Self Publishing for Thought Leaders

What if you could market and sell your book without ever worrying about the Amazon algorithm? Paulette Ensign, a marketing expert whose Tips Products Publishing Agency team has helped thousands of experts worldwide, and who personally sold over two million copies of her tips booklet in several languages without spending a penny on advertising. Paulette shares her simple formula for writing a tip,...

I’m excited to welcome back Lisa Rabey of Nerd Girl Industries , a book distribution expert and librarian, to tackle a topic she gets asked about constantly: how to get your self-published book into libraries. Lisa explains that while authors may worry about losing sales to free library checkouts, the real benefit is free marketing and promotion. Libraries promote books through end caps, displays,...

I’m excited to chat with Julia Zatta, a LinkedIn marketing expert who works with founders, entrepreneurs, and senior leaders to build strong personal brands. Julia has written more than 4,000 LinkedIn posts for clients across tech, wellness, finance, and marketing, and she hosts the podcast LinkedIn for Entrepreneurs. The conversation focuses on how authors can use LinkedIn to market their busines...

Can an AI editing tool really replace a professional human editor? With traditional editing costing anywhere from two to five thousand dollars, AI tools promise similar results for a fraction of the price, leaving authors wondering why they should pay for a professional. But that is the wrong choice, because AI cannot replicate what a human editor does, and the wrong decision can damage your conte...

Sometimes traditional writer's block advice can fail busy professionals. This episode explores how to use AI as an ideation writing partner to move past your writing challenges while maintaining your authentic voice. For executives, CEOs, and thought leaders, writer's block is especially costly because blocked writing time means lost billable hours, delayed publication timelines, and the frustrati...

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read a book and asked the author, “Who did you hire for your editor?” only to find out that they hired one or more editors who didn’t do a quality editing job on their business book. Today, I share the common mistakes I fix after another editor has already worked on my client's book, because it happens far more often than not. I look at a manuscript, and it doe...

If you've ever searched for help with the inside of your book, you've probably noticed that nobody seems to call book formatting the same term. One person says one name, another uses a completely different term, and before you know it, you're not even sure what service you’re looking for. In this episode, we're clearing up the naming confusion so you know exactly which service you need and the nam...

In this essential episode, I clear up the confusing terminology around book formatting since one person says formatting, another says typesetting, and someone else calls it interior design, leaving authors unsure which service they actually need. I break down the five different names for what happens inside your book so you understand what each one means and can hire the right professional with co...

I talk with Michael Nguyen, founder of Take This Podcast , a production company that assists real estate and finance creators in growing their shows without burnout. With seven years of experience and successes like Coach Carson's show (130,000+ YouTube subscribers), Michael makes the case for why authors should consider podcasting. Blog readership is declining in the AI era, while the active podc...

I sat down with David Barnett, an author of ten books who has spent over a decade helping entrepreneurs buy and sell small businesses. David shares how a simple PDF lead magnet he created in 2014 evolved into his first published book, Invest Local, and how that experience revealed the power of books to serve as a lasting business card—one that opens doors to podcast appearances, speaking engagemen...

Ray Hartjen is the author of five published books, including Revenue Orchestration in Today's New Era of B2B Sales and Marketing , to discuss how your business book can drive your inbound sales pipeline. Ray wrote his book because B2B buyers have dramatically changed how they purchase over the last five years, wanting to self-serve part of their buying journey just like they do as B2C consumers, y...

The key distinction is between creative rest and destructive procrastination, since procrastination involves avoidance and guilt with no end point, while creative breaks involve intention and restoration with defined boundaries. Signs you are procrastinating include endlessly researching without writing, constantly rewriting the same chapter, and waiting for perfect inspiration. Signs you need a c...

Let’s walk through a complete high-level roadmap to self-publish your book from concept to KDP upload, with most steps applying even if you use a hybrid or traditional publisher. Before writing anything, identify four key components: why you are writing, what your focus is, what your message is, and who your target audience is. Your "why" might be becoming a known author, making money, using the b...

In this Book Blueprint episode, I welcome Bob Martin, a former mob lawyer turned mindfulness teacher and author. Bob shares his origin story of becoming a mob lawyer after hitting the Gambino family's southern branch with a 72-million-dollar racketeering case while working for Janet Reno in Miami. Johnny from the Gambino family walked into his office and offered to send clients since Bob beat thei...

I welcome Lisa Raby of Nerd Girl Industries to discuss getting books into bookstores beyond Amazon. Lisa explains why bookstores matter, including passive income opportunities, access to new reader communities, free promotion through author events, and bookstores ordering back catalogs. The myth that traditional or hybrid publishers automatically get books into more bookstores is false since publi...

In this essential episode, I welcome John DeDakis, former CNN Situation Room editor and author of six novels, to discuss his "weed whacking" service for shortening manuscripts.  John cautions that content over 100,000 words becomes a disincentive for readers with short attention spans and for traditional publishers concerned about production costs for unknown authors. Non-professional writers...

Here’s the 411 on why hiring the right editor makes all the difference; since choosing the wrong book editor lowers book quality, which I've witnessed with clients who hired two professional editors, yet their books showed little to no editing. The right editor must be well-practiced in your genre, never use AI for editing since traditional publishers, including the big five, pull contracts for an...

What You Need to Know About the New Amazon KDP Algorithm Did you know that Amazon KDP recently changed their book algorithm? Yes! KDP finally made changes which rewards quality content and genuine engagement over previous gaming systems, finally leveling the playing field for professional authors. The major shifts include greater emphasis on read-through rates and completion where ebooks people fi...

Ready to transform your expertise into a bestselling book that resonates and sells with your target readers? Your expertise and voice make your book unique even if similar topics exist, but expertise alone doesn't create a good book without the right strategy. I cover mining your expertise for book-worthy content including years of professional experience, repeated client questions, frameworks or...

I’ve got another Book Blueprint episode for you, today! Welcome Stephanie Jordan, author and speaker who retired from her 27-year cosmetology career and has written multiple books including The Narcissistic Bride of Christ and her upcoming Legacy Builders . Stephanie asks how to get people interested in your book. I explain the ideal approach is to start marketing three to six months before your p...

Melanie Trela Johnson, the visionary founder of Elite Online Publishing, has taken over 3000 authors to number one bestseller status and is herself an 18-time Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. Melanie explains how Elite Online Publishing differs from traditional publishers by providing high-level service throughout the entire publishing journey, handling the publishing triathlo...

In this special Book Blueprint episode, I welcome Dave Letterfly-Notar, a five-time published author with three memoirs and two guidebooks who takes readers into the traveling circus world through his passion for horsemanship, adventure, and artwork. Dave started writing as catharsis 37 years ago, evolved into marketing essays for his art career, then, he was encouraged by professors who helped hi...

Here are the 22 crucial questions to ask before hiring a book editor, based on a thorough questionnaire a prospective client sent me that covers major considerations when vetting professional editors for your self-published book. The fundamental questions covered in this episode include: genre expertise, comparable books edited, and what excites editors about your manuscript, though many ghostwrit...

I recently had another podcaster in a coaching group ask me about how to break down the overwhelming process of writing a self-published book into manageable, smaller goals. The core problem: the thought of writing a book paralyzes aspiring authors because it's an undefined goal with no clear starting point, creating blank page paralysis compounded by comparing themselves to finished books with be...

Dr. David Gruder, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of eight books and award-winning psychologist, shares his four secrets to never experiencing writer's block. David's unique writing gift came from childhood when his father, an accomplished technical writer, and his mother, a published poet, mercilessly edited his homework with input that drove him crazy but ultimately gifted him the rare ab...