Over 12 Million Copies Sold: The Self-Publishing Story Behind Thomas Erikson’s Surrounded by Idiots | Before the Bestseller 165

Before the Bestseller


In today’s episode, we welcome back Thomas Erikson, the behaviorist and international bestselling author behind the global phenomenon Surrounded by Idiots. What began as a single book has grown into the bestselling Surrounded by series, with more than twelve million copies sold and translations in nearly 70 languages. Thomas speaks to audiences around the world, delivering more than a hundred keynotes each year to TEDx stages, Fortune 500 companies, and government organizations.

In this conversation, Thomas looks back on the twenty years he wrote without ever being published, the rejection letters he kept in binders, and the moment he realized he couldn’t stop creating even when no one was reading. He shares why he ultimately chose to self-publish Surrounded by Idiots after countless rejections, how those early copies found their way into readers’ hands, and the unexpected momentum that followed. Thomas also reflects on how his background shaped the way he explains behavior, why he writes for everyday people instead of academics, and what the polarizing title revealed about how people respond to ideas. He gives us a glimpse into the new concepts he’s exploring for his next book and why even people with the same personality “color” can feel so different from one another.

Tune in for a conversation that takes you behind the scenes of one of the most remarkable self-publishing journeys today. 

Learn more about Thomas Erikson on his website here: www.surroundedbyidiots.com

Check out the book, Surrounded By Idiots, here: https://a.co/d/4CCxMMQ

Alex Strathdee
BeforeTheBestseller | AdvancedAmazonAds

Recent PoDCASTS

a HOT take on book pricing: 3 secrets, 2 links, 1 quote

Reader, We’ve been invited to a TikTok shop scaling event this Friday at 4pm PST by one of our partners, Acutrack. Our team will be in attendance as we get more requests every day on what an effective TikTok strategy looks like so this is a chance for our own learnings! If you’d like to attend for free as well just let me know by responding here and I’ll add you to the invite.3 Secrets:1. MY hot? take on book pricing After 6 years of watching hundreds of books priced based on the goals of…

LISTEN NOW

sneaky review idea & list of seeding events: 3 secrets, 2 links, 1 quote

Reader, I tried writing a book about procrastination… …but I’m waiting for the right time to launch it. 3 Secrets:1. What’s on your mind & what was useful here? Two essential questions to add to your daily team meetings. I thought this was a book marketing newsletter? I promise it is! Professional authors have teams. Don’t have one yet? Hire a virtual assistant on a platform like onlinejobs.ph just to start getting experience. Starting is the hardest part of growing a team, and most authors…

LISTEN NOW

Subscribe for a copy of Before the Bestseller and level up your book marketing today!

Fill out the form below, and you’ll receive your copy shortly.