every reader must create ≥1 new reader, 3 secrets, 2 links, 1 quote

Reader,

andddddd we’re back!

How can I serve you this year?

What do you want more of?

Let me know 🙂

before we get to the first 321 of 2026….

horseback riding at Petra over Christmas with my childhood best friend Colleen

okay, okay, now back to book marketing…

3 Secrets:
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1. The Lean Startup’s Viral Engine of Growth but make it books…

In the Lean Startup by Eric Ries, the Viral Engine of Growth is when your product grows because users bring in more users automatically.

You’ve achieved this if each user brings in more than 1 new user.

Ries calls this the viral coefficient.

If it’s > 1 → you grow fast

If it’s < 1 → growth dies out

If you’ve been following along for some time now, you’ve heard me mention the viral coefficient of a book before but I don’t know if I’ve ever explained it so eloquently.

This concept almost entirely explains why some authors can get 1,000 books into the wild and become a bestselling author over time while others have to continuously pump time and resources into bringing in new readers.

This is also why authors who have more to gain than the sale of 1 book can spend much more time and money getting their book into the hands of ideal readers.

This could be a fiction author with a 16-book series
or
a non-fiction author with a backend consulting business.
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Since they have more to gain from each reader, they continue to invest in gaining new readers even if their viral coefficient is < 1 or at least have greater runway to find the audience with a viral coefficient > 1.

In my opinion, we don’t focus enough time on figuring out the viral coefficient of our book. It’s also why writing a recommendable book is the best marketing tool available to authors.

That being said, I’m not sure there’s a way to know this number for sure. (If you know of one, let me know)

The other issue is that all readers are not equal.

Another reason why it’s important to get your book in the hands of more than just your best friend.

If your best friend isn’t your ideal reader, they aren’t going to tell anyone about your book.

Contrast that with your ideal reader who will tell more than 1 other relevant reader about your book.

This is why getting the book in the hands of your ideal readers at launch is everything.

It’s math!

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TL;DR?
Every reader must create ≥1 new reader. That’s your goal.

“What does a reader do because they read this book that exposes it to someone else?”
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​How? (Nonfiction)​
– The book requires interaction with others -> find an accountability partner or ask 3 people this question
– The book explicitly tells readers to hand it off -> for a greater impact, give this book to someone when you’re done
– A daily habit is changed which is inherently viral -> “You seem so healthy”, “Thanks it’s the new morning routine I learned in X book”
– The book becomes a badge -> Clear enemy / clear worldview

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2. What matters more? 100 reviews from anywhere or 20 reviews from your ideal readers

What we tell our authors is that the first goal is just to get to 100 reviews no matter where they’re from as long as you know they aren’t fiction readers if you’re a non-fiction author and non-fiction readers if you’re a fiction author.

It’s a “always prioritize relevant reviews first but if all else fails and you just can’t get to 100” kind of thing.

Our thinking is that it’s more important for early marketing to get to that 100 number and have a more legitimate looking listing

(especially if you’re not expecting a lot of early sales anyway)

Have a fear of asking for reviews? Use this line which is silly and calls out that it’s hard for you:
​This year my mom told me I need to be better at asking for help!
Would you help me help more people by leaving a quick review [here]?

Makes your ask silly and calls out that it’s not something you’re super comfortable with.

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3. Digital rights management

For those who haven’t heard: Amazon just gave authors the choice to make it so a reader can easily turn their recently purchased ebook into a PDF or Epub file.

Does it really matter?

not really…

Readers always had the ability to convert Kindle files into Epub or PDF files with backdoor software available across the web.

Amazon’s note to authors even hints at that: Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology hinders unauthorized access including downloading, copying, and sharing of published content. Note the word, “hinders”, not “blocks”.

This just makes it easier.

From a marketing perspective, I think it’s fantastic.

The easier it is for your book to get into the hands of more readers, the better.

Will you lose out on some sales?

Sure, but the benefit of free readers spreading the word about your book (especially for new authors) will more than make up for those lost sales.

Self-published authors must OPT IN to make it so readers can easily download it as a PDF or Epub.

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2 Links

1. Before The Bestseller Podcast Update: New episodes airing first week in February, including new guests like Eric Ries of the Lean Startup and welcoming back some old guests too, like Nir Eyal talking about his new book, Beyond Beliefs. In the meantime – one of my favorite author stories of last year…41,000 Copies Sold: Lead It Like Lasso Authors Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio on Intellectual Property Rules for Authors, Ted Lasso Marketing, Co-Authoring and Growth Strategies. Listen here.
2. TeachCrunch article digging deeper into ebook DRM. Read here.

1 Quote

“In the next 12 months, the market will decide who prepared and who hoped.”
– chatGPT

with love and sincere appreciation,

Alex
​BeforeTheBestseller | ShelfLife​
alex@getshelflife.com
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