The Biz Book Broadcast

Why do only 37 business books sell over 1,000 copies weekly? Todd Sattersen returns with the brutal mathematics of book sales + what it actually takes to hit six figures. Todd discusses the difference between frontlist + backlist success, why half of bestselling books are over five years old + how to spot well books versus pond books.   We discuss evergreen topics versus fads + why distribution be...

Tired of wading through terrible business books? Time for some literary palate cleansers. Candice Davis joins me to discuss the beautifully written books we turn to when we need rescuing from awful writing.  We share our reliable bangers - the guaranteed floor-fillers so to speak, that’ll pull you out of a reading slump. Plus, why you should skip the Beloved film adaptation + how a former video ed...

What if the secret to getting more done was actually doing fewer things? Charlie Gilkey joins me to discuss his first book, Start Finishing. It really will help you finish more projects more efficiently. We discuss the five-project rule, why personal projects count as part of that + how to escape the dopamine trap of endless to-do lists. Plus, why flow states can be dangerous for people with limit...

What if a publisher only worked with one author annually? Todd Sattersen from Bard Press explains their unusual model that's produced several multi-million-copy bestsellers. Todd shares how Bard chooses their single author-for-the-year from thousands of hopefuls. We discuss the 10-year expertise rule, why second-time authors are preferred + why he looks for authors who are really focused on writin...

Why do smart people fall for obvious scams? There's something about human nature that makes us sitting ducks for con artists. Emily Hitchcock joins me to discuss Maria Konnikova's The Confidence Game. We discuss why believing in human goodness makes us vulnerable, the 10-step con process + why authors fall for publishing scams. Plus, why asking to pause any deal will reveal if you're being conned...

Did you know this week in September is when publishers drop all the heavy-hitters they hope will sell big for the holidays? It's book nerd paradise - let me share what's caught my eye for the coming months. From Mick Herron's latest Slow Horses to Margaret Atwood's memoir (she's 85 + has done a whole lot of living), plus the long-awaited third Philip Pullman book that hopefully closes out the seri...

You know that pushy, over-familiar marketing that makes your skin crawl? There's a 1971 kids' book that perfectly captures why it feels so violating. Rachel Allen joins me to discuss Roger Hargreaves' Mr. Tickle - a creature with impossibly long arms who bothers people without permission. We explore how his antics mirror shouty bropreneurs + LinkedIn messages that sound like dating attempts. We di...

If you're a regular listener, you know I read a lot of books, but we only have time to discuss very few of them on the show. So today we’re trying something different - speed reviews of books that reallystood out in the last month or so - from making lasting change to ancient Roman gossip. It's a chattier style than my usual solo coaching episodes, so do let me know what you think. Plus I'm launch...

Think you can throw together a fancy fundraising gala in a few weeks? Sarah Benvenuti has some harsh reality about what it actually takes to pull off those fancy black-tie events you see on TV + film. We discuss Will Guidara's Unreasonable Hospitality + how running a Michelin-starred restaurant applies to managing massive events with celebrities, volunteers + chaos everywhere - and has leadership...

Two hundred episodes of talking about books + business. Time to celebrate with conversation + complete foolishness. Ron Tester joins me to answer random questions from various conversation card decks - we cover everything from annoying sounds to what future historians might study about our current moment.  A different format to mark this milestone.  And huge thanks for listening to 200 episodes of...

Sometimes you just need a book that feels like a warm hug, right? Candice L Davis joins me for a Fiction Pop-Up where we chat about our go-to comfort reads - the books we reach for when the world feels a bit much. Candice tells me about her love of Stephen King + Toni Morrison, while I confess to my low-key obsession with cosy crime. Give me a murder in a charming village with characters I’d happi...

Book launch parties are usually terrible. Awkward readings, stale cake + people who bought your book out of politeness. Robbie Samuels is a book launch strategist who knows how to throw a launch that actually works - meaning people leave excited about your book + you walk away with real business opportunities. We talk through his process for creating launch events that feel genuinely engaging rath...

Think strategy is just for the big corporate players? Think again. Juliet Corbett joins me to talk about why every business needs a strategy - yes, even yours. We dig into why most entrepreneurs are doing way too much (guilty as charged) + how being strategic is actually about doing less, not more. We chat about the difference between having a plan and having a strategy, why you need to get comfor...

Book scams are everywhere + they're absolutely infuriating. Emily Hitchcock from Columbus Publishing Lab joins me to talk about the dodgy world of publishing predators who target hopeful authors. She describes cold calls promising movie deals, fake bestseller lists + all the other ways scammers separate writers from their money. Emily shares the red flags every author should know about + how to te...

Growing a business can lock you into the wrong trajectory. And that often leads to feeling trapped despite outward success which leads to terrible self doubt. Ouch. Angela Raspass built a thriving marketing agency but ditched it all to become a coach guiding women through this step - which is why her book is called Your Next Chapter. Her ADHD diagnosis finally explained decades of popcorn brain -...

Are most business books just... awful?  Ron Tester joins me to discuss this knotty question. We discuss the repetitive examples + overused psychological experiments that make me want to throw books across the room. Plus, some behind-the-scenes reality about those "perfect" company cultures everyone loves to cite. Spoiler: it's all about the chairs... We also tackle the bigger question: if most bus...

What if the key to better teamwork isn't fancy systems but occasionally getting your colleague coffee? Charlie Gilkey has spent years looking at how small actions create belonging + extraordinary results - it's all in his excellent book, Team Habits. We discuss why every team action is also a social action, the 30-second fixes that prevent lots of errors + why freelancers need even more belonging...

Stone soup. You know, that story where a stranger gets help making soup, by starting with a rock? Turns out it's actually brilliant business advice. Michael Roderick joins me to dig into this classic tale and why it's weirdly perfect for understanding referrals and business relationships. We chat about his AIM framework - making yourself accessible, influential, and memorable - plus how to get peo...

Pricing your book is confusing + most authors get it completely wrong. Joanna Penn joins me sift through the options. She's published over 40 books, so she's definitely figured out what does + doesn’t work. We talk through pricing everything - ebooks, paperbacks, audiobooks, super fancy hardback editions + even Kickstarter campaigns. If you're wondering whether your book should cost $2.99 or $12.9...

It’s another History Pop-Up with Ron Tester.  This time we're looking at US Revolutionary War battles, D-Day landings + Victorian murders. Ron brings tales of individual bravery against impossible odds, while I serve theatrical women wrongly maligned by history + the details of how people actually lived. Expect the usual book nerdery + friendly disagreements. From Boston Tea Party to Dr Crippen, w...

Was George Orwell the socialist hero we thought he was? Spoiler: absolutely not. Juliet Corbett joins me to discuss Wifedom by Anna Funder , which reveals shocking truths about Orwell's treatment of his first wife, Eileen O'Shaughnessy. Turns out Eileen was crucial to his best work but has been systematically written out of his story by biographers. We dig into the disturbing details of Orwell's b...

Want to turn your book into an audiobook but think you need a fancy studio + a radio voice? Think again. David H Lawrence XVII joins me to talk about why audiobooks are absolutely booming right now + how you can get in on it. David's an actor + voiceover pro who teaches people to narrate their own books, so he knows what actually works. We chat about recording from home (yes, really), prepping you...

Want to know the secret to going viral online?  Well, today’s guest Eugene Choi has got it figured out. Eugene’s a leadership coach who has achieved astounding viral success - over 8 million views on his articles + 23 million views on his short films. Blimey. We look at the key ingredients needed to create massively shared content - from leveraging your network to crafting an attention-grabbing he...

Want to create a movement around your book? I spoke to Biz Book regular Ally Machate, owner of The Writer's Ally, about how to use your book as the rallying cry to build your community + even a movement. Ally walks us through the main ways you can use your book: from a book funnel to grow your email list, building a personal brand around a memoir or business book, becoming the voice of your commun...

Building a business can feel a lot like dancing on knives. Strangely enough, The Little Mermaid has quite a bit to say about that. In this episode, Ron Tester and I explore how her excruciating transformation from sea creature to human mirrors the messy leap from corporate life to entrepreneurship. We talk about the power of voice, why leaning into your strengths matters more than vague dreams + w...