Author Q&A, Post Book Launch
The life-changing impact of self-publishing
Since launching my first book earlier this month, I’ve had a number of people reach out with questions regarding what prompted me to write Create, how has life changed since publishing, things of that nature. So, I thought I’d take some time to answer these questions in this article.
Question: What prompted you to write Create?
Answer: The way I see it, there are an untold number of dreamers and innovators in the world who could do a lot of good if they just had the resources to make their ideas happen. This is why I’m a firm believer that books can serve as catalysts for bringing the right people and funding into one’s life for that very purpose. All that’s needed is a computer, someplace to write, and an idea or two. Beyond that, it’s a matter of taking the time to lay everything out in a way that others can follow and resonate with.
But many aspiring authors (myself included) struggle with taking the ideas and stories swimming around in our heads and putting them on paper, in a way that makes sense to others. In fact, when I first tried my hand at writing long-form content, I would often find myself trailing off into a bunch of unfocused nonsense. It wasn’t until I began experimenting with positioning and outlining that I realized just how effective having a structured system in place can be. After months of tweaking and refining, I discovered an approach to writing that has been proven to work time and again. Not just for myself, but for many non-fiction authors. That’s when the book really started to take shape.
Question: How has life changed for you since publishing?
Answer: After the book’s release, I began helping other aspiring authors create and publish their stories. I’ll admit, as much as I struggled through the process the first time around, it was strangely addicting. Something about the data and science behind it all got me interested in exploring more of what goes on “behind the scenes” in the industry.
That said, most of my time is now spent consulting on projects that will likely disrupt the publishing industry (in a good way) sometime in the next few years. There’s a group of us who recently got together and started a “think tank” of sorts, brainstorming ways to make the entire book creation process both easier and more profitable. Ultimately, what we hope to do is provide indie authors with a more streamlined and cost-effective means of bringing their books to market, while also helping them optimize their opportunity to promote and sell their books.
That’s all I can really say at the moment, but it’s been amazing to work alongside (what I would consider) the most innovative minds in publishing and technology right now.
Question: What was your biggest fear about publishing Create?
Answer: It’s funny. Initially, I was worried that the book would go one of two ways: either it would be a complete failure and flop, or it would be too much of a success and I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the demand. Both scenarios were a bit anxiety-inducing.
Fortunately, those fears turned out to be unfounded. Everything has been fairly easy-going and manageable, actually. I’ve signed 4 new clients since the book’s release, back in August, and have had a number of unexpected opportunities come my way as well. One of which is a TEDx Talk in Zürich, although the topic of that talk will be based on blockchain, not publishing. (Weirdly enough, Create was what landed the gig.)
Question: What played a key role in the success of your book?
Answer: Spreading the word. I say that a lot, but its true! If people can’t find you or have no idea that your book exists, then what’s the point? For the right readers, your book will be life-changing. But getting it published is only the beginning. After that, you need to focus all of your efforts around one specific goal, which is reaching the readers who will benefit the most from your book.
Why? Because those are the people who will be most excited about what you’ve written. They’ll be the ones who share it with their friends and family, spread the word on social media, leave reviews, and bring it up at dinner parties. These readers are your true fans, and they play an important role in getting your book the attention it deserves.
In other words, it’s all about word-of-mouth marketing, which is, by far, the most effective form of advertising you can ask for. (It’s also the secret sauce behind every bestselling author out there.) If you think about it, it makes sense: The most successful book launches are those that focus on targeting the very readers who will get the most out of reading the book. On the other hand, the least successful launches are the ones that try to cast a wide net to the general population — and hope for the best.
This means that the weeks and months leading up to your book launch are all about trying to reach a critical mass, within your target audience, to spark that word-of-mouth advertising. If you do it well, your book will start working for you, post-launch. If you decide to skip over it, you’ll be disappointed by the lack of results.
