Light Hustler: Making Your Mess Into Your Message

Unlike doctors, editors do not need a license or even a degree and there are thousands, if not tens of thousands, people out there calling themselves editors who shouldn't be. Don't be like the dozens of clients who have come to me having busted the bank hiring an editor who did nothing. This episode gets into everything you need to ask and consider when hiring your editor. Only listen if you want to avoid spending your whole book budget on an editor when you don't need to! WANT TO LAUNCH A BESTSELLING BOOK? GO TO WWW.LAUNCHABESTSELLINGBOOK.COM

Samantha Perkins had all the anxiety that any first-time author has. Except she had more. Her book, after all, is about anxiety—well, anxiety that was exacerbated by drinking. That book, Alive AF: One Mom's Journey to Becoming AF, has not only become a #1 bestseller but has also ushered in a plethora of opportunities—including coaching, speaking, writing assignments and more. And I had a front-row seat through all of it, since I walked her through the process of writing her story and sat back proudly as she took what I'd guided her through and ran with it. In this episode, we talk about when she knew she was going to follow through on her desire to write a book, the anti-climax of release day and the emotional hangover no one tells you about, among many other topics.

Readers are a thousand times more likely to buy your book if it has more than a handful of reviews. Here are the secrets to getting people to come through with reviews.   WANT TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS WITH A BOOK? GO TO WWW.BOOKBUILDBIZ.COM. 

It's actually quite self-obsessed of us to believe our book is newsworthy to anybody; you need to give the media a reason to cover you. Here's how.   WANT TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS WITH A BOOK? GO TO WWW.BOOKBUILDBIZ.COM TO FIND OUT HOW.

Remember that the riches are in the niches and go find that rabid group that will become advocates for your book. This episode breaks down how.   WANT TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS WITH A BOOK? GO TO WWW.BOOKBUILDBIZ.COM TO FIND OUT HOW.

I didn't make a lot of money from book sales but I've probably added a hundred thousand dollars to my bottom line as a result of the book. This is how.   WANT TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS WITH A BOOK? GO TO WWW.BOOKBUILDBIZ.COM. 

With newsletters, you are offering readers opportunities to do what they want to do—whatever it is that had them buy your book and then sign up for your list. So how do you use your book as an opportunity to get them to do that?   WANT TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS WITH A BOOK? GO TO WWW.BOOKBUILDBIZ.COM. 

If an event organizer is considering two different people to speak on a certain topic and one of those people has a book and is a bestselling author, that person is going to get the gig. But it is not as simple as writing a book and waiting for these speaking offers to come in. This episode breaks down the steps you need to take.   WANT TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS WITH A BOOK? GO TO WWW.BOOKBUILDBIZ.COM TO FIND OUT HOW.

Blurbs, also known as endorsements, are one of the most misunderstood aspects of publishing. Authors tend to prioritize these so much when they need to be asking themselves if they've ever bought a book because of who blurbed it (99% of the time: no). But blurbs are still nice to have so this episode breaks down the most effective ways for authors to get them.

Podcasts are one of the best ways an author can reach an audience (as you well know, you podcast listener, you!) But how do authors get on them? Well, there are definitely right and wrong ways to pitch yourself and this episode breaks down both, and also provides information on how you can become a beloved guest.

Experienced authors know that very few of us make money from book sales. Some know, however, that it's quite possible to make a lot of money if you use your book to build your business. Since most businesses don't exist without clients, this episode breaks down exactly how to use your book to get those clients.

Marleen Seegers is the co-founder of 2 Seas Agency, which sells the foreign rights of books by authors such as James Altucher. She's also the host of the Make Books Travel podcast. Her team pays regular visits to international book fairs such as those in Beijing, Turin, Guadalajara, Rio de Janeiro, Sharjah, New York, Leipzig and of course Frankfurt and London, combined with trips to major publishing cities including Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Munich and Berlin.   Jealous yet? Well, COVID put a damper in that publishing schedule. Yet Marleen has still managed to thrive—and educate the rest us about how the whole foreign rights think works, which countries like which books and whether or not it really means doing book readings on Greek islands.  Listen to the episode to find out more.    WANT TO BUILD YOUR BRAND WITH A BOOK? GRAB OUR CHEAT SHEET AT WWW.BUILDYOURBRANDWITHABOOK.COM.

Gene Moran has helped myriad clients navigate the murky waters of federal sales. As the Founder and President of Capitol Integration and an active duty Navy Captain, Gene has established himself as an expert who consistently brings agility, creativity and results to companies of all sizes: small startup firms, prime and sub-prime contractors, and large multi-billion dollar public enterprises. He is a proven Navy Financial Manager, designated Joint Specialty Officer and was just named one of top lobbyists of 2020 by the National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics,   But to me, he's much more than that; he's a client who I'm thrilled to call a friend. We published his #1 Amazon bestselling book, Pitching the Big Top: How to Master the 3-Ring Circus of Federal Sales, last year and are publishing his second book next year. Why is he doing two books, you ask? Well, you won't have to ask once you listen to this episode.     WANT TO BUILD YOUR BRAND WITH A BOOK? GRAB OUR CHEAT SHEET AT WWW.BUILDYOURBRANDWITHABOOK.C

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 NO

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 t

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