Why Authors and Creatives Struggle to Sell (And How to Fix It) with Janine Bolon

Sales Made Easy

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Sales Made Easy
Why Authors and Creatives Struggle to Sell (And How to Fix It) with Janine Bolon
Jun 23, 2026 Episode 238

Why Authors and Creatives Struggle to Sell (And How to Fix It)

In this episode of Sales Made Easy, Harry Spaight sits down with Janine Bolon, serial entrepreneur, scientist, and author of Published Profitability, to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing authors and creatives today: why so many struggle to sell, and exactly what to do about it.

Most entrepreneurs get it backwards. They pour money into marketing before they've ever made a single sale. Janine breaks down why sales has to come before marketing and how to make selling feel completely natural.

Janine shares how she helps authors, artists, and creatives at "level zero" shift their identity around sales, build their first contact list from scratch, and start generating real revenue without spending a dime on ads.

In this episode:

  • Why "sales is gross" is a mindset problem and how to fix it
  • The master contact sheet strategy that keeps you busy for your first year
  • How to sell without feeling like you're selling
  • Why your business is a hobby until it has revenue
  • The difference between doing something to someone vs. doing something for someone

Connect with Janine: janinebolon.com/connect (Free Friday Coffee, open to everyone)

MCS (Master Contact Sheet Lesson): https://janinebolon.com/2020/11/28/your-master-contact-sheet/


How to download your FB contacts: https://janinebolon.com/howdoi/



Episode Artwork Why Authors and Creatives Struggle to Sell (And How to Fix It) with Janine Bolon 31:52 Episode Artwork How to Sell Without Selling: The Power of Story 46:56 Episode Artwork Humans Matter: Why Originality Beats AI in Sales With Jonathan Aberman, CEO HUPSIDE 33:49 Episode Artwork Mastering Mindset and Energy for Sales Success 45:01 Episode Artwork Bringing Joy to Tough Sales Days with Vicki J O'Grady-Longo 19:23 Episode Artwork Building Bridges : The Gift of Connection in Sales with Richard Chapman 38:40 Episode Artwork End Entrepreneurial Poverty: Why Selling Feels Hard 39:06 Episode Artwork Ep 231 | Building and Leading Strong Sales Teams with Kevin Hoverman 40:07 Episode Artwork Ep 230 | Building Business Success: Sales and Leadership Insights with Sid Meadows 39:43 Episode Artwork Ep 229 | Turning Stress into Strength: Encore with Professor Pete Alexander 42:24 Episode Artwork Ep 228 | Embracing AI in Sales and Marketing With Jim Irving 36:55 Episode Artwork Ep 227 | It's Time to Master Sales with Niraj Kapur 35:59 Episode Artwork Ep 226 | Encore-Introverts Can Succeed in Sales with Barry Karch 36:42 Episode Artwork Ep 225 | Winning Sales Strategies for Leaders: Embracing Hybrid Selling for Success with Randy Chaffee 29:42 Episode Artwork Ep 224 | Encore: Mastering Sales With better Conversations Sales Author Jim Irving 42:05 Episode Artwork Ep 223 | Encore: Making Sales Effortless with Andy Olen 39:25 Episode Artwork Ep 222| Networking Secrets: How Relationships Fuel Success with Dave Helton 19:43 Episode Artwork Ep 221 | Texting as the New Frontier: Engaging Your Audience with Jonathan Chang 38:19 Episode Artwork Ep 220 | Transforming Sales Lessons into Business Success with Rick Jordan 40:10 Episode Artwork Ep 219 | The Trust Equation: How Questions Lead To Sales Success with Gene Slade 28:45 Episode Artwork Ep 218 | Listening, Empathy, and Trust: The Fundamentals of Effective Selling 16:45 Episode Artwork Ep 217 | Conquering Fear: A journey to Success with Harry Spaight 10:21 Episode Artwork Ep 216 | The Human Side of Sales: Building Resilient Teams Through Coaching and Dignity with Dr Deepak Bhootra 39:15 Episode Artwork Ep 215 | Selling with Dignity How Trust and Ethics Lead to Sales Success with Tim Barry 20:11 Episode Artwork Ep 214 | How To Win More Deals with Effective Cold Email Techniques with Gui Costin 22:44