The key to a best-selling book 🤩 ... Plus, a new era in publishing
Eight years ago, I stopped half way through my run, stared across the lake at downtown Toronto, and decided that I was never going back to work in the city again.
No more racing after the train, subways, stuck in traffic and sobbing over the steering wheel of my car because my kids are always the last ones picked up from daycare and it still isn’t enough at the office.
No more getting calls from the school and telling the teacher there is no way I can pick up my sick kid because by the time I make it home, school will be over anyway.
I closed that back door all the way shut and committed myself to a life of entrepreneurship—I would never work for anyone else ever again.
Turns out, I’m my own worst boss 🤪
As a sole business owner, I work round the clock, including weekends, and last Friday that day started at 4am and ended at 11pm, and spilled over to Saturday and Sunday too.
But I’m building a team to help me grow, as I keep telling my kids. I love my work (maybe a little too much). And I still have the flexibility I’ve always wanted, to volunteer at my daughter’s school, look after my kids on sick days at home, and even squeeze in a little “me” time while everyone else is away at work and school.
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. Much like writing a book, it takes a lot of courage and persistence and determination and get up and go and a village to cheer you forward on good days, and pick you back up on bad ones, but making that call was the best decision I ever made.
Back then, staring out across the water, I was afraid of leaving the “security” of my job and stepping off the corporate ladder.
Now I know that was just fear and scarcity talking.
Sometimes you gotta decide: What’s bigger, your fear or your desire?
In the words of Florence and the Machine, “It’s hard to dance with the Devil on your back, so shake it off.”
Shake off that fear, because you and I, we’ve got dancing to do.
Cat xo
The secret to a best-selling book
My client Joe Lyons-Rising recently launched his book Pain Remixed: Navigating Life with Trauma, Grief, Depression and Anxiety.
Part memoir, part self-help, the book is a dream come true for this author who admits it was years in the making. (Until he met me, that is – wink-wink.)
I recently caught up with Joe, whose book has reached best-seller status on Amazon in multiple categories. (Congrats again, Joe! You rocked it!)
Joe shared with me his secret to best-selling success, and do you want to know what that was?
Asking for the sale.
Joe personally DM’d everyone he knew and many that he didn’t, asking them to buy and support his book.
As a result, he became a best-seller in at least 3 categories, ranking in the Top 20. 🏆
Now I can’t promise you’ll sell books no matter how many podcasts you get on.
Or morning shows.
Or from any other media or influencer coverage.
But looking at Joe’s example, I feel pretty confident in saying, that if you ask everyone you know to buy your book, you will likely fare better than most.
The rise of self-publishing — a new era in publishing
Fans of the Tilt newsletter no doubt saw this piece about self-publishing bypassing traditional publishing in number of titles. (Thanks, Lori, for the heads-up!)
In its most recent report, Bowker found that the number of self-published titles with ISBNs rose 7.2% in 2023 over 2022, topping 2.6 million.
By comparison, the number of traditionally published titles fell 3.6%, to 563,019.
In the article, Draft2Digital’s Mark Coker is quoted as saying, “[It used to be that] self-publishing was viewed as the publishing option of last resort.” Today, self-publishing is the “option of choice” for many authors, as it offers greater control over their “pricing, promotion, and distribution,” allowing indie authors to connect with their audiences “faster, and more profitably.” 💰
The tide is turning, and it’s looking like money in the bank—"industry observers estimate that annual sales of self-published is in the billions of dollars”—and even publishing deals, with a growing number of traditional publishers in 2024 signing major deals for previously self-published books and series, particularly in the genres of romance, horror and romantasy. Several traditional publishers have even created imprints and programs dedicated to bringing in self-published authors.
If you were waiting for self-publishing books to be more “legit” before hopping on the bandwagon, it’s already here. It might be a publishing path worth exploring for your next book.
PS: Want to know more about self-publishing versus traditional publishing? (I can help you with both!) I’ve opened my calendar to chat with a few people about their options and can help you find the best path forward for YOU. Click here to book a call with me.