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Reader, Today, we’re focusing on the relationship side of being an author. 3 Secrets 1. The Giving Hour The two biggest sales days for Before The Bestseller (so far) came from 2 book marketing influencers endorsing my book in their newsletters (Ricardo Fayet, and Dave Chesson). 300 sales in one day. $0 in ad spend, $0 admin fees paid, $0 in any type of payment to either of them… In fact I made money that day. Yes, no money was exchanged to make it happen… It was paid for with 5 years of “networking”. NETWORKING – the word alone makes people scrunch up their faces at the thought of fake relationship building. BUT, as you see above, the “value” of networking can’t be overstated… It would have cost over a thousand dollars easily to move those copies but instead 2 friends made it happen for free. Okay so what exactly is the secret here? Marnie Stockman calls it her Friday ritual. Let’s call it “The Giving Hour”. It’s your new weekly ritual to un-slime the word networking. Here’s how it works: You pick a day and time each week and just listen. You listen to what the people you want to connect with are posting on their social media profiles. You pay attention to anything you’re uniquely suited to help with or ways to add value to their life based on what they’re saying. Here’s how it worked for Marnie: During her giving hour, Marnie saw that the host of the top Ted Lasso podcast just got the same dog as her co-author Nick. She had just finished knitting Nick’s dog a sweater and thought, “I should knit one for him too”. She did, and it was the perfect way to lead with something she knew the host would enjoy. When you put it in perspective, would you rather spend 4 hours a month building genuine relationships or spend AT LEAST $1,000 to market your book? In this case, time is literally money. 2. Listen more than you talk when handing books to potential readers Author of 30K+ copies sold Lost on Purpose, Patrick Taylor, discovered that about half the time, visitors wanted to talk about their own experiences. By listening instead of pressure selling, he built authentic connections that led to long-term readers. This approach turns book distribution into relationship building rather than transactional selling. Source: BTB171– 30,000 Copies Sold and 4,000+ Reviews-Patrick Taylor on Grassroots Hustle, Amazon Ads, and Reader Loyalty 3. THIS WEEK: Tell someone about your book and your vision for it Dr. Shefali of The Conscious Parent, kept telling people that Oprah needed to hear about her book. Eventually, someone she spoke to had a connection, leading to a Super Soul Sunday appearance. Consistently sharing your vision creates unexpected opportunities through extended networks. 2 Links
1 Book So far this year, I’ve read 19 books – I know that’s a rookie number for some of you avid readers 🙂 Of those 19 books, there’s one that has changed my life so intensely that I’ll be reading it again by the end of the year. Beyond Belief by Nir Eyal. I was telling a friend about it on Friday and here’s how I pitched it: It’s one of those messages that once you read it, you can’t unread it. It doesn’t take practice or consistent implementation to nail it. It’s just a message that re-wires your brain almost instantly and evolves your mental model for daily interactions. All of a sudden, small remarks, actions, or behaviors done by others will simply no longer bother you. 5 stars.
Alex P.S. Know someone who needs help marketing their book? We offer a $500 referral bonus 🙂 |