The 5% Rule: From Book Idea to Business Strategy | Nicole Gebhardt (CEO, Niche Press) | Before the Bestseller 180


Today we welcome Nicole Gebhart, CEO of Niche Press, where she has worked with hundreds of business leaders, advisors, and experts to help them clarify what they want to be known for and turn that into a book that actually drives opportunity. With a background leading communications strategy at Caterpillar Inc. and years of consulting experience, she brings a structured, strategic lens to publishing. In this episode of Before the Bestseller, Nicole breaks down what it really means to treat a book as a business asset rather than a standalone product.

In this episode

We get into why the “wrong book” can quietly limit your growth, how different publishing strategies like signature, pep talk, and niche books each serve a specific role, and why most people approach writing from the past instead of where they want to go. Nicole shares how books should connect to your offers, brand, and long term business model, not just book sales, along with how to think in terms of frameworks, client conversion, and positioning yourself in the top tier of your niche. We also touch on what it looks like to fix a misaligned book, why owning your publishing rights matters, and how the right strategy can turn a book into a consistent source of opportunities.

Tune in to hear how to turn a book into something that actually builds your business instead of just sitting on a shelf.

Check out www.nicheleaders.com to learn more or take the assessment. 

Take a second to follow, review, or share this with someone who might find it useful. Your support helps more people discover the show.

Get the popular weekly book marketing 3-2-1 and get access to our $299 Amazon Ads course when you subscribe to our newsletter here: https://getshelflife.com/category/newsletter/

Head to our new website for more content and updates: www.getshelflife.com

If you’re interested in connecting further or have any questions, feel free to email me at Alex@getshelflife.com

Alex Strathdee
BeforeTheBestseller | AdvancedAmazonAds

Recent PoDCASTS

3 secrets, 2 links, 1 book

Reader,Today is a big day… 3 Secrets1. Today is a big day…because Amazon just added the ability to directly advertise your audiobook with your Amazon Ads. Before today, if someone clicked on your ad and bought an audiobook, there was no way to know it came from the ad. Now you can send people directly to the audiobook product page. Now you can see exactly how many audiobook orders are coming from those who clicked on your ads. For some authors, audiobook listeners might make up as much as…

LISTEN NOW

tips to sell 3 million copies from Mark Wolynn (It Didn’t Start With You)

September 2026 My team says these need a format upgrade. Let me know what you think! This week on the pod, we had Mark Wolynn talking about how he sold 3 million copies of It Didn’t Start With You. He left us with so many book-marketing gems that it was hard to pick just 3… 3 | Book-marketing secrets 1. “I wrote the book as a manual for my students” “I lived and breathed and sat in the ditches with this material.” Time and time again, this is what I hear from top selling self-help…

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.