P1: Plan
With a great roadmap, writing a book isn't overwhelming.
Full Book Writing Checklist
In case you would like to see all the lessons in LEVEL 1 and LEVEL 2 in one place...and even check things off as you go...I made this for you!
Bestselling Book Blueprint Syllabus
How to Use:
• Click link above
• Click "File," and "Make a copy..."
• Make sure you are looking at the first tab to see LEVEL 1
You will need to save a copy to your own Google drive if you want to be able to edit it.
You can also adjust the cell width and even save it as a PDF and print it off!
Hope it helps you navigate the course material easier!
1-Hour Rule, #1 Bestseller Vision, and 9 Spots for Screenshots on Launch Day
The 1-Hour Rule
Unlike the New York Times or Wall Street Journal bestselling lists, Amazon doesn't have to wait around for physical bookstores to report back sales data.
Plus, Amazon is a client-centric retailer who wants to show its customers the most up-to-date and relevant information possible.
So, they update their bestseller rankings for categories...every hour!
Read that again!
[Note: From experience, other clients and I have found that there is often a bit of a delay for sales to reflect in your rankings, so it's "every hour + sometimes a couple of hours of processing time." But even if things update "every 3 hours," this works well in our favor!].Release your book in categories that are relevant but not crazy competitive (we show you exactly how to do this in LEVEL 2), and chances are that for ONE HOUR, you could outsell the other books in your category, right?
This isn’t “most sales over time,” either — it’s calculated with recent sales.
So if during the last hour, 25 people bought your book, and 13 people bought the other books in your category, you’re coming out on top — even though the numbers are rather small.
#1 Bestseller Vision + 9 Spots to Get Screenshots for Proof of Bestseller on Launch Day
Let's get you excited about what it will look like FOR YOU when you launch your book!
Watch this video below to see what it looks like when you go live and where to get screenshots for proof hitting #1 bestseller!
We'll jump into mapping out 'the how' in future lessons...this is just to give you a vision of where we are headed.
So, be ready to check these NINE places to prove you hit your goals (a lot more on this in LEVEL 2).
Book’s Individual Page
1. Look on the book's actual page for rankings (under "Product Details") for the three categories it is in.
Note: You can get tech support to put you into up to 10 you choose. #BookHack!
2. Look at the top of your book's page for a flag too!
Note: May take longer to appear and it is not guaranteed.
#1 New Release easier/faster to get than Best SellerBook’s Category Pages
3. Look on each of the categories' pages for rankings and side by side comparison shots with your competitors' books.
4. Look at the "Hot New Release" rankings for side by side comparison shots with your competitors' books.
5. Look at other countries Amazon pages at #1-4 above Note: You can easily access your book in other countries through KDP
6. Then, check ‘up’ in the Parent Categories for how you rank in more competitive listings.
Note: Even if you do not rank as well, the books around you may be very cool and photo-worthy!Search
7. Do an Amazon search for your author name or name of your book and look for the flags there!
Author Page
8. Look on your Author Central author page for the flags there
Mobile - BONUS!
9. Get the same shots, but from mobile to share!
Here below are a few visuals from my first book and from Akbar Sheikh's book...
Other Launch Day Best Practices to Keep in Mind
We talk all about your bestseller launch in LEVEL 2, but even before you start writing, here are a few things to think about for your launch day and marketing plan.
1. Clear your schedule for the entire day to promote your book, coordinate with your 'launch street team,' and take screenshots for proof of #1 bestseller
2. Think about other countries too. Who do you know in...?
• The US
• The United Kingdom (UK)
• Germany (DE)
• France (FR)
• Spain (ES)
• Italy (IT)
• The Netherlands (NL)
• Japan (JP)
• Brazil (BR)
• Canada (CA)
• Mexico (MX)
• Australia (AU)
• India (IN)
It's often just a few sales to get you to #1 in categories in other countries!
3. Use something like Skitch to mark up your screenshots and share (to get even more attention)...like I did in the samples above. You can use this for other things during the pre-marketing stage as well.
I can't wait to see YOU on the Wall of Fame!
3 Important Questions You MUST Answer (Your Why, Legacy, & Impact)
Not 'Just Another Task To Check Off'
If you are a nerdy overachiever like I am, you'll want to jump into writing your book immediately.
But, I can tell you from experience, that if you don't have a clear emotion-tied WHY wrapped up inside your book goals, finishing your book will:
1. Feel like yet another 'to-do' on your long list of tasks
2. Fall in priority to more shiny objects that flash on your computer screen
You joined us for a reason.
Writing a book has been on your heart or brain for a while now.
So, let's take a breath and a minute to answer these 3 questions. When you get stuck during the later P's, come back to your answers here to get you over the hump.
1. What is your 'core why'?
By "core why" I mean the true center around what makes you tick.
• What gets your blood pumping?
• If a genie granted you $1 Billion dollars right now, what problem would you eradicate off the face of the planet?
• What do you feel pulled toward helping?
Jot down (in a notebook or Google doc) your first thoughts now:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
EXAMPLE:
If you still aren't sure, I can share with you that my "core why" is to help women stop hiding, playing small, downplaying our smarts, staying quiet...or worse, staying in bad relationships, locations, jobs, or situations.
I feel that I can help in three ways.
1. One is to BE an example that other women feel inspired to follow.
2. Another is to teach what I know around ways to elevate your status (like I'm doing with this course) and help more women (and men!) to use the tools available to them
3. The other is to earn enough money to create more opportunities to reach even those who can't afford (or aren't sure where to look for) help.
How about you?
If we boil it all the way down, why do you do anything and all that you do?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What are your long-term business goals & legacy desires?
This question is zoned a bit more in from your 'core why' and into your true goals around your long-term business or 'thought leadership' efforts.
• Do you want to be the "Tony Robbins of X" or the "Oprah of Y"?
• Do you want to have the influence of Marie Forleo, Gary Vee., or Tim Ferriss?
• Do you want to 'change the game' in your niche/industry?
Jot down your first thoughts now:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
EXAMPLE:
For me, I do not want to be famous 'in real life,' but I definitely want to be known and respected in the fields I choose to grow in.
I want to help enough people through my businesses that I am allowed 'in the room' with great thought leaders I admire.
There's more to it, but I'm keeping it private for now... :)~
How about you?
What do you want to have achieved in 5, 10, 15, 20 years?__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What do you want to be known for & who do you want to impact?
Now let's bring things into more of the 6-month to 5-year range.
To help get you to your legacy goals, we need to take powerful steps forward. Right now if you could look ahead 6 months from now...1 year from now...3 years from now...
What does EVERYONE know you for?
"Oh, have you talked to Alex! She is THE go-to when it comes to paid ads on Facebook and Pinterest. She's the best!"
"You know Rob? Wow, nice. He is seriously rocking it with photography for entrepreneurs and big business events. His stuff is going viral."
What are people saying about your amazingness?
Fill in the following:
Everyone knows that I am the go-to authority in __________________________________!
Who do you want to impact?
Try as I might, I cannot help everyone with books.
At first, I would take introductions to people who wanted to write children's books. But I haven't done it so I felt wrong to take them on as clients!
At first, I said I'd help anyone with a book. But then fiction writers of sci-fi asked me questions I just couldn't answer.
Even within the 'niche' of self-publishing, I had to niche way down.
I realized I wanted to impact people like me. People who were exactly where I was 'a couple of steps ago.'
And that meant:
• Entrepreneurs, thought leaders in business who KNEW THEIR STUFF and really had valuable things to teach others, but felt like the world's best-kept secret or were ready to take things up a notch.
• People ready to write a non-fiction book to leverage as a tool to grow their brand and business (even if they could never 'retire' off of passive book income!)
How about you?
Fill in the following:
My specialty is in helping this type of person/business: __________________________
Self-Psychology of Becoming a Bestselling Published Author [+Senior Princesses Story]
When it comes to taking on a new challenge outside our comfort zone (or what we've done before), we hit roadblocks in our own mind.
You will on your book journey too. We all do.
So, self-validation is an important foundational step.
I want to SCREAM at you that you are good enough, worthy as you are, and 'expert enough' today -- at this very moment -- to write your book.
You may still doubt it.
If so, please read this true story...
MY MANIFESTO FOR YOU
[in your book writing journey and beyond]
Back in high school, we had major cliques..and the prettiest, most popular girls ran the school.
Who knows what I’m talking about?
If you grew up in a small town or smaller school, maybe you didn’t have this so much...but picture the movie Mean Girls with Lindsay Lohan… Rachel McAdams (who’s a revelation!) was the leader of the mean girls in that school.
That’s what I mean.
Well, for those of you who know me, I grew up in the OC -- like ohmygawd totally! -- this was back in the late ’90s before anyone even called Orange County “the OC.”
And my school was El Toro High School, if you’re familiar with the area, just inland from Laguna Beach.
Well, we had a mix of students there but certainly our fair share of the stereotypical ‘get a red sports car for my sweet 16 birthday’ girls. A few boob jobs were even granted -- not kidding.
So, as you can imagine the “cool girls” were the ones driving flashy cars, wearing designer clothes, and rocking fake nails and too much makeup. Usually cheerleaders, or tight friends with cheerleaders, and they ran the school, year after year.
The popular girls from the senior class were seen as gods. Envied and adored and obeyed.
They:
• led the student council
• won all the spots in the Homecoming royalty
• dominated the photos in the yearbook
• and were spotlighted in every single school assembly
My graduating class...the Class of ‘99...started out no differently. The self-selected elite rose to power and prominence as in all the years prior. They got all the attention and perks due to their roles and stature...
THE PLOT THICKENS!
And there was one other tradition each year...and this...this, is where things get interesting…
So, the popular girls always made t-shirts for themselves proclaiming their coolness and wore them with pride, delighting in excluding everyone else.
The year before me in ‘98 they had “Senior Babes” written across their bright pink shirts...the year before that were the “Senior Hotties.”
My year, in ‘99, the girls selected the name “Senior Princesses” atop light pink shirts.
“On Wednesdays we wear pink.” The Mean Girls movie must have known about our Senior Princesses.
The Senior Princesses shoved their superiority in everyone’s faces, as each year before them. It was all fun and games if you were a ‘chosen one,’ but if not, you were a second or third class citizen at my school.
But then, one day I arrived to hear a buzz whipping through the school! The face of every Senior Princess was hot pink with rage. (no pun intended ;))
Their eyes pierced like daggers at all who passed.
‘What had happened?’ I wondered.
[From this, you can see I was not a Senior Princess….far from it...I was in the AP / Honors nerd group...the group of kids who competed to get A’s and joined clubs just to pad their college applications and go to an ivy league. No cool shirts for us!] hahaHere's a pic below of me in N.H.S. = National Honor Society. #nerdalert 😉
But back to the story...it turned out that the geekiest of geeky girls at our school (who in our case were the band kids and colorguard gals) had printed shirts of their own with the words...
..."Senior Queens" on purple shirts!!!
Oh, the uproar!
You could cut the tension in our school with a knife for days as war brewed.
The Senior Princesses appealed to the student council, the principal, popular teachers, and the school staff...they demanded the Senior Queens be forbidden from wearing their shirts because it was THEIR tradition and only THEY could decide who was cool or not. Only they could choose who got shirts.
MY BIG TAKEAWAYS
After the Senior Queens took their stand, more small groups of students started making their own shirts. Even guys got in on it… “Senior Dudes” or something like that.
Eventually, it all just blew over.
The Senior Princesses were still mad, but there was nothing they could do so they just had to move on.
For me?
I never joined a clique that printed their own shirts…
...as I watched it all unfold though, I can say that I felt really proud of the Senior Queens for rejecting the idea that no one else was allowed to print shirts unless selected. It took courage to do what they did.
...I realized that just become something was always done a certain way didn’t make it right…
...and ultimately, I vowed to never be
(1) a "Senior Princess" telling others they weren’t good enough or allowed to do something and
(2) a person who put my own self in a box that ‘isn’t allowed’ to do something and has to wait to be selected as ‘worthy’
Let’s bring this back to modern-day…
20 years later, and I still see myself and others in boxes, I still see myself and others believing we aren’t ready, good enough, pretty enough to step into the light and move our lives and businesses forward.
In 2018 and beyond? I'm 100% focused on getting out of my self-imposed "scared of public speaking box." We all have areas of growth. 🙂
And, as you already know, just over 1 year ago I wrote my first book, self-published it, marketed it with no ad budget, and hit #1 bestseller in my category on Amazon of “Podcasts and Webcasts.”
I printed my “Published Author” shirt!
• I didn’t wait for a publisher to select me and tell me I was allowed to write and publish a book.
• I didn’t wait for an arbitrary number of fans on Facebook to deem me eligible to share my expertise as a writer/podcaster.
• I didn’t listen to ‘traditionally published authors’ scoff and throw scorn at me for being proud of hitting bestseller in a subcategory in Amazon. (It’s not a “real best seller!” they all shout).
In high school, we feel bullied and trapped in cliques and groups.
But as adults, we get to choose.
As entrepreneurs, we have to be brave.
There are a lot of “Senior Princesses” out there who will tell you that you can’t speak on stage...you shouldn’t write a book...you aren’t good enough to do XYZ.
Often times that “Senior Princess” is in YOUR OWN HEAD. Completely self-imposed.
What “Senior Princesses” and made up ‘traditions’ are stopping you from printing your own shirt? Sharing your message? Spreading your light?
OKAY, HERE'S MY POINT FOR YOU
The bottom line is this…
…Everyone has value and a story to share.
...There is never a more perfect time to start than right now.
...A book doesn’t have to be your life’s work (think of it more as a great collection of blog posts on one topic in your zone of genius).
...You don’t have to wait for a publisher to give you an offer, for someone else to tell you you’re ready, for your shoulder to be tapped
At the end of the day...
… print your own damn shirt!
• Want to be an author? ...print your own shirt!
• Want to hit bestseller on Amazon? ...print your own shirt!
• Want to be seen as an expert in your niche? ...print your own shirt!
Okay? Now shut your eyes (figuratively ;))...visualize a 3D printer that will pop out any shirt with any title on it… what color is YOUR shirt?
Red, white, black, green?
...picture that now…
And let’s print the words “I am a bestselling published author” or “I am a non-fiction author” on that shirt and hit PRINT.
Your shirt is being made...the machine spins and whirls with the final touches...you reach out to grab it in your hands and feel the soft cotton, slip it over your head, and BAM!
Wear your shirt with pride.
And then, I invite you to help others do the same.
SO???
What ‘shirt’ are you printing this month?
This quarter?
This year?
Share with me! I'd love to hear about your audacious goals around your book and beyond! I'm @LaptopLaura on all the socials.
BONUS
Here's a free copy of Permission to Write a Brand Building Book: 9 Myths Holding You Back From More Exposure & Making a Greater Impact
Click here for a free digital copy of my 2nd book.
It says it's "for Podcasters," but that's just because I wanted to niche down in my marketing and use of the book to speak on stages at podcast conferences. The lessons and principles are valid for ALL who want to grow their brand and business.
I was inspired to write this after working with so many amazing people who questioned their worthiness to write a book, to be an author, to step more into the light.
Skim through it if you need more of a kick in the butt from me! 🙂
What Will Your Reader Get?
Now let's talk about the "purpose" of your book. A 'book that pops' serves a purpose for your audience and for you!
Most importantly, your book needs to have a purpose for your ideal reader.
There's enough junk and self-absorbed fluff pieces out there in the world. Make sure what you put out is of value to others besides yourself.
We'll talk about the purpose of the book FOR YOU next, which is also vital, but to start, let's focus on your audience...
Think About The Reader's Wants and Needs
Spend some time thinking through what your ideal reader wants and needs. It will even help you decide what topic your book will be about, if you haven't decided fully.
Here are a few questions to answer:
1. What transformation will they get as a result of reading your book from start to finish and implementing what you share?
• physically
• emotionally
• financially
• spiritually
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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2. What can you teach them that they know they want to know?
[In other words, what are questions you get asked a lot in your business from clients or prospective clients that you can answer well?] ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
3. What can you teach them that they don't know they want to know but really need to know?
[In other words, what DON'T you get asked a lot but wish you would because it's important for your ideal client?] ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
4. What stories of triumph after struggle can you share to encourage them and make them see that it is possible for them too?
[From your experience, client examples, friends' stories (with permission), etc.] ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
5. What bonus resources can you share (for free) so that they can better implement what you teach?
[E.g. videos, PDF checklists, sample contracts, templates, etc.]____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Make sure to keep at the front of your mind throughout the process that you must deliver value to your reader if you want to be able to truly leverage your work and achieve the goals!
What Will You Get?
After looking at what the reader will get out of your book, let's now make sure YOU get all you want and then some out of your book efforts.Writing, publishing, marketing, launching, and promoting a book takes time and effort.
It's 100% worth it if you have a vision for how you will make it ROI positive for you, your brand, and your business. Let's dive in!
How does the book fit into your 'sales funnel'?
A sales funnel is a jargony way of saying 'turning people who don't know you exist into leads and then clients and raving fans.'Your book can serve as a powerful tool at more than one stage in that process!Here is a simple 'visual' representation of a sales funnel:
So, let's think about how we can use a book to move people from one level on the sales funnel to the next level deeper...
1. How can a book move someone from "Everyone" to "Visitor"?
Answer: Getting found in search on AmazonAmazon is one of the biggest and most used websites in the world (and even more so percentage-wise in the United States). When people have problems, they search for answers on Amazon. When they find you and your book, that moves them from 'just anyone' into someone who is starting to know you.
2. How can a book move someone from "Visitor" to "Lead"?
Answer 1: Give readers 'free bonuses' inside the book
Take the reader back to your website with more valuable resources to accompany the book. We'll discuss this more in a future section, but this is a great way to entice visitors off of Amazon and over to your site and opt-in forms.
Answer 2: A free lead magnet on your website!
Give your book away for free on your website in exchange for an email address (and you can Facebook pixel them too for retargeting ads). Just wait to implement this until AFTER your bestseller launch! [If you also have access to LEVEL 2, you'll see why we want to concentrate our marketing and sales efforts on our launch day as a first goal.]
Answer 3: Do a 'free + shipping' campaign for the print book
The master at this is Russell Brunson of Click Funnels with his Dot Com Secrets, Expert Secrets, and Traffic Secrets books.
He gives copies of those (VERY GOOD) books away for free as long as you pay shipping and handling, which actually cover his costs. This can be a great tactic if your book is super desirable to your ideal clients.
3. How can a book move someone from "Lead" to "Opportunity" and "Client"?
Answer 1: Give your book as a free value-add to people who have already opted in to a different lead magnet.
I have a (no opt-in) free download of my second book in my email signature. Anyone who emails me can see it and download it. It's a way to further build value so that those who are interested in working with me will raise their hand.
You could also send it to anyone who engages with you who seems like a potential ideal client. The more you show you know your stuff and that you are there to help, the more leads will turn into clients.
Answer 2: If you do a good enough job giving value inside your book, there will be those who want to hire you right off of it without needing a ton more 'nurturing.'
4. How can a book move someone from "Client" to "Brand Evangelist"?
Answer: Involve your current clients IN your book
• Feature them as case studies and promote them in your book marketing
• Give them early access to your manuscript
• Ask them for feedback, advice, and a commitment to reviewing it when it goes live
• Mail them a physical copy with a handwritten note as a 'surprise and delight' thank you
As you can see, your book can be used in more than one way inside your sales funnel. Get creative! There are so many great uses for your book.
How else will you leverage your 'Author Expert' status?
Beyond book sales and using your book as a tool to move people through your sales funnel, there are lots of other juicy ways to leverage your book and being a published (bestselling) author.
That's what LEVEL 3 is all about. But, before we start writing, we want to have a vision for where we want to go!
The best ways to leverage your book falls into what I call "S.U.P.R.E.M.A.C.Y."!
• [S] Speaking on Stage (workshops, conferences -- free & paid)
• [U] Unifying Leadership (leader of groups, events, movements)
• [P] Podcasts (getting interviewed on more and better-engaged shows)
• [R] Reel Reach (video content like YouTube, virtual summits, Facebook Lives, Snap & Insta stories, TikTok, LinkedIn Live)
• [E] Evidence of Biz Success (reviews, testimonials, case studies)
• [M] Major Media (traditional sources like T.V., radio, magazines)
• [A] Articles Around the Web (blogs, Medium, LinkedIn, etc.)
• [C] Cool Camera Close-ups (professional headshots, pics with influencers / celebs, book signings, doing great stuff)
• [Y] Your Network & Connections (network = networth)
Your book is like a 'lead domino.'
Once you are a published author (heck, you can even start leveraging AS YOU WRITE!), getting more and better opportunities in the 9 areas above come easier and faster.
People look at and talk to you differently when you are an author.
It's instant credibility.
Others who are leaders and have the power to help you grow WANT to interview, show off, and work with other leaders, other experts, other professionals.
A book helps prove you belong -- that you are worthy of attention and collaboration.
[Of course, a badly written book or flakiness will lose you those privileges faster than you can Usain Bolt can run around a track, but a world of new possibilities opens up to authors].
Question: What are YOUR top ways that you want to leverage your book from S.U.P.R.E.M.A.C.Y.?___________________________________________________________________________________
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Pre-Marketing Essentials
Based on our Bestselling Book Blueprint, you see that "P2: PEN" (or sometimes I call it "PRODUCE") comes before "P4: PUBLISH KINDLE," and that makes sense because we can't publish a book that's not written (unless you do pre-orders, but that's a strategy we will talk about later as an emergency 'omg, I need more time' situation -- I personally do not normally do pre-orders).
But, I want to stress to you that you should NOT 'go into your cave,' write your book secretively, and then emerge with it live and published for the world.
No, no!
If we want our book to hit #1 without having to spend money in ads, it's important to "market" as you go.
We talk about this more in detail in LEVEL 2's P5: Proof of Bestseller in the "T.R.A.C.K. Formula" under the "A" for Attraction-Based Marketing.
So pop over there to take a look at what is important to do around marketing! Even as you write your book.
When it comes to marketing, there is overlap even as we produce and polish our book.
Pre-Marketing Essentials
1. Open the 8 Week Action Plan
[This is explained more in LEVEL 2, but it's important to highlight it in advance].You'll find a tab for a day-by-day and week-by-week breakdown of what you can do for Attraction-Based marketing starting right now all the way up until launch.
Even if you take more or less than 8 weeks, use the calendar as a jumping-off point!
2. Pick a Launch Date!
If you don't pick a date on the calendar, your book goals will keep getting pushed off further and further as more 'fires' pop up (as they always do for us busy entrepreneurs).
You'll see more about what date to pick in LEVEL 2's P5: Proof of Bestseller under "T" Timeline & Pricing Strategy, but the cliff notes for my recommendation is:
• Pick a Tuesday or Wednesday
• Make sure it doesn't overlap with major holidays
• Clear your schedule to focus on your launch that whole day
• If you already have a good portion of material written, pick a date about 4 weeks away. If you have not started writing at all yet, I've found that 8 weeks will really light a fire under you, but it's still manageable.
Ask me for advice in the Facebook group if you're not sure how long to allot.
3. Harness the Power of Accountability
We all know that when other people are involved, we rise to the occasion. We'll let ourselves down before we let others down.
I know that's true for me.
So, lean on our Facebook group. Be active. Connect with others. Support each other. Ask for help when you get stuck.
Feel a mental roadblock? That's normal. Come and vent and ask for encouragement. We are there for you!
Even I -- the Great Nerd of the OC -- got stuck and had biz buddies I leaned on during the writing of my books.
The Facebook group is to help make implementing this program MORE effective...and fun.
4. Let the Power of Public Declarations Hold You to Your Date
There will be one or more times during this journey where you want to procrastinate. Fear rises. Stuff happens with clients. You feel resistance.
And you will want to put off your book goal.
"You know, next month really would be better...." (No-no!)
But, if you PUBLICLY share your launch date over and over, you will not want to let others down. You will not want to look flaky or inconsistent. [This is proven by psychological research].
And you will push through and accomplish more than you thought possible!
So, harness this power of public declarations!
BONUS RESULT:
Not only will sharing your date over and over hold YOU accountable, but it will also burn into the memories of your friends, family, and followers so that they will be more likely to remember your book launch and take action to buy it. After all, you've proven to them over time that it's meaningful to you and you fulfilled your commitment.
ACTION STEPS
When should I pick a date? How about right now!
Step 1:
Go ASAP into our Facebook group and share with us your chosen launch date!
Step 2:
After you 'sleep on it' and make sure this date is enough time to finish your book but not toooooo much time that it feels far away, start sharing the date over and over on your social platforms, email newsletters, out loud when speaking with everyone! (I like 90 days or fewer out!)
Writing Calendar + Goals
Here are three easy steps...
Step 1: Calculate how much you need to write, depending on your goal date for your launch.
• An über-nerdy resource to help with this, if you aren't sure: How Long Will It Take to Write My Book? (It's a google spreadsheet calculator).
• Remember to allow time for revising, editing, and formatting of the book before launch.
(Whether you do that yourself or pay for help, it does take some time, so plan accordingly. The 8-week action plan will help.)
Step 2: Put the Launch Date on Your Calendar (after you make it public!)
• Circle the date in red pen on a calendar you can *see* each day
• Block off the entire day on your digital calendar (or as much of it as you can)
• Keep track of how many weeks or days are left as you look at your date every day!
Step 3: Block Out Writing Sessions On Your Calendar
• Tip: Do your writing first thing in the morning before anything else...if it's not your priority, other people's "emergencies" with prevent you from attaining your goals
• Don't let fear and perfectionism stop you. Get started and momentum will build in your favor. Plus, we all battle that Imposter Syndrome Monster as we step up onto a new level for ourselves -- it's normal...but it's not a reason to stop.
• Write during your time block even if you feel like you don't know what to write. It will come! Just commit to writing anything and let yourself fall into flow.
• If you get stuck writing, remember you can always record your voice and transcribe the audio (try Trint.com or Rev.com). Get content out of your head and onto the page during each writing session.
Content Repurpose Analysis
Lastly, before you jump into writing, take stock of content you already DO have! It may be more than you think!
What to look for:
• blog articles
• emails in email marketing campaigns
• emails to clients to help answer questions
• course materials
• podcast episodes
• video tutorials (for clients or even internally for your team) -- you can have these transcribed for cheap! (Trint.com is $15 per audio hour)
• checklists, templates, cheat sheets
• lead magnets
• detailed social media posts
• etc.
Why audit these?
You spent a lot of time and energy (maybe even money) to create these. It's GREAT content that you have likely forgotten about.
Pull it back up and organize it so that you can reference it when you start writing.
• Some things you can copy and paste word for word.
• Other things you can rephrase to fit inside your book.
• Cool tools can be grouped together as a part of the special "Reader Bonuses" we'll talk about soon.
Cut your writing time and headache in half by repurposing awesome content you already have.
Launch Order Bird's Eye Overview
For reasons we'll discuss in the T.R.A.C.K. Formula in LEVEL 2, we will be following this launch protocol:
1. Launch the Kindle eBook version of your book ONLY (on your public launch day that you picked earlier) for your #1 bestseller run
Why?
• We want to give people one option only. "Buy my Kindle book TODAY!" Giving too many options leads to confusion and inaction.
• We can reduce the price of a digital book lower than a print book, so more people will be willing to take action and support your launch.
• Amazon updates their rankings every hour (Remember "The 1-Hour Rule"!), so we want to concentrate our book sales to our launch day.
• Publishing a book is a good amount of work. Why not space out the Kindle, print, audiobook, etc.? It will save your sanity. Plus, it gives you extra time to catch any small typos you missed (in the Kindle) before anything you cannot easily edit goes out (print books, audiobooks on Audible).
2. After the excitement of your bestseller launch day, then it's time to focus on getting your print book done
Why?
• In addition to the 'single focus' reason above, there are also formatting differences for your Kindle book file and your print book file. It's easier to tackle them one at a time.
• Spacing out launches gives you another excuse to get your book in front of people. All attention is good attention in business.
3. If you want to go the extra mile, you can also turn your book into an audiobook yourself or with a service
Why?
• Audiobooks are all the rage and growing.
• Same as above, we don't want to launch this along with the others all at the same time because it is overwhelming to you to prep all the needed assets and convolutes your marketing message to your buyers.
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SOUND GOOD!?
There's still more to learn and apply, but with this bird's eye view look at where we are going!
We are on our way!!!