I think the main thing that we charge for us coaches is the implementation and support.
Speaker 19:I like that when I was looking at I just thought it was incredible because as a marketer myself like one thing I'm always looking at how to not to release say a prospect. So you've got projects that are approaching your business policy in your case is coming through you know people that have read your book on the then that are checking out your Web site and then they just have this multifaceted route to getting more information whether it is in a written form through your blog whether it's through taking action for example by jumping into your Facebook community or doing the Closs you've actually got an audio version which is the podcast just no matter how somebody likes to learn something there for them to actually use that's going to help them on that book writing journey.
Speaker 16:And it really is just about nurturing that right away just because they've read your mouth it doesn't necessarily mean that they're ready to hire you as a publisher. However by you continuing that relationship whether it's through the community through the podcast through the blog content that you're producing there's a way for them to stay connected to you before they're actually ready to make that decision to hire you as a business. It makes total sense to me.
Speaker 13:I just was super impressed to see that the was great well and the other thing we have on there too is having that video too. So when you go to the site get a welcome video where they can actually hear the flag and it's a very brief video it's like 45 seconds. We had it professionally done. One of my strategic partners does video. So you did a great job with the video production so it wasn't one of those things where it just look like a video from an iPhone where where was professionally done. So I definitely feel that on the Web site through your videos minimum for those specific videos they need to be as professional as possible.
Speaker 9:I really do feel that helps where people come on there to check it out. And typically I looked at Google Analytics people say on the site for several minutes and that's a nice thing to know where it shows the video really helps with that engagement part of it and also having those additional resources on top and just giving away that value.
Speaker 20:That's one of the biggest things that I'd like to emphasize in regards to marketing is good don't be afraid to give away your information because people will want to work with you. You can't be afraid to give as much as you can because I'm a really big believer in karma. I feel if you give it's always going to come back in a good way.
Speaker 12:Yeah absolutely.
Speaker 16:And people want an experience fast before they make a purchase decision making an investment like that and publishing a book it's not a sense if it is as it is an investment you know it's an investment of their money. But most of their time to produce something like that. So I think being able to nudge them over that period of time get them to know you'd like you to trust here is just a smart move really when it comes to running a marketing pipeline.
Speaker 21:Some really good I'd really like to know about anything marketing wise that you feel wasn't a good investment or things that haven't really worked out the way that you'd hoped.
Speaker 16:I know that you just mentioned there for a second you weren't super excited about launching the blog but obviously you have chosen to go ahead and do that. Anything marketing what does that hasn't worked for you will that you're not really that you haven't implemented for a specific reason.
Speaker 13:Yes. One thing that I learned the hard way and I'm talking over five figures on this Facebook advertisement I put all my eggs in one basket hired an agency and I was out five figures within a month and a half. Wow. So yeah that was one of the biggest lessons where I was the advice Focus on one area for your marketing one channel and that is one thing that I will respectfully disagree with. I feel that you have to have as many different channels as possible for your market. Having that as CEO have in the books where you have this Web site where you give all this information you bring in the traffic that we have in the podcast has been a great help to with reaching out to prospective guests. I mean full disclosure Stacy you're on the show a couple weeks ago. We had a great time and then we're able to be on your show as well. So it's one of those things where you're utilizes all these different channels to connect. So the biggest advice I can give is do not focus on one channel and always be careful in regards to hire ad agencies or different people I mean don't get me wrong there's a lot of good ones out there. Mine did a great job but it's just it's such a significant investment that I feel that if you go through different courses and programs that you can probably do just a good job because as you know Facebook is changing a lot and the privacy is changed to a point now where I don't even know how productive it is to really focus a lot of time. Do it advertise on Facebook.
Speaker 12:It's interesting to feel that way. I am I'm still a huge fan of Facebook advertising. I think in terms of targeting via the targeting rights I think it's fantastic. One thing I totally agree with you in the sense of having multiple streams of inbound leads I think you can't solely focus on one platform. I never advise a client. Just today Facebook or just to do GLAZA whatever. But I think it's really about building out that ecosystem.
Speaker 19:All free content trailing the way that I always kind of look at Facebook ads. It's a long game. It's very different for example from running.
Speaker 22:I don't know Google ads where you know you go to Google you're looking for something say I'm looking for a publisher like I'm probably Verini Eveready written my book or I'm in the process of writing my books I'm looking for someone to publish a book. It's going to be a warmer lead than just putting an ad out on central media to walk in front of someone who may or may not be in the process of writing a book.
Speaker 23:So it's it's a different type of lead generation I guess and it's a long line. So I think in terms of pushing out I did marketing with Facebook and saying here's a publishing Sevan's is what we do might be more along the lines of hey download the book or his free. Now here's how you're basically bringing them into the funnel rather than like a straight sell but yeah like I think I think the best piece of advice given that really is just making sure that you one let yourself what you think that is a really good piece of advice I feel is an agency I know like a lot of people approach us in just oh I know nothing about marketing I just know I need to do it.
Speaker 16:So help us which. OK. That's great for me as an agency I know that's awesome I can kind of take control of the campaign and put my spin on us and take a lot of control. However the flip side to that is if nobody understands marketing in general how it works how it performs the type of targeting it needs to be done the type of content that needs to be produced to get results. That's dangerous grounds. So I really like that you've said that people should do their own research because I think we need to be self educated. You need to know how to do it yourself so that you can manage an agency. I think that's a really really important point.
Speaker 20:Well and the other thing is that one area that we didn't do last year and I feel this was a mistake as well as any other from your mistakes. That's the great thing. Yeah. What do you think this is we are going to go back into Facebook but what we're going to do instead is we have the pixel everywhere all our land and pages Web site. And what I want to do is focus more on retargeted versus getting the initial traffic. So anyone that visits our Web site or take advantage of our downloads. I do want to focus on that aspect of it and focus it on the retargeted and that is something that I do definitely recommend because that's an area I want to go on as well and I'm sure you have some great knowledge as well with regards to that area.
Speaker 11:Civis Ma Yeah. Because as soon as someone read your book then they visit your website and watch that video and I've started to engage with the business. Then obviously you know you've got a pickle there picking it up. You target them again on Facebook you at least know they're they're interested in what you do. So I think retargeting by that sort of method is just.
Speaker 7:Yeah that's a great strategy to follow for sure.
Speaker 4:So Paul I have been interviewing quite a few people for this podcast and I came to the realization the other day that every single entrepreneur or business owner that I've interviewed has written a book.
Speaker 11:So I found that really fascinating.
Speaker 14:And I know that you and I were speaking a couple of weeks ago about this because obviously I'm in the process of getting my book published but I thought that was just a really fast and I guess where I want to get your your advice on all your insight into is kind of thing does a book do field you as a business owner or as an entrepreneur or someone that's willing to spread the word. Because from what I can see from the successful businesses that I've been interviewing it seems to be a really really big part of their of raising their profile and generating results for their businesses. What's your insight on that.
Speaker 24:The main thing about the book as it is the foundation for what I've heard to as your platform with as I mentioned with the Web site even though is different offers and different things that you can talk about and that are key ways that you can help people is the foundation of your platform. If your book because the key word is offered but the other part of that is the root word of a 40 the rate of authority is offer and it just gives you so much more credibility.
Speaker 20:And I'll give you an example. So the motivation level one book that I released at the time I was charging around five hundred dollars is the gig after that book. Several months later I started charging more to the point now where I charged three thousand dollars just for that one specific speaking gig. So it gives you so much more credibility with event planners with prospective clients. What are the examples that I do. And this is something that really touched on this also get involved more locally in regards to your marketing whether it's joining the local chamber of commerce or join in a different Rotary Club to stay involved the community because those are great ways to build relationships. Example that I give to people the Chamber of Commerce is imagine if you're a financial planner and you are pitching a prospective flight about your business and then you have another person next to you they're also going to pitch them on their business what you think is going to be the big difference. And what do you mean. So what's going to be the big difference. Everything's the same with both your services and the offers of what we're not sure.
Speaker 6:Well just imagine giving them an autographed paperback copy of your book autograph into their right any inscription. Can't wait to work with you. And how much more powerful do you think that's going to be.
Speaker 20:Because having that book is the modern day business card as far as I'm concerned I know many people have used that term but I truly believe that because the word has lead that you can get specially one on one is when you give someone an autographed paperback copy of your book. It's just it's so powerful to have that authority and credibility because something changes when you're networking 101 with someone. And you saw them you're a published author a bestselling author. There's a little spark that you see like wow this person just wrote a book. And it really does build your brand.
Speaker 24:It builds your authority and it is the foundation for that platform that you're wanted to build.
Speaker 12:Yeah. Finian's I have heard it before in terms of using your book as a business card. I think that's fantastic advice. You said there as well is that it really does offer you that point of difference.
Speaker 16:It's a USP for you as a business owner that if you are sitting next to a competitor and pitching or you go into a meeting a pictures in the night out with a potential prospects being able to leave behind something like that with a possible nudge it just helps.
Speaker 12:It helps to build a relationship and as you said it just adds that credibility I think is a really really good point to talk about you know being a US page. I
Speaker 4:think that's fantastic. So I want to know a little bit more about the process of publishing.
Speaker 16:So maybe you could give me a little overview on the average sort of what's the general process that somebody would go through say if we've got a listener who is thinking about writing a book. Where do they begin and what does the process look like.
Speaker 15:Well the first thing you have to do is get your book there because most people are already thinking about a book title. So they probably really got some ideas in their head. So I'd say OK.
Speaker 6:Think about that for a little bit longer figure out the title because your title is going to be what's going to grab the attention and then your subtitle is what's going to be the benefit to the reader.
Speaker 15:So as an example I would say for my get published book obviously aside it was get published and the subtitle was simple steps to get published and grow your business with a proven system that worked so you want to talk about the benefit in the subtitle.
Speaker 6:Then what I suggest is come up with 10 different talking points about your book each those ten talking points will be your chapters. Now there is one or two ways that you can actually create your book and having us talk about the word Karaite not necessarily write the book because you can write the book out. Traditionally you can write it in a word file. But what I've recommended to most of my clients this year many of them are business owners and leaders don't have the time to write a book. As I tell them to download an app for their phone and it is called Reath audio RTV audio once they download it it gives you the opportunity when you open the app to record your audio. So what I suggest is hit the record button and focus on one key talking point and each chapter needs to be about 10 to 12 minutes of audio. Once they're done talking about the first talking point they stop stopped on the lower. I believe it's the lower left side from that mistake and there is a transcribed button that you can press you press that you can send it to rev audio. They will charge one dollar per minute to transcribe your audio and it's not done with AI. It's actually done with someone who actually listens to the audio and types everything up. Typically they'll have it to you within 12 hours. So you could actually do a talking point in your book. 9:00 at night send it to read about a time you wake up in the morning. You have an email and a word file that has a transcription of your audio and then you can take those. Put them together and that's your draft. So that is the easiest way in my view to create a book especially for business owners who are busy because you can record the audio anywhere you can record it on a drive to work. You can afford it at your home.
Speaker 15:When was able to I always used it. It gets a little bit of a polarizer response like hey if you're in the restroom you could.
Speaker 25:Sit down with your best thinking in there. So it's one of those things when that sounds a little bit out there but it's funny thing is it does work and that's one of the main things that we thought was having those proven systems so once you have made a script done then obviously you need to get added to it now.
Speaker 6:One thing I will always say is do not edit it yourself if you want to go through it make a couple improvements that's fine but what I recommend is when that draft is done find an editor send it to them and let them clean it up for you and then once they sent it back to you for that play and you can find a book for Crowder's so what you can format the book for the Kindle version and the paperback version. During that time you also want to find a good book cover designer and think about what you want to have on that cover because it needs to be something that's going to get the attention of the reader. You need to have a old title you have a very clear subtitle and the book needs to look great visually with stock images and your own photography. For my second MAOI but I actually used the picture my own photography from art. The Rosatom so I always emphasized make sure it's something that's visual that's gonna get the attention of your potential reader. So those are the main things that I referred to as getting your book started. Yeah initially a draft have an editor I've a great formatter and it has a style that can design a great look and cover for it so that's really the foundation of getting your book published.
Speaker 11:So a question about the editing part in that sense. You mentioned that you can edit your own book. What do you do. A You've done some. You do the same. That's part of your sadness.
Speaker 4:What do you do if you receive some of those audio recordings that have been transcribed and they're just total rubbish. What happens then. As an editor what kind of what can you do. Has that ever happened before.
Speaker 25:My editor will always double check everything. I don't do the editing have the CEO mentality where I'm basically take care of the big picture but the editors I do have on staff they'll look at it and if it's a really big mess. What you said that back was okay you need to clarify these points. Yeah yeah wedding I always recommend. Have a quick look make sure everything is coherent but if it's not we're going to send it back and go. This needs to be fixed. One of the biggest things I emphasize is always very direct with my clients. I have their backs 100 percent but I will always feed the rats and I'll always be very clear. I'm one of those people that you know there's something that needs improve with the book I'm not afraid to say because I have the client's best interests at hand. I want them to be successful and sometimes that means you have to talk about things that are made not so likely are.
Speaker 10:Yeah I think that's a lot of people's Ferriz isn't my book even worth reading is an interstate doesn't even make sense I imagine that's a big issue for me.
Speaker 21:That's a lot of authors whether this is how it is or not. So to say no good or bad is it what happens once where I've lived until now I've written about how that is is headed for masses we've done and decided on the cover and we go let's pretend it's been published at this point. What do we do in terms of our marketing strategy said how to amplify how to get as much coverage as possible to leverage that book. What are some of your top tips.
Speaker 25:One of the best things is if you like the PR releases and those type of things. Great press releases are awesome but I'm going to be very direct about this. It's for the most part a lot of those are vanity because it's one of those things where oh yes I repressively is gay and from a lot of the time if you spectacular attentional publisher be as far as they they help you. But when you're going this route and this one the biggest thing to know is that traditional publisher they expect you to do a lot of the marketing. So you go traditional hybrid vanity self published it doesn't matter. You're going to have to do a lot of marketing yourself that is different ways that you can do that you can utilize your social media if you have a large platform you can do blog posts. But what I recommend is if you are looking for the results then you need to go down the rabbit paid advertising. Now I'm not referring to Facebook advertising for book launches. What I'm referring to is actually discovering different book promotion sites that are out there and there's many different ones. And for our launches we actually use over 20 different companies and then we build it like a song. We want to build your launch to a crescendo to a peak and then from that point you have a successful launch. So when things always emphasizes the research look at the different but from companies that are out there and invest to advertise and create a solid plan because that's what we did we created this plan that we have essentially perfected over the past three years. And that right there is your main tip for marketing. It's not necessarily about the PR releases. It's not about us. I would say Facebook advertising it would be good if you're using that to give away the book and then to grow the backend. But in regards to an actual launch I would recommend utilize a different book from a company.
Speaker 7:And so there's about permit companies what sort of things they do either the reach of the coverage.
Speaker 25:The most powerful is the fact that they have huge e-mail lists. Some of these guys have 100000 some have 200000. Because when you send things out on social media certain people will see it. But a lot of people won't notice it just to they have a lot of things going on. Yeah when you have it yeah. When you have an e-mail that said directly to your computer or to your phone then that's going to grab your attention because you least want to look and see what's in there. And this is when you also have your book in a special price with Kindle. I always recommend having the book free for several days and then for additional a few days after that about 99 cents. That way you can keep the watch. I'm not psyched about the paperback version or the Iowa version but just folks in on that Kindle version because a lot of these sites focus on Kindle. Thank you. Thank you to Amazon and for crêpe Kindle because it definitely has been a game changer.
Speaker 21:And then utilizing that in your launch and in any of these on audiobooks. What's the you know because a lot of people will do the traditional paperback or do the Kindle and then alterable. To me it kind of seems like the next step. I notice a lot of authors. Well I don't know. How many authors do you think do the audio versions and you think it's worth it.
Speaker 15:Well you're talking to someone who's at 13 books and this created 12 of his own audiobook.
Speaker 25:So in terms of my view on a few of the time it's great I will say this on your first lunch. I do not recommend that you actually create your own version of the audio book. We report it what you can do with Audible is the what's called a royalty share agreement. And with that agreement they will actually have people that are so she with audible they will actually audition to narrate your book. I know when I did it for Eat less move more I think I had like 10 to 12 people that I auditioned over like two to three days. And I found one guy who's a good fit. So I hired him. He basically did the entire narration had it up and running on Audible within four days. The good part about that is you're not spending any money upfront. The drawback is that instead of getting 40 percent of the world's fees you're going to get 20 percent because that narrator is also going to get 20 percent of your royalties. That's why they're always so eager to do it because for them they're spending maybe eight to 10 hours of doing it but they're going to get 20 percent for essentially ever.
Speaker 6:So that is one thing that I recommend because you're already going to be making a profit after your first sale.
Speaker 7:Gotcha. So why do you say don't recall your own one first time around for your fest. Why do you think that's important.
Speaker 15:Well it's just too overwhelming. There are so many things that you have to worry about publishing that if you're going to set up the whole audio is just a whole different beast in itself. And I'll give you an example. Create an audio book is very similar to creating your own podcast. So it's one of those things where it's great but there's a lot of things that can go wrong the first time that you do it and there's a lot of different things to learn with that process. So I was recommend for your first launch. Don't worry about the audio book potentially a rotary share agreement with audible but for your next book when you've got more of a feel for it you get more used to the process. What publishing is very much like write it a bike. Once you start the process you get used to it it becomes quicker it becomes less intimidating because on your very first book you have so many different things that you're going to think about. In my view it's just way too intimidating and overwhelming.
Speaker 11:Yeah. Would there be any negative to waiting a few months.
Speaker 14:For example you don't stare back and it was published in paperback in the Kindle versions. Where else would waiting three months or six months before releasing an audiobook is that is a strategy that should be considered. Or is there a downside to that to releasing it later on day.
Speaker 25:You can certainly do it. The downside is you're going to get the chunk of your sales in the first 30 days. So that's why those we're always recommend you want to have three different formats out there. One of the biggest mistakes I made at my first launch was that I only had the Kindle version and then about two months later I created the paperback version that I had the audio version done at that point. So that was one of the biggest lessons I learned was that on the front end which is your front and sales for your Kindle for your paperback and your audio book you want to have as many formats available because your books getting exposure all over the place specially for you license but promo sites. So you want to have different options because not everyone likes Kindle. Everyone likes paperback and everyone likes audiobook. But between those three it's just like we talked about on my Web site where we have all these different ways that you can learn more about our services whether that's to audio visual through tax. It's the same concept with your book.
Speaker 18:My final question I guess is still around promotions and whether you have any advice for our listeners about launch parties or you know book launches in the sense of doing it through bookstores or anything like that.
Speaker 16:Any information or insights that sort of airier promotion.
Speaker 26:Yeah. The main thing is Amazon essentially controls the market right now. They get it.
Speaker 25:And there are different sites out there between 85 and 90 percent. Now in regards to all the book sales out there because most of them are online. So one thing I would recommend is focus on the online part of that. However if you do like to do but clients I suggest reading up to different library books in your area. I would also suggest reaching out to some of the smaller bookstores Barnes and Noble might be all that more challenging but some of these smaller stores that are out there how frightful some of those different places those could be different options that you're looking at.
Speaker 15:So if you want to do a traditional book signing you could actually buy books in bulk let's say you buy 100 of them from Ingrams fart or through crate space and then investment for a hundred bucks probably about 300 dollars. But you do a book cited and you saw 100 of them for ten dollars each. Give it about Kabi. Well you just made it so your dollar profit.
Speaker 16:I lucked out laws. Yeah. Lots of good advice there I'm very motivated to get my book out there and stop promoting it. So Paul just to kind of wrap up any final thoughts or pieces of advice that you might want to share with everybody. And then also how can we get in contact with you.
Speaker 26:The biggest advice I can give is don't be afraid to take the plunge.
Speaker 15:I think one of the biggest challenges we have as authors is an imposter syndrome and I can say this every single person that has a story in them talk about that stat in the New York Times that I always mention where 81 percent of people want to write a book but less will it actually do. So I think that some of the challenge there is that people just don't know how to do it or they just don't think that their story is relevant. And I can tell each and every one of you your story is relevant. Every single person has a story. And I would definitely help you with that on my Web site. You can go to get published system.
Speaker 25:And then we also do offer free strategy session. It's not a pitch fest. I essentially asked one question and that is how can I help you about your book. That's it. And if we can help you if rates if we can't at least give you some resources that will help you in your journey.
Speaker 5:That's awesome. Thank you so much Paul I've really appreciated having you on the show. You've given us such great insight into the publishing process. I'll make sure that we link to all of your website your social media sites and our Shonna. So thanks very much for being here. It's been a pleasure.
Speaker 4:Paul has an awesome advice there and that episode I hope you really enjoyed listening to that. Here are my top three attention grabbers from this episode. ATTENTION GRABBER number one use your book as a business card. We've all heard this before but how powerful it is. Members who give a potential prospect to a customer a copy of your book a signed copy of your book and absolutely gives you an incredible USP unique selling point for your business. I thought that was awesome advice.
Speaker 22:ATTENTION GRABBER number two use river audio recording your top ten talking points on audio and then sending off to rev. To be able to transcribe at a dollar a minute I think it's just genius to have that 12 hour turnaround must save you so much time. I really wish I'd thought about that when I was writing my book. I thought that was excellent advice.
Speaker 27:Rev adio attention grabber. Number three audible.
Speaker 22:So who knew that they had a royalty share agreement. I definitely didn't. I thought that was fantastic advice especially as a first time author to think that you can essentially produce an audiobook free of charge by outsourcing and doing that ROTY share agreement with orrible I think is fantastic. Not going to be right for everybody but for somebody that is just looking to get the audiobook tan out there. I thought that was awesome. I'm definitely going to be looking into that myself.
Speaker 27:So that's it for this episode. Don't forget to visit Paul's website and download his podcast and his work.
Speaker 22:I look forward to you joining me next time for we meeting another business owner who will unlock nonvote of marketing knowledge and provide us access to the secrets to success in their business.
Speaker 28:You've just been thinking about pacar Stacy Keogh. If you've enjoyed the show I really appreciate you leaving on iTunes. And don't forget to. Beat up beat up about Pipo free content that will help people out and effective marketing strategy.